The Power of Homeowners to be Fire Adapted

May 27, 2014

Source: EMR-ISAC

Wildfire season is off and running already this year with many states reporting significant wildfire activity. A California wildfire this month forced over 20,000 people to evacuate, and a Texas wildfire recently destroyed 75 homes.

Departments in communities with a wildfire risk should be actively working with their residents to mitigate and lessen wildfire hazards through programs like the Wildland Fire Assessment Program, Ready, Set, Go!, Firewise, and Fire Adapted Communities.

A new public-service announcement from the Ready, Set, Go! program highlights the whole-community concept when dealing with wildfire mitigation and preparation. “Hero in You” shows a fire officer responding to a wildfire and explaining to a young boy along the way that the work his mother is doing is helping to keep them all safe.

Encouraging homeowners to take an active role by clearing flammable debris and understanding their wildfire dangers helps the community as a whole. Communities will be safer and, in the long run, so will first responders. The NVFC’s Wildland Fire Assessment Program teaches volunteer firefighters and Fire Corps members how to conduct home assessments in the wildland-urban interface. Find resources here.