On June 23, 2012, the Waldo Canyon Fire ignited west of Colorado Springs, Colorado, in the Pike National Forest. The fire burned 18,247 acres of public and private land within the foothills and mountains of the Rampart Range in El Paso County and within the City of Colorado Springs. Following the devastation, communities near the burn scar faced post-fire flooding, water quality degradation, damage to vital transportation and water infrastructure, and ecological impacts.

Matrix collaborated with local officials on post-fire planning and decision support efforts, as well as various recovery and restoration projects. This suite of planning and implementation projects allowed our team to utilize its existing skills — and left us with additional expertise, lessons learned, and best practices in readiness and post-fire recovery protocols, communication and collaboration, and decision support tools. It also afforded us an opportunity to showcase our design and implementation abilities with respect to restoration projects that stabilize hillslopes and slow erosion to protect lives, homes, infrastructure, and watersheds.