Shenandoah County covers more than 325,000 acres along interstate 1-81 and 1-66 corridors leading to the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. More than half of the acreage is in forestland and another 20 percent is part of the George Washington National Forest. The population is just over 31,000.

Shenandoah County. Close to Washington, DC, but with half of its area forested.

Identify fire problems
The Virginia Department of Forestry understands that the problems of forest fires and homes are inseparable. Forest fires can endanger and burn homes. Fires that start as structural fires can spread to the forest. Although the threat of wildfire is not as great in Virginia as in some other parts of the country, wildfire officials were fully aware of the growing potential. Shenandoah County had experienced three recent wildland/urban interface fires that had burned 10 or more homes each. Local officials naturally wanted to prevent future disasters.

Virginia's good overall record of avoiding disastrous fires contributed to an element of complacency, which can be seen by the inadequate attention to fire protection planning for home sites and recreation areas by woodland home residents and developers.

Year	Woodland Developments	# Dwellings
1979	524	18,303
1984	1,724	77,053
1989	2,443	93,271

Going up! The number of woodland homes in organized developments is increasing rapidly in Virginia. An update of these figures is due for 1994.

To gain useful information the Department of Forestry in 1979 began a survey of the number of development areas in the Commonwealth (a development was defined as 10 or more homes ... individual homes in close proximity to forested areas were too numerous to count) that were potentially threatened by wild- land fire. Growth in the number of developments could be seen in subsequent surveys in 1984 and 1989.

Creating an identity. The Virginia Department of Forestry created this logo to provide more recognition and focus to the initiative.

Define roles
Affected agencies and individuals in Shenandoah County established the Wildland/Urban Interface Fire Protection Demonstration Initiative in 1991. A major goal was to increase the public awareness of the wildfire problems occurring due to the shift from urban to more rural living.

A full-time program coordinator served to provide regular contact and communications. This Wildland/ Urban Fire Coordinator was an important part of Virginia's effective planning effort.

"It's my opinion after seeing how this has worked," says the Shenandoah County Fire Marshal, "that it is necessary to have a coordinator. Each of the various players-the organizations and the people-have very busy schedules, and no one has time to implement it all on their own. Having a facilitator can coordinate the organizations and the people so that you help things to happen in a much shorter span of time, and you make sure those things do happen."

Implement programs
Using the results of the Department of Forestry surveys of wildland homes, the Initiative began to analyze the major risk areas in the county. A forest fire hazard rating system and a mapping system became important tools for the analysis.

Sixty woodland subdivisions were chosen to be the primary focus of the analysis, with 27 subdivisions rating as high risk and 33 rating as medium risk from wild- fire threat. The analysis also identified other forested areas that would be at high risk if they were later developed. All of these risk areas were color-coded on a map so that anyone could tell at a glance how their subdivision rated.

WOODLAND HOME FOREST FIRE HAZARD RATING

How to use the Fire Hazard Rating Form:

Mark the box to choose the predominate type of fuel. Record the points associated with that choice at 1. Mark the box to choose the predominate slope range. Record the points associated with that choice at 2. Mark the box to choose the predominate structural materials of the roof and siding, Record the points associated with that choice at 3. Mark the box to choose the predominate range of safety zone. Record the points associated with that choice at 4.

Mark the box to choose the means of access for emergency vehicles. Record the points associated with each marked choice at 5. mark the box to choose the additional factors of the subdivision. Record the points associated with each marked choice at 6. Do the arithmetic indicated in the selected rating sections in the space provided to produce the final hazard rating.

Click Here to Download an Adobe Acrobat version of the Woodland Home Forest Fire Hazard Rating Form (requires Adobe Acrobat Reader).

Click Here to Download FREE Adobe Acrobat Reader.

Secure interagency support
Another critical part of the program is securing the help of other agencies and individuals that can and want to cooperate.

Under the slogan Firesafe in the Interface, the Initiative involved an eight-member advisory committee with representatives from county government, developers, planners, fire departments, the USDA Forest Service, home-owners and the insurance field. Each member brought a unique perspective to the group and also served to constantly remind each separate interest that the solution would require a joint effort. The advisory group meets bimonthly and is ready to review any new subdivision plans and to comment as needed on fire protection. Having a clear focus for the program also helps to rally support for fire safety.

