Firewise Communities

Welcome to the Firewise Forum Blog. We invite you to post responses to the entries on the page. You can do this by accessing the 'Comments' area under any of the articles. The blog moderator reviews all comments for their relevancy to the wildland/urban interface fire issue, and for their content. No commercial entries will be accepted. All approved submissions will be posted.

Good articles on Firewise concepts

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!

Labels: Firewise, wildfire mitigation

Want to Be Safer from the Start?

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).

Labels: developer, Firewise practices, HOA, wildfire mitigation, wildfire safety

You Can Improve Your Home Ignition Zone!

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.


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