August 6, 2013 – The loss of lives, homes and businesses in recent wildfires in California, Arizona, Colorado and Nevada serves as a sobering reminder of the destructive effects of wildfire. And many Americans are looking for more information on what they can do to reduce their risk when the next wildfire burns.
The National Fire Protection Association’s (NFPA) Wildland Fire Operations Division provides a deep breadth of resources for reporters in their continued coverage of wildfire season, including valuable information for the general public and community leaders on best practices for reducing the risk of losing homes and communities to wildfire damage.
As you continue to cover wildfire activity and its related issues, NFPA resources for your consideration include:
- Expert interviews regarding general wildfire prevention, community activities, firefighting and statistical data:
o Dave Nuss, manager, NFPA’s Wildland Fire Operations Division
o Molly Mowery, program manager, Fire Adapted Communities
o Michele Steinberg, program manager, Firewise Communities Program
o Ken Willette, manager, NFPA’s Public Fire Protection Division
o Firewise regional advisors, located throughout the U.S.
- Information, resources and articles:
o Fire Adapted Communities, a community-wide approach to wildland fire preparedness
o Firewise Communities Program, resources and guidance for homeowners on reducing risks of wildfire damage to homes and property
o Firewise Toolkit: Homeowner checklist
o NFPA Journal®: “Big wildfires frequently present organizational and tactical challenges for the fire service. It’s in the wildland-urban interface, though, where things get really complicated.”
o NFPA Journal®: “September 2011 issue of NFPA Journal, devoted to the topic of wildland fire.”
Contact: Lorraine Carli, NFPA Public Affairs: +1-617-984-7275, publicaffairs@nfpa.org
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About Fire Adapted Communities
Fire Adapted Communities® (FAC) is a collaborative approach to reducing wildfire risks throughout an entire community. FAC helps connect all those who play a role in wildfire preparedness with organizations and programs that provide comprehensive resources for their specific wildfire needs, including the Firewise Communities® Program for homeowners, collaborative Community Wildfire Protection Plans for land managers and community decision makers, the Ready Set Go!® program for fire departments, as well as wildfire codes and regulations and other tools. FAC is powered by a coalition of the nation’s leaders in wildfire education, planning and preparedness and coordinated by the National Fire Protection Association and the USDA Forest Service. Visit www.fireadapted.org for more information.
About the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)
NFPA is a worldwide leader in fire, electrical, building and life safety. The mission of the international nonprofit organization founded in 1896 is to reduce the worldwide burden of fire and other hazards on the quality of life by providing and advocating consensus codes and standards, research, training and education. NFPA develops more than 300 codes and standards to minimize the possibility and effects of fire and other hazards. All NFPA codes and standards can be viewed at no cost at www.nfpa.org/freeaccess.