On a warm summer morning, a group of teens gathered outside a Pine Brook Hills home, laughing as they sorted hand tools and rakes. They were part of Wildfire Partners’ Youth Services Program — local youth employed through TEENS, Inc. to complete hands-on mitigation projects for homeowners who may not have the physical ability, financial flexibility, or resources to tackle wildfire mitigation on their own.
Each season, these crews work side by side with Wildfire Partners staff, gaining real-world experience while helping residents reduce risk around their homes. It’s one small but powerful way Boulder County invests in both its young people and its wildfire resilience.
A referral rooted in experience
Andrew Boersma, a crew foreman with Boulder Mountain Fire, has spent more than 16 years working in wildfire mitigation and response. His job takes him door-to-door across mountain communities, meeting homeowners, evaluating risk, and helping plan fuel reduction projects.
Over the years, Andrew has also seen a recurring challenge: some properties clearly need mitigation work, but homeowners may not have the ability to take it on themselves.
“When Wildfire Partners mentioned the youth crews,” Andrew said, “I immediately thought of a few homes that could really benefit.”
One of those homes belonged to Doris Smith, a long-time Pine Brook Hills resident.
Turning concern into action
Andrew had noticed Doris’s property during his regular travels through the neighborhood. Like many mountain homes, pine needles had accumulated over time and vegetation had grown dense — conditions that can significantly increase wildfire risk, especially from wind-blown embers.
Rather than letting that concern linger, Andrew connected Doris with Wildfire Partners, recommending her as a good candidate for support through the Youth Services Program.
That summer, TEENS, Inc. youth crews spent time at Doris’s property completing mitigation work — removing heavy pine needle buildup, reducing overgrown vegetation, and removing a hazardous rotting wood deck.
“Most homes don’t burn from a wall of flames,” Andrew explained. “They burn from embers landing in exactly the kinds of places the youth crews addressed here.”
TEENS, Inc. youth crews remove pine needles and vegetation debris from Doris Smith’s property in Pine Brook Hills, helping reduce wildfire risk and improve defensible space.
Loving a place and wanting to protect it
Doris’s connection to her home of more than 25 years runs deep. She speaks often about the peace, quiet, and solitude that comes with living in the foothills.
“I love my solitude,” Doris said. “I love sitting on my deck at night. It’s quiet. I see the sun rise. This is the perfect place for me.”
Wildfire risk is something she’s always been aware of, even if it’s not something she likes to dwell on.
“It’s in the back of my head,” she said. “It’s my biggest worry. But I love it here.”
For Doris, working with the youth services program left a strong impression, not just because of the work completed, but because of the people who did it.
“The teens worked so hard,” she said. “And they were all happy. Every single one of them.”
She spoke about how each crew member brought their own personality to the job, and how kind and respectful they were throughout the project.
“What they did, I would have never been able to do that,” she said simply.
After spending the summer helping reduce wildfire risk around her home, the youth crew left Doris with something just as meaningful: a card signed by every crew member. The card now sits proudly on display in a frame on Doris’ mantle place.
Benefits beyond one property
For Andrew, projects like Doris’s highlight why the Youth Services Program fills such an important gap. In many neighborhoods, homeowners may have the desire to reduce wildfire risk but face barriers that make mitigation work challenging.
“The youth program helps address needs that might otherwise go unmet,” Andrew said. “And it’s a win on multiple levels; for homeowners, for the community, and for the kids.”
Reducing wildfire risk on one property helps create safer access for firefighters, limits ember spread and strengthens community-wide resilience — benefits that extend well beyond a single home.
Doris Smith (left) and Ellie Stanton, Wildfire Partners Youth Programs Specialist, share a moment in front of Doris’ home, where youth crews spent the summer reducing wildfire risk and building lasting connections. This project was one of many properties the crews worked on over the summer season.
Investing in people and preparedness
For Doris, the experience reaffirmed what she values most about her community.
“It meant a lot to me,” she said. “Not just the work, but the people.”
For Wildfire Partners, the Youth Services Program continues to be about exactly that: investing in young people, supporting homeowners, and quietly strengthening Boulder County’s wildfire resilience through relationships built on trust and care.
One property at a time.
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