Firewise Forum

Firewise Renewals - A Great Rate for 2009

2010-01-27T15:33:00.003-05:00

It's been an exciting time the last several weeks watching communities renew their commitment to wildfire safety by updating their Firewise status. We're still crunching numbers, but it looks like we are retaining at least 85% of all communities active in the program (as we did in 2008). The program has grown quite a bit and we're nearer now to 600 active communities, just after announcing that we broke the 500-community mark.

Thought I'd share this blog from a community just down the road from the Firewise offices at the National Fire Protection Association headquarters in Quincy, Massachusetts. People who live in Firewise communities find more creative and exciting ways to deal with wildfire risks every year, and they have fun doing it! I'll keep you posted on growth as we wend our way through 2010.

Winter Issue of How To Newsletter Available

2010-01-04T12:45:00.002-05:00

Winter's a great time to catch up on those courses you wanted to take on the Firewise Learning Center, renew your Firewise status, and learn how to Firewise your pets. All this and more in the latest issue of "Firewise How To!" Click here to read the latest and to subscribe to get this quarterly in your email inbox.

Firewise Celebrates 500 Community Milestone

2009-11-19T13:37:00.000-05:00

Firewise is working in more than 500 communities around the US!
NFPA :: Press Room :: News releases

Talk Radio Show to Feature Firewise

2009-11-17T13:02:00.001-05:00

Firewise Wildfire Preparation is the name of an episode of "onlinewithandrea" - a web-based radio show on Blog Talk Radio. Visit the website (www.blogtalkradio) tonight at 7:30 p.m. Eastern to listen in and learn all you ever wanted to know (from me, at least) about Firewise!

Read all about it at NFPA Journal

2009-11-04T08:56:00.002-05:00

The latest issue of NFPA Journal has a "green" component - a package of articles grouped around a variety of issues exploring fire and green buildings, fire and sustainability, and even fire and climate change. My first-person piece on the problem of wildfires that destroy homes and communities (aka the wildland/urban interface) is featured, along with sidebars that discuss the approach NFPA is taking to expand its involvement in wildfire issues.
Check out the article online for free, and listen to my description of how communities can take action to be safer using Firewise principles. And feel free to tell me what you think!

Listen to a Firewise Success Story

2009-09-08T12:11:00.006-05:00

Check out the latest monthly podcast linked here on NFPA's Fire Service Today weblog page. David Yegge with the Big Bear Lake Fire Department spoke with me about his department's efforts to work with residents to make their community Firewise. David is a fuels mitigation expert and fire fighter, and he talks about some wonderful success stories in getting local homeowners to remove flammable brush and replace flammable roofs. For more information on the great efforts in Big Bear Lake, you can also view their story at the Firewise website, or visit their fire protection district website, "Thin Is In" at http://www.thinisin.org/.

Begin the Firewise Process with New Online Course

2009-08-12T16:15:00.002-05:00

"Conducting a Community Assessment in the Wildland/Urban Interface: Beginning the Firewise Process," is the latest and greatest addition to the Firewise Learning Center! This free online course walks users through a tested methodology for conducting community wildfire hazard assessments. It provides learners with a thorough understanding of how homes ignite during wildfires, how simple actions can greatly reduce home ignitions, and how community behavior change can create Firewise homes and communities. It includes a link to Additional Resources so you can download the course script, obtain a Word version of the community assessment template, and link to lots of other research and information. Check it out now by visiting www.firewise.org and clicking on "Learning Center" in the top menu bar. First 50 to complete the course and provide comments via email can win a prize! (Prizes limited to non-federal employees only.)

Discussions and blogs on MyFirewise

2009-08-03T15:22:00.002-05:00

Visit MyFirewise to join conversations with Firewise community residents, fire officials, forestry experts and more. Jeffrey Sabatini has posted an article on his profile page called, "Disaster Preparedness on a Budget." Read it at Jeffrey's profile here. If you haven't already used MyFirewise, it takes just a couple of minutes to sign in and use this network.

Don't Wait to Nominate! Tell Us About a Firewise Leader!

2009-07-22T14:24:00.003-05:00

The 2009 Firewise Leadership Award nominations are still open for another couple of weeks. If you've been thinking about a great Firewise leader that you know - a community sparkplug, a wonderful fire department educator, a state forestry fire staffer, or a team of folks who make Firewise things happen - please tell us about it!

This is our 4th year of soliciting nominations for this prestigious award, which can go to leaders at the local, state or regional level. Check out "Firewise You Can Use" on the home page or click here to find out what the eligibility criteria are, view past award winners' photos and info, and download a nomination form. It doesn't take much time to tell us about someone who deserves notice for all their great work in wildfire safety and risk mitigation. Do it today! You'll be glad you did.

