Since 1990 60% of all new homes built in the United States have been built in the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) which has increased the wildfire risk to homeowners. Communities that are proactive and develop wildfire mitigation plans before an incident occurs are empowered to obtain financial assistance for wildfire mitigation, response, and recovery. Prepare and plan financially before the wildfire sparks so your community will be better prepared to respond in a post-wildfire situation. The State of Utah’s Division of Emergency Management (DEM) oversees the update of Utah’s State Hazard Mitigation Plan every five years, which includes a section on wildfires including a state-wide risk assessment. Wildfire Mitigation Includes:
Hazard Assessment/Mitigation Planning
- Consider who you will want at the table to help with the recovery process
- How will you provide food, water, shelter, medical supplies in the immediate aftermath
- Consider social recovery and emotional support such as counseling
- How will your community come up with match for grant funding
- How will you address post-wildfire hazards like flood after fire and protect the water supply
- Community Wildfire Protection Plans (CWPP's) have three main components: (1) Collaboration with all stakeholders throughout the CWPP process, (2) Identification and prioritization of hazardous fuel reduction areas and (3) addressing the treatment of structural ignitability within the CWPP area
- Utah Catastrophic Wildfire Mitigation Strategy
- Utah Forest Action Plan
Fuels Treatment and Defensible Space Work
Wildfire-Related Business Development
Public Education
- Utah Wildfire Mitigation Guide for Homeowners
- Wildfire Urban Interface Wildfire Mitigation Desk Reference Guide
- Firewise USA
- Ready, Set, Go!
- Fire Adapted Communities
Firefighting Capacity Building