Firewise CommunitiesA National Program You Can Use

Agenda

• Firewise – A Little History• Becoming Firewise and

Staying Recognized• The Future of Firewise and

NFPA Updates

Firewise – A Little History

1985 Wildfires – A Call to Action

CA

FL

1,400 homes lost!

400 in ONE day!!

• Wildfires can put dozens (even hundreds) of homes at risk simultaneously

• Firefighters may not have the resources to protect every home.

The Evolution of Firewise

• 1986: Cooperative Agreement between NFPA and USDA Forest Service

• 1991: Fire-resistant landscaping articles in Horticulture and Sunset

• 1993: National Fire-Resistant Plant Task Force creates the name ‘Firewise’ at meeting in Ontario, California

• 1996: www.firewise.org was launched

Evidence Gave us Clues• Two studies of California

wildfire survival. Qualifier: Homes did not have shake/shingle roofs• Belair-Brentwood Fire

(1961): 95% home survival with 30-60 feet of clearance

• Painted Cave Fire (1990): 86% home survival with at least 30 feet of clearance

Breakthrough Research• 1998: International Crown Fire

Modeling Experiment – Northwest Territories• Big crown fire flames burn out

in about 50 seconds• Crown fire must be less than

100 ft to ignite a wood wall• 33 ft: heavy char; few ignitions• 66 ft: no char or scorch

The Firewise ‘Aha’!• The research convinced us that

homeowners COULD take action to increase their home surviving a wildfire by modifying their “home ignition zone”

• We had the responsibility of sharing this information with the widest possible audience

The Need for a Firewise Program• Wildfires will continue as an ecological

phenomenon• Most homes are located on private property• Landowners prefer to exercise their right to

make choices related to their surroundings• Community action is better than individual

efforts

National Firewise Communities® Program

• VISION: Wildland fires can occur in areas of residential development without the occurrence of disastrous loss.

• MISSION: To promote community-wide responsibility in the use of technology, policy and practices that minimize the loss of life and property to wildland fire independent of fire fighting efforts.

The Evolution of Firewise

• 1999 – 2003: 30 National Firewise Planning Workshops and hundreds of spin-off workshops

• 2000-2001: Pilot test: Firewise Communities/USA model

• 2002: Launch of Firewise Communities/USA with 12 pilot sites

Today’s Firewise Communities Program

• Over 700 communities in 40 states around the U.S. and growing…

• Communities have invested more than $76 million since 2003

• 230 sites involved 5+ years

'03 '04 '05 '06 '07 '08 '09 '10 $-

$5,000,000

$10,000,000

$15,000,000

$20,000,000

$25,000,000

Firewise Community Investments

Today’s Firewise Communities Program

• Program Sponsors: • USDA-Forest Service• National Fire Protection

Association• U.S. Department of the Interior• National Association of State

Foresters

Today’s Firewise Communities Program

• 2010: Reorganization within National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)• Nonprofit life safety codes and

standards organization• Founded in 1896• 80,000+ members worldwide• 300+ consensus codes and

standards documents• Wildland Fire Operations Division

created within NFPA

NFPA: Wildland Fire Operations Division

• Keeps Firewise as a core education and advocacy program

• Elevates wildland fire on a par with other public education and advocacy initiatives

• Division Director: Dave Nuss, based in Colorado Dave Nuss, Director,

NFPA Wildland Fire Operations

Becoming Firewise and Staying Recognized

Firewise Communities/USA Criteria• 1: Complete an assessment of

community wildfire risk• 2: Form a board or committee and create

an action plan• 3: Conduct a Firewise Day annually• 4: Document local activity of at least

$2/capita in value• 5: Submit an application for recognition• (Renew status annually)

Importance of Renewal• Steps 3-5 – Firewise Day, $2/capita

investment, and report (renewal form) must be repeated annually• Sustained community action needed

to improve fire safety• Vegetation grows back – emphasis on

maintenance• “One-shot” recognition has little to no

long-term impact on a community’s ignition resistance

Firewise Strategies: Home Ignition Zone• The Home Ignition Zone includes

the home, in addition to its immediate surroundings up to 200 feet.

If it’s attached to the house, it’s part of the house.

Firewise Strategies: Keep flames from touching the house and attachments

• Create a ‘fuel free’ area around your house that runs one yard out on all sides.

• When preparing your home ignition zone, start with the house and work out

Firewise Strategies: Keep flames from touching the house and attachments• Wood fences and mulch should not touch structures

• Keep mulch and pine needles away from house, fence and deck

Firewise Strategies: Landscaping with Fuel Breaks in Mind

• Plan your Firewise landscape!

• Careful selection of fire-resistant plants can slow the spread of a wildfire and reduce its intensity

Firewise Strategies: Keep radiant heat sources away from the home

• During fire season, store fire wood at least 30 feet from your house if possible

Firewise Strategies: Keep radiant heat sources away from the home

• In wooded areas, thin trees and remove accumulations of dead branch and stem wood under and between trees.

• Within 30 feet of a home limb trees up eight feet above the ground.

