| Wild Land Urban Interface |
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Communities and Wildfire written by Michelle Smith Abstract Communities in the wildland/urban interface are susceptible to devastating wildfires. This paper discusses the Healthy Forests Restoration Act (HFRA), the Healthy Forests Initiative (HFI), the National Fire Plan (NFP), and Community Wildfire Protection Plans (CWPP”s), and whether they help communities better prepare for a catastrophic wildfire event. Complete fire proofing is not possible, but minimizing loss to life and property are when you become aware of the danger.
Introduction Wildland fire is a natural hazard that affects millions of people around the globe every year. Wildland fires also play a key role in forest and range ecosystems, but over the past century, efforts have been directed at fire suppression. Active fire suppression has removed frequent low severity fires as a natural part of the ecosystem. Native American history is rich with stories about fire and how it came to the people. Fire was used daily by Native Americans to clear land, see when an enemy was approaching and for hunting and gathering activities. Even the migration of bison had, in some part, been affected by Native Americans who were using wildland fire to open grazing areas (1). The removal of these frequent low severity fires has led to a buildup of fuels so that wildfires become large and destructive.(2) 1. www.nifc.gov/preved/comm_guide/wildfire/fire_8.html 2. Martin and Dell; USDA Forest Service General Technical Report PNW 76, 1978 “Prescribed Burning in the Inland Northwest”
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| Last Updated ( Tuesday, 15 May 2007 ) |
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