A Firewise "Save" in Florida

2009-07-09T07:55:00.002-05:00

This article in the Charlotte Sun Herald caught my attention. I had visited the city of North Port, in southwestern Florida, back at the end of February. Besides enjoying warm sunshine and ocean views, I toured several subdivisions within the city limits and was concerned to find lots of flammable vegetation in a drought-stressed condition. Dry, dead or dying palms, palmettos, vines and lots of them, right in residential areas. I even witnessed the aftermath of a fire that started in a resident's shed, ignited a nearby palm tree, and sent flying firebrands into several neighbors' yards. Only quick work by the fire department saved the day.

There are a number of recognized Firewise Communities/USA sites in and around North Port, and I was delighted to read of a resident crediting his use of Firewise principles in building his home and maintaining his landscape for the survival of his home during a recent fire. Not only did this design make it easier for firefighters to defend his property, but also it prevented the house from igniting due to the three ways heat is transferred in a fire: radiation, convection and conduction. The large trees were far from the home, reducing radiant heat. His landscape was well-maintained, eliminating opportunities for surface fire to touch his home. And his home was well constructed and kept clean, so that embers landing on his roof or deck would not be able to ignite any debris nor construction materials. A true testament to paying attention to your home ignition zone!

Good articles on Firewise concepts

2009-06-15T12:49:00.002-05:00

The word is getting out that Firewise practices make sense and help increase home safety in the wildland/urban interface. A recent editorial in the Napa Valley Register uses local wildfire activity to remind homeowners to be Firewise. The University of Oregon's Oregon Quarterly has a wonderful entry, "Just Right Here," that reminds us not to underestimate residents of the WUI (or WOO-eee). Enjoy the read!

Want to Be Safer from the Start?

2009-06-10T13:47:00.006-05:00

Want to know more about how you can build a Firewise community "from the ground up?" Or how to make sure your HOA rules are Firewise-friendly? Wonder no more -- the Firewise Communities Program has released a new guide for you.

Safer from the Start: A Guide to Firewise-Friendly Developments provides the tools you need as a developer, planner, community association manager or resident to integrate Firewise concepts into design and development, as well as HOA covenants, conditions and restrictions (CC&Rs) and architectural rules.

Created in response to numerous inquiries from developers about how to build Firewise subdivisions, the guide provides the wildfire basics and lots of references to wildfire safety examples and standards. Communities governed by an HOA or community association can use the guide to develop sound rules that help residents start - and stay - safer from wildfire.

Check it out on the Resources - For the Homeowner page on the Firewise website and let me know what you think. Email me, find me on MyFirewise (you have to log in to join) or follow me on Twitter (www.twitter.com/firewise).

You Can Improve Your Home Ignition Zone!

2009-05-18T17:21:00.003-05:00

Spring and summer are wonderful seasons to take stock of the condition of your home ignition zone---the 100 to 200 feet around your home and any attachment it may have, like a deck or an attached wood fence. Do you see that you need to work on the five feet closest in when you walk around your house? This area should contain only non-flammable items like lawn, low-growing flowers and stone walkways. Are there things you can do to improve the area 30 feet out from the structure, on all sides? For starters, dead vegetation should be removed including leaves and pine needles on your roof and in your gutters, and firewood should not be located there. When you are happy, move on to 100 feet out---200 feet if you are on a steep slope.

For helpful ideas about making your home safer, play the interactive Firewise Hints and Preparing a Home for Wildfire Season games. And to see examples of home ignition zones that are prepared for wildfire, browse the Mitigated Home Ignition Zones category in the Firewise photo gallery. You can link to it from What's New.

Let's hear a cheer for volunteers!

2009-04-14T10:07:00.005-05:00

A very wise person recently pointed out to me that all this blogging and emailing and Twittering about Firewise is all well and good - but until people go into their yards, common areas and neighborhoods and take action, it doesn't mean a darn thing! I couldn't agree more. Firewise concepts are only valuable when they're applied in the real world. That's why Firewise Communities/USA sites are nationally recognized for their actions and ongoing work to create neighborhoods that are safer from wildfire.

We truly value these efforts and we even document how much work is going on in the neighborhoods. Last year alone, Firewise Communities/USA participants invested more than $17 million in their local wildfire safety - some through grants, some through donations, but mostly through "sweat equity" - volunteer time. A volunteer hour is now worth $20.25 according to the Independent Sector folks. To learn more about how to value your Firewise volunteers, check last summer's How To newsletter on page 7.

From the ashes, a Firewise community

2009-04-03T15:35:00.002-05:00

The Chico Enterprise Record ran a story this week about the recovery of the small community of Concow, California, from a devastating fire last year. Focusing on one homeowner's struggles to recover and rebuild, it shows what community support and perseverance is all about. Happily, the community is coming back Firewise. The Yankee Hill Fire Safe Council in Butte County worked to help community members restore lands and homesites in a condition that will be safer from wildfire, and applied to become a Firewise Communities/USA site. Concow/Yankee Hill joins more than 450 places around the U.S. that are recognized for voluntary community efforts to take responsibility for wildfire safety.