Firewise Strategies: Address Ember Danger in Nooks and Crannies

• Pine needles are unwelcome in your gutters or on your roof

Firewise Landscaping: Maintenance is Important

• A clean, healthy garden is not a receptive surface for embers

• Keep plant debris to a minimum…• Rake• Mow• Dispose of debris

promptly

What else can we do?

• Work with our neighbors!

• Where homes are close enough to ignite one another, neighbors must work together to modify overlapping home ignition zones

The Big Idea• Firewise concepts

become ingrained and “normal” because we do them every day

• Firewise concepts can be supported by regulation and codes, but must be embraced by residents

• Participation is VOLUNTARY

Firewise Welcome Package• Recognition signs,

plaque• Story on the Firewise

website• Media Kit• Quarterly “How To”

Newsletter• Firewise plant lists• “Fire Break” monthly

news alertHill Country near Austin, Texas

Firewise How To Newsletter

Peer-to-peer learningBragging rights

Firewise Resources

• Firewise “User Guide”• Includes a template for writing up

community assessments• Application forms, volunteer forms

and more at www.firewise.org/usa• Free online course on Conducting

Community Assessments• Helps advocates help their

communities take the first step

Firewise Resources www.firewise.org • Firewise Guide to

Landscape and Construction

• Safer From the Start: A Guide to Firewise-Friendly Development

• Wildland/Urban Interface Fire Hazard Assessment Methodology

• Communities Compatible with Nature

Firewise Products/ ResourcesFree Firewise Materials on NFPA

Catalog: with FREE shipping!

Firewise Program Benefits• Improved

relationship with fire services staff

• Enhanced neighbor-to-neighbor communication

• Healthier and safer landscapes & common area

• Improved rankings for grants and program funds

Big Bear City, California

The Future of Firewise & NFPA Updates

Firewise/NFPA Updates• 1000 Firewise

Communities Goal• 12 Firewise State

Visits for 2011• New Firewise Staff

and Regional Firewise Advisors

States – Top 10

Active Communities

Arkansas 151

Washington 84

Florida 56

California 47

Texas 42

Arizona 41

Virginia 40

Colorado 31

Kentucky 27

Idaho 25

Firewise/NFPA Updates• Updated Website at www.firewise.org

Firewise/NFPA Updates• Social Media

• Firewise Blog: http://nfpa.typepad.com/firewise• Twitter: www.twitter.com/firewise• Facebook: www.facebook.com/firewise

Firewise/NFPA Updates

• Media Outreach and Key Messages• Saving lives and property from wildfire

threats by:• Understanding Wildfire• Acting Now• Taking Ownership• Working Together

Firewise/NFPA Updates• Backyards & Beyond: Wildland/Urban

Interface Fire Education Conference• October 27-29, 2011 in Denver, Colorado• Keynote speakers on fire research and national

policy• Aimed at a mix of professionals and community

leaders• www.nfpa.org/backyardsandbeyond

Firewise/NFPA Updates• Partnership with International

Association of Fire Chiefs on “Ready, Set, Go!”• Stresses personal

responsibility to WUI residents• “Ready” message compatible

with Firewise & similar prevention/ mitigation programs

Firewise/NFPA Updates

• Assessing Wildfire Hazards in the Home Ignition Zone Seminar

• 2-day live training offered by NFPA’s Professional Development programs

• Seminar developed within the Firewise program

HIZ Seminar Overview

• Characteristics of Home Ignition Zone

• Factors that increase ignition

• Hazard assessment methods

• NFPA wildfire safety standards

• Options during a wildfire emergency

Fire Adapted Communities

• National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy• Restoring and Maintaining Resilient

Landscapes• Creating Fire Adapted Communities• Response to Wildfire

Fire Adapted Communities

“Human communities consisting of informed and prepared citizens collaboratively planning and taking action to safely co-exist with wildland fire.” • Community & neighborhood wildfire hazard

planning• Home ignitability reduction• Forest and fuel management• Evacuation planning• Local capacity needs• Funds and grant resources

Firewise/NFPA Updates• International Outreach Efforts

• FireSmart Canada (Partners in Protection)• Firewise South Africa (Working on Fire)

Firewise/NFPA Updates• WUI Regulatory Study

• Analyzing use and effectiveness of wildland fire codes and standards in the WUI

NFPA Codes/ Standards Related to Wildfire

• NFPA 1141, Fire Protection Infrastructure for Land Development in Suburban and Rural Areas, 2008 edition

• NFPA 1142, Standard on Water Supplies for Suburban and Rural Fire Fighting, 2007 Edition

• NFPA 1143, Standard for Wildland Fire Management, 2009 Edition

• NFPA 1144, Standard for Reducing Structure Ignition Hazards from Wildland Fire, 2008 edition

• NFPA 1, Uniform Fire Code, 2009 Edition• Chapter 17, Wildland Urban Interface

Questions? Discussion?Thank You!

The NFPA and Firewise Team

Michele Steinberg - msteinberg@nfpa.org

Patrick Mahoney – firewisepatrick@nfpa.org

Kelly Ransdell –