Mitigating Fire Hazard in the Wildland Urban Interface
Loss of life, property, and resources due to WUI fires can be reduced if planners, developers, fire agencies, and homeowners work together to define, enforce, and maintain reasonable fire safety standards. Reducing or removing fire hazards in the WUI requires an assessment of potential risks, programs and standards for fire safety, and fuel management in the wildland urban interface. These three sets of activities may be conducted at national, state, local or individual levels.
Barriers to fire migitation
Despite the availability of programs and options for reducing hazards, there are many barriers to fire mitigation. Even in areas prone to wildfires, many residents prefer to wait for the event to occur and then respond, rather than take precautions to minimize risk (Jackson 1981). WUI residents may even deny that a wildfire is likely to occur or discount its potential impact. Some people feel that WUI fires are inherently uncontrollable and the resulting damage is essentially random, resulting in little support for investments in firefighting infrastructure and steps to safeguard their properties (Winter, Vogt, and Fried 2000). If a home is destroyed, insurance spreads the costs among a large group of people, encouraging continued residence in high-risk areas. Several insurance companies are beginning to withdraw coverage if high risk factors are not corrected. Actually experiencing a wildfire may be the only modifier of risky behavior (Beebe and Omi 1993).
- Programs and Standards for Fire Safety in the Wildland Urban Interface : National standards for creating low fire risk conditions in the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) have primarily come through the NFPA and Firewise Communities Program. Those standards are then implemented through various state or local programs that promote
- Fuel Management in the Wildland Urban Interface : Fuel management modifies the hazard posed by vegetation and structures by: reducing the available fuel (dead and living) in broad areas through prescribed fires or other methods; creating defensible space by converting the vegetation to a less-flammable t
- Risk Assessments in the Southern Wildland Urban Interface : The assessment of risk helps establish priorities for: 1) guiding community development, 2) assisting landowners with their landscaping and home design, 3) planning fuel modification treatments, and 4) allocating fire suppression resources.
Encyclopedia ID: p827