New Resource for Community-Owned Forests

2009-03-31T08:02:00.003-05:00

Acquiring and Managing a Community-Owned Forest, a new manual published by the Society of American Foresters' Communities Committee, offers step-by-step advice on getting started, engaging the broader community, financing acquisition, and long-term management and stewardship, as well as an extensive, annotated list of additional resources. Click here to read more about it and download the manual.

New Firewise Communities Take a Bow

2009-03-20T16:27:00.003-05:00

Congrats to the latest communities to make it into the news regarding their national recognition as Firewise Communities/USA sites! West Lake Hills in Texas is celebrating its achievements. According to Assistant Fire Chief Mike Elliott, "Only by increasing the awareness, participating in cleanup activities and making plans for the future will the community ever diminish the hazards that are present in West Lake Hills."

In California, Big Bear City is proud to tell of their achievements and their great effort in pulling in multiple partners to do so. Kudos to all!

More communities ponder Firewise

2009-03-19T10:03:00.002-05:00

The news is full of stories lately about communities thinking about becoming Firewise. In New York last week, I spoke to about 65 residents, town officials, and firefighters about what they can do to take action to become safer from wildfire. Read more here.

In Arizona, Pinetop-Lakeside is conducting long-range visioning that includes Firewise action. In Texas, recent WUI fires destroying nearly 30 homes have generated lots of interest in learning to be Firewise. And of course, many communities, like McCreary, Kentucky, have moved beyond the thinking and pondering stage to the real action of neighbors helping neighbors become Firewise.

Following Firewise News

2009-03-17T15:51:00.002-05:00

New tools that Firewise folks are using to get the word out includes Twitter.com. I started an account so people can "follow" me for news about program happenings. Check it out at www.twitter.com/firewise. If you do a search (see the bar at the bottom of the Twitter page) on "firewise" you can see who else is posting important wildfire safety information on a regular basis.

Wildfire Home Loss and Firewise Saves in Texas

2009-03-10T16:58:00.002-05:00

Thanks to P.J. Pearson, the Texas Firewise Liaison, for providing photos and information about two homes lost and two homes saved in the recent wildfires in Bastrop. View the annotated photos here. Pearson will present Firewise information at a session on March 11 with the Taylor County Extension office on Firewise landscaping techniques.

Florida Fires, Fuels and Firewise

2009-03-02T17:24:00.002-05:00

I just got back from a quick trip to the Sarasota County area, tagging along with Florida Division of Forestry staff. These two videos show quick snapshots of fuel conditions in suburban areas of North Port, and the tail end of a fire in a subdivision there. There is lots of good Firewise activity in and around North Port, but lots more needs to be done.

Firewise and Title III Funding

2009-02-24T15:16:00.002-05:00

As many of you may already know, Congress amended the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of 2000 (Public Law 110-343, October 3, 2008) as part of the federal "bailout" bill back in October. One of the major changes was to Title III of the law, which covers the use of county funds paid by the USDA Forest Service and the US Department of the Interior to counties in 41 states and Puerto Rico in lieu of taxes.

The law was changed to say that Title III funds may be used only to carry out the Firewise Communities program, develop community wildfire protection plans, and reimburse for emergency services paid for by counties and performed on Federal land (e.g. search and rescue, firefighting).

The Firewise program worked with the USDA Forest Service to provide more detail after the law came into effect about how counties could use the funds to meet the new letter and spirit of the law.You can learn more about the Title III changes and the interpretation of how funding can be used by counties for Firewise activities by visiting http://www.fs.fed.us/srs/Title-III-FAQs.shtml.

Live Discussion--Prepare, Stay, Defend

2009-02-16T10:41:00.001-05:00

For those who may have missed it, check here for an informative discussion about the Australian "Leave Early or Stay and Defend" strategy in the wake of the recent fires. Jack Cohen, US Forest Service Research Scientist, and a number of other wildfire experts from the U.S. and Canada grapple with the implications of this event for high-risk areas in their own countries.
Wildfire Today: Live Discussion--Prepare, Stay, Defend#links

Firewise Generation Brings Information to Young Adults

2009-01-27T17:10:00.004-05:00

Do you want to learn more about wildfire basics? Are you interested in figuring out how wildfires burn? How do you plan to keep your home safe if you are threatened by a wildfire? Answers to these questions are available in the just-posted Firewise Generation section of the Firewise Home Page that was designed and created expressly for young adults. You will find interactive games, experiments and more.

Visit Firewise Generation for ideas on how you can make your neighborhood safer during wildfire season.

Find Your Wildfire Friends on MyFirewise

2009-01-14T15:49:00.007-05:00

It's a new year and there is no better time to jumpstart your focus on wildfire safety than now, through the latest trend in communication: social networking.

MyFirewise facilitates a dialogue between people across the country with an interest in fire preparedness - residents, fire fighters, land and resource managers, etc. The site features links to Firewise landscaping tips as well as instructional videos for community members to reference when creating their home ignition zone. The site also allows members to upload videos, pictures, and post discussion questions pertaining to wildfire mitigation.

Join in today to start learning and sharing your stories of wildfire mitigation challenges and/or successes with friends in communities across the United States.