A Fire Adapted Community incorporates people, buildings, businesses, infrastructure, cultural resources and natural areas into the effort to prepare for the effects of a wildland fire.
Community leaders and residents accept responsibility for living in an area with wildfire hazards. They have the knowledge and skills and have adopted tools and behaviors to prepare in advance for their community's resilience in a wildfire prone environment.
A Fire Adapted Community...
- Acknowledges and understands its wildfire risk.
- Recognizes that it is in or near a fire prone ecosystem.
- Has leaders and citizens with the knowledge, skills, willingness, and realistic expectations to properly prepare for and deal with wildland fire.
- Communicates clearly with citizens about wildfire risks and specific methods for preparedness Such as the Firewise Communities and Ready, Set, Go Programs.
- Has adequate local fire suppression training, equipment, and capacity to meet realistic community protection needs.
- Creates and uses a Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP).
- Reduces levels of flammable vegetation on lands near and inside the community.
- Has local building, planning, zoning, and fire prevention policies and codes that require ignition resistant buildings, building materials, and landscapes.
- Has buildings and landscaping that are designed, constructed, retrofitted, and maintained in a manner that is resistant to ignition.
- Creates safety features such as buffers between fuels and neighborhoods, designated evacuation routes, and internal neighborhood safety zones.
- Makes sure Fire Adapted Community features, activities, and behaviors are maintained over Time.
- Has leaders and residents who coordinate, plan, and collaborate to leverage their resources to reduce wildfire risk while increasing community resiliency.
Advance preparation is an important part of a community's overall approach to becoming more adapted to wildfire. The goal is always to maximize the protection of lives and property, while also enhancing emergency responder safety and fire fighter effectiveness during a wildfire event.