Over the past several months and before the wildfire in Yarnell, Ariz., that took the lives of 19 firefighters and destroyed homes and property, the Bryan County Emergency Services and Georgia Forestry Commission have been meeting to discuss wildfire dangers in Bryan County through a program called Firewise.
It is a program that encourages local solutions for safety by educating and encouraging individual homeowners on how to prepare their homes from the risk of wildfire.
“Because wildland/urban interface fires can quickly exceed the capacity of fire department resources, performing Firewise work is essential to increase the chances a home will survive a wildfire,” said Bryan County Emergency Services and Fire Chief Freddy Howell. “It teaches people how to adapt to living with wildfire and encourages neighbors to work together and take action now to prevent losses.
“We all have a role to play in protecting ourselves and each other from the risk of wildfire.”
According to a press release, Firewise is a collaborative approach that connects all those who play a role in wildfire education, planning and action with comprehensive resources to help reduce risk.
The program was developed after thousands of homes were destroyed in the mid-1980s. The U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service, U.S. Department of Interior and the National Fire Protection Agency partnered and developed the program.
To learn more information about Firewise programs, visit the NFPA’s site at www.firewise.org or Georgia Forestry Commission site at www.gfc.state.ga.us, or call Bryan County Emergency Services at 912-858-2799.