Our communities are vulnerable—and the County knows it.

We, the residents and concerned citizens of Roxborough, Sterling Ranch, and the surrounding areas, are calling on Douglas County Commissioners to take immediate action to address the wildfire evacuation risks threatening our neighborhoods.

Recent fires—like the Louviers Fire, which temporarily shut down access to Highway 85, one of our few main evacuation routes—prove this is not a hypothetical risk. It’s a clear warning sign.

Thousands of people and animals could be trapped in the event of a fast moving wildfire under current conditions.

Fire officials have previously shared fire safety code recommendations with County leadership—including the need for additional evacuation roads. To date, those recommendations have not been implemented. And yet, development continues without meaningful upgrades to roadways, egress routes, or evacuation infrastructure.

This isn’t about stopping growth—it’s about making sure we survive it.

🚨 We demand:

• That fire evacuation considerations be explicitly included in infrastructure and engineering reports before any further development is approved.
• That updated traffic and evacuation studies be made public, reflecting both current predictions and projected growth of our area before new building proceeds. 
• That the County work with fire departments to conduct a comprehensive fire risk evacuation study for Roxborough and Sterling Ranch prior to authorizing additional expansion. 
• That funding and timelines be allocated for new or widened roadways to ensure safe egress in case of emergency.
• That community members be informed and included in safety planning discussions related to infrastructure and evacuation, not after the fact but before major decisions are made. 
   

This is not political. This is about protecting people, animals, and the land we all share.

We urge Douglas County leadership to follow the recommendations of fire experts, take community concerns seriously, and make decisions rooted in public safety and common sense—before it’s too late.

 
 Organized with support from Colorado Wildlife Crossings, a local nonprofit dedicated to infrastructure safety for both people and animals in our growing community.