Through the representation of various broader interests, any such advisory group can help see that wood- land home fire protection information becomes incorporated into county or local comprehensive plans or zoning and subdivision ordinances, in addition to the voluntary plans or covenants of individual resorts or developments.

In Shenandoah County, the advisory group researched and developed a suggested model wildfire ordinance to establish minimum wildfire protection standards for future design and construction of structures and developments within wildfire risk areas. The model ordinance provides for basic emergency access and perimeter wildfire protection. Copies of this model ordinance may be purchased from the Shenandoah County Fire Marshal, 109-D, West Court Street, Woodstock, VA 22664.

Major wildfires typically spread across several jurisdictions and require interagency cooperation to control the fire. Recognizing this, the Virginia Department of Forestry and the Shenandoah County Fire and Rescue Association sponsored a one-day course held in Woodstock in 1993 on Strategy and Tactics in the Wildland Urban Interface. it was designed for fire fighters who may find themselves in a command position in a wildland/urban interface incident. This course provided participants with the information and skills necessary to establish command, perform size-up, develop and implement an action plan, and organize the incident for fire control.

The brochure for the course warned: "Most fire departments in Virginia will never have an incident that will test their resources and suppression capabilities more than a wildland/urban interface incident.

Develop public support
Using the information obtained from the hazard analysis of woodland developments in the county, the program coordinator continued to broaden the level of participation and support.

"There are two ways that we are working," says Wildland/Urban Fire Coordinator Cindy Frenzie. "We get everyone together who might be involved in a fire and let them know what and where the problems are." Approaching existing home-owners associations is an "easy way to get to talk to everyone at once."

It will not be possible to speak with every resident face to face, so printed and broadcast material is also important.

Information kit: The Virginia Department of Forestry created this detailed information kit to explain to the public and interested agencies about bow the Shenandoah County advisory committee was established to develop and guide the progress of a model woodland home fire protection program. Public information is essential in developing public support.

Residents in at-risk areas of Shenandoah County are given a Woodland Home Fire Safety Checklist to help them evaluate the conditions around individual homes. The checklist asks "yes- or-no" questions to identify what factors contribute to wildfire hazard, but it does not produce a numerical rating. Each "yes" answer gives residents a list of conditions that need to be improved to improve fire safety.

Any resident or building owner can also request an individual evaluation leading to a numerical hazard rating.

Other printed material developed by the Initiative and the Virginia Department of Forestry included a brochure, Firewise Landscaping for Woodland Homes, that offered guidance on landscaping to improve fire protection. Tips were given for vegetation and clearance patterns in three zones of protection around a woodland home: within five feet of the home; between five and 30 feet; and from 30 to 100 feet from the home.

Securing interagency cooperation: The conference announced on this brochure was designed to help fire fighters who might find themselves in a command position in a wildland/urban interface fire.

A Firesafe Building Materials List provides suggested fire-resistant building materials for woodland homes. These materials are recommended for use in both siding and roof. The danger of wooden shingles for the most vulnerable part of a home-the roof-are discussed, along with the danger of wooden decks, especially if they overhang steep slopes and flammable vegetation

A mini-brochure designed to be left hanging on a doorknob was distributed. it included general tips for woodland home fire safety. The public education effort expanded in 1992. A special wildland/urban interface fire safety conference, Planning,for Fire-Safe Development in the Wildland Area, was sponsored by the Initiative. There was no registration fee for the one-day conference and lunch was provided. The conference featured a field trip to review fire-safe planning in a model woodland development. Other presentations included an overview of the county's forest fire hazard rating system.

Showing the benefits of interagency cooperation once again, the Information and Education Branch of the Virginia Department of Forestry assisted the county by producing a 10- minute video, Firesafe in the Interface, Protecting Shenandoah County Woodland Homes.

Success often comes not in leaps and bounds, but in small steps toward a common goal. In Shenandoah County, a small success occurs each time a home-owner takes the available literature and acts on it. As the program thrives, it becomes a model for other counties in Virginia and elsewhere.