Join us for our next meeting! Monday 11/18/24 at TRP at 5:30pm
FireWise USA Program
Every year, devastating wildfires burn across the United States. At the same time, a growing number of people are living where wildfires are a real risk.
While these fires will continue to happen, there are things you can do to protect your home and neighborhood as well as your family’s safety. The Firewise USA® program is here to help you get started.
Please reach out to the AFSC for more information about the status of your specific neighborhood regarding FireWise, or to learn more about what you can do in this effort.
Please click the link below to access the FireWise USA website.
What is the Firewise USA® Program?
The Firewise USA® Program encourages local solutions for safety by involving homeowners in taking individual responsibility for preparing their homes from the risk of wildfire. The program provides resources to help homeowners learn how to adapt to living with wildfire and encourages neighbors to work together to take action now to prevent losses. Initiated in 2002 with 12 pilot neighborhoods, the national Firewise USA® Recognition Program has nearly 1,000 active member communities in 40 states, as well as a participation retention rate of 80 percent over the past decade. The program, aimed at homeowners, provides specific criteria for communities regarding wildfire preparedness, and based on this criteria, offers national recognition for their work.
Why is the Firewise USA™ Program needed?
As America's population continues to expand, much of the development to accommodate that growth has flowed into traditionally natural areas. A trend toward migration from urban centers and suburbs into formerly rural and wild areas places many more people in the path of potential wildfire. Threats to life and property from wildfires and costs for suppressing them are expanding at an astounding rate.Since 1970, more than 10,000 homes and 20,000 other structures and facilities have been lost to severe wildland fires. Once a fire starts, there is only so much fire service professionals can do to protect structures. The Firewise USA® Program empowers individual homeowners to take an active role in protecting structures before a fire starts.