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IAFC Wildland Fire Policy Committee IAFC Wildland Fire Policy Committee
Wildland fire kills our firefighters and citizens, threatens our communities, destroys our natural resources and costs too much.
Wildland fire and urban interface information
Page links: Resources | Links

Recent News

2009 Quadrennial Fire Review Released
1/20/09... The Quadrennial Fire Review (QFR) (pdf) is a strategic assessment process conducted every 4 years to evaluate current mission strategies and capabilities for combating wildland fire against best estimates for the future environment for fire management. This integrated review is a joint effort of the fire federal natural resources management agencies and their state, local, and tribal partners that constitute the wildland fire community. The objective is to create an integrated strategic vision document for wildland fire management. Read more in the January 2009 IAFC On Scene article.

The IAFC thanks Don Artley, Kurt Latipow, David Driscoll, Bruce Suenram, Tom Kuntz, Mike Brown and Wayne Mitchell for their hard work and for ensuring that state and local government were represented throughout the development of this report.

1/12/09... New resource: Wildfire Action Plan: Your First Weapon Against Wildfire (pdf)

1/8/09... National Wildfire Coordinating Group:  Update on the Modifications to the Interagency Strategy for the Implementation of Federal Wildland Fire Management Policy (pdf)

10/30/08: Leave Early/Evacuate or Stay and Defend (LEOSAD) position (pdf)

Funding Available for Wildfire Mitigation Projects
9/25/08: As of 9/8/2008 DHS/FEMA initiated new parameters for wildfire mitigation under sections 203 and 404 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act. This new policy will establish continuity of wildfire mitigation projects for the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) and Pre-Disaster Mitigation (PDM). In particular, the funds for the program will be available for

  1. Defensible space
  2. Structural protection through the application of ignition-resistant construction
  3. Limited hazardous fuels reduction to protect life and property

The purpose of this wildfire mitigation policy will strive to reduce or eliminate damage to residential and non-residential building structures, including public and commercial facilities...
Details, including application guidelines >
FEMA Mitigation Policy – MRR-2-08-1 (pdf)
FEMA memo 9/8/2008: HMGP and PDM program (pdf)

9/18/08: The IAFC adopts the position which encourages homeowners to take proper steps to defend their home prior to a wildland fire event and provides guidance for local fire departments that may find themselves working with private resources during an significant wildland fire incident... Read more >


7/18/08: The IAFC is participating in a task group recently chartered by the National Wildfire Coordinating Group to consider modifying federal wildland-fire policy implementation... Read more >

IAFC Members: Interested in WUI issues? Let us know: Indicate wildland fire on the Get Involved form.

WUI 2009 Conference: March 24-26 in Reno
Wildland Urban Interface Conference
March 30 - April 1, 2010
Reno, Nevada
www.iafc.org/wui

Wildland Fire Policy Committee Members

Members onlyGo to Committee contact information

Committee Chair
Bob Roper
Ventura County (CA) Fire Department

Tom Kuntz  
Red Lodge (MT) Rural District #7

Will May
Alachua County (FL) Fire Rescue Services

Douglas MacDonald
Los Alamos County (NM) Fire Department

Keith Harrap
NSW Rural Fire Service, Newington, NSW Australia

David Driscoll
CDF, Retired

Rebecca Denlinger
British Columbia Ministry of Public Safety

Bruce Suenram
Montana City, MT

Jimmy Hill
Los Angeles City (CA) Fire Department

James Schanel
Colorado Springs  (CO) Fire Department

Kurt Latipow
Washoe County, NV

Bruce Woods
Texas Forest Service

IAFC Staff Liaison:
Todd Clist, tclist@iafc.org
703-273-9672

Overview

The fastest growing fire problem in the United States is fire in the wildland-urban interface (WUI). Read more >

The IAFC is committed to promoting nationwide efforts to reduce wildfire threats through aggressive prevention, public information and education, mitigation, preparation and response efforts.  This webpage is an online resource and information network to fire departments to promote awareness of structural/wildland fire information and issues.

Resources

Wildfire Action Plan: Your First Weapon Against Wildfire (pdf)

Community Wildfire Protect Plan (CWPP) - Leaders Guide and Leaders Guide Supplement
This Leaders Guide Supplement is offered as a companion document to the Handbook and guidance for those who are considering implementing a Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP). It explains comprehensively how to implement each of the steps needed to create an effective CWPP.

New 8/19/08 Community Guide to Preparing and Implementing a Community Wildfire Protection Plan (pdf)

Preparing a Wildfire Community Protection Plan: A Handbook for WUI Communities (pdf)

Community Wildfire Protection Plan - Leaders Guide (pdf)

Community Wildfire Protection Plan - Leaders Guide Supplement (pdf)


Advancing Wildland Fire Training for Fire Departments Implementation Plan (pdf)
This plan describes implementation actions 1a-1c from the 2002 report “Changing Role and Needs of Local, Rural and Volunteer Fire Departments in the Wildland Urban Interface” and subsequent findings of the 2004 task group report “Advancing Wildland Fire Training for Fire Departments” (AWFT).

Links

Background: Wildland Urban Interface—A Growing Fire Problem

The fastest growing fire problem in the United States is fire in the wildland-urban interface (WUI). This problem is growing each year as millions of people continue to build homes in high-risk interface areas and as local, state and federal government attempts to address fuel modification in the interface continue to meet social resistance to a balanced fuels reduction plan. The direct threat to life and high-valued property in the interface (suburbs) has been demonstrated in cities, towns, counties and communities throughout the country. The direct and indirect costs of an extreme fire event can reach multi-billion dollar dimensions; impacts on the infrastructure of a community can include damage and disruption of water supply, utilities and transportation systems. These fires threaten high-valued community assets including recreational resources, cultural icons, endangered species, grazing crops, jobs, and community health & commerce.
 

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