Neighbors helping neighbors–this is what Firewise USA® is all about. Residents join together as a Firewise site and take actions to prepare themselves, their homes and their properties against the threat of wildfire. They look out for one another and provide those in need of assistance with help in emergency preparation.
What do Firewise communities do?
Get to know one another and develop a contact list for the neighborhood.
Hold regular meetings to share information and plan events.
Promote wildfire education.
Hold evacuation drills.
Hold a neighborhood walk to note areas that need improvement.
Report serious hazards to your local fire department.
Encourage participation in an annual Chipper Day event.
What are the benefits?
Firewise sites promote a culture of readiness and action that will save lives and homes in the event of a wildfire. Working together to identify risks and solve problems, the neighborhood take on projects that may be overwhelming alone. Neighborhood clean-up days and evacuation drills turn burdensome and scary challenges into communal events.
We work directly with each Firewise site to inform residents about personal preparedness and the best practices for hardening homes and creating fire-smart lawns. If most homeowners in a neighborhood just do some work to clean up their yards and fireproof their homes, the whole community is much less vulnerable to fire. An active Firewise site is nationally recognized as a fire-adapted community.