April is Wildland Urban Interface Awareness Month

4/20/2020 (Permalink)

April is the traditional start of the wildfire season. This year, the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) wants to raise awareness about what wildland urban interface (WUI) fires are and how fire departments can help communities become safer. We would like to share information.

What is What is the WUI?

The wildland urban interface is an area where human-made structures and infrastructure (e.g., cell towers, schools, water supply facilities, etc.) are in or adjacent to areas prone to wildfire.

You may believe that you don’t have a WUI problem, and that WUI fires only occur in western states, but here are the facts:

• More than 46 million residences in 70,000 communitiesin the United States are at risk for WUI fires.
• The WUI area continues to grow by approximately two million acresper year.

Fire-Adapted Communities Make the Difference.

Many communities have survived a wildfire event because of their efforts to prepare in advance, which also makes it safer for responding fire departments.

Here are some things you can do to help your community be prepared:

• Rake and remove pine needles and dry leaves within a minimum of 3 to 5 feet of a home’s foundation, keeping a 30-foot distance around the home. Dispose of collected debris in an appropriate manner.
• Clean pine needles from roof and gutters.
• Get out a measuring tape and see how close wood piles are located to the home. If closer than 30 feet, inform homeowners they need to be relocated and moved at least 30 feet away from structures.
• Sweep porches and decks to clear them of leaves and pine needles. Rake under decks, porches, and around sheds and play structures.
• Mow grasses to a height of four inches or less.
• Remove items stored under decks and porches and relocate them to a shed or a storage locker. Gasoline cans and portable propane tanks should never be stored indoors. Locate them away from the home.

To learn more about  information about what communities need to know before, during and after a WUI fire please visit: https://www.usfa.fema.gov/wui/wui_awareness_month.html