Wildfire Preparedness Resources

Guidance Documents

Fire-Resistant Landscaping in NC

NC State Extension developed this publication that summarizes basic guidelines for creating and maintaining a fire-resistant landscape around your home.. The guide identifies plant species native to North Carolina with flammability ratings for use in landscaping and maintenance decisions.

Guide to Southeastern Fire Adapted Communities

This guide from the Fire Adapted Communities (FAC) Coalition is designed to help leaders, planners, emergency professionals, and citizens learn the best approaches and programs to help their community become more fire adapted.

Southeast Wildfire Retrofit Guide

 This guide, developed by the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety, was created for the states of Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee. It takes into account regional building styles and construction materials, common topographical characteristics and weather patterns, and other risk factors identified by fire science research.

Community Wildfire Protection Plans (aka CWPPs)

CWPPs are strategic plans developed by fire districts to guide wildfire mitigation and facilitate fire adapted communities based on specific community needs.

​

ONLINE Tools

Wildfire Risk Assessment Portal (aka SouthWRAP)

Developed by the Southern Group of State Foresters, the goal of the Southern Wildfire Risk Assessment Portal project is to provide a consistent, comparable set of scientific results to be used as a foundation for wildfire mitigation and prevention planning in the Southern states.

North Carolina Daily Fire Danger

A map showing today's expected fire danger across North Carolina.

NC Forest Service Wildfire Public Viewer

This web viewer provides current information on North Carolina’s reported and active wildfires. Wildfires that are controlled or out are not shown.

​

Financial Resources

Mountain Valleys' Mitigation Tool Cache

Our tool cache enables you and your community to accomplish mitigation goals without purchasing any tools. We have hand tools such as loppers, rakes, hand saws, wheelbarrows, pole saws, leaf blowers with gutter attachments, and more. These are available to residents and communities to use free of charge.

NC Forest Service Fuels Removal Program

The intent of the Fuels Removal Program is to reduce wildfire risk by providing a roadside debris removal service. This is a free service to communities / homeowners within North Carolina. Applications are due in January.

NFPA's Wildfire Community Preparedness Day Grant

Wildfire Community Preparedness Day is a national campaign that encourages people and organizations everywhere to come together on a single day to take action to raise awareness and reduce wildfire risks on the first Saturday of May. State Farm provides a $500 community grant for project work. Applications are due in February.

Community Wildfire Defense Grant (aka CWDG)

The Community Wildfire Defense Grant helps communities in the wildland urban interface (WUI) implement the three goals of the National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy: restore and maintain landscapes, create fire adapted communities, and improve wildfire response. Project types include development and revision of CWPPs and implementation of projects in a CWPP. Grants are only for eligible projects developed by communities, Tribes, states, and non-profits.

​

Media

The Fire Learning Trail (podcast series)

Discussing the role and history of fire in the Southern Blue Ridge Mountains, Pisgah National Forest, and Linville Gorge.

Fire University (podcast series)

Fire University is a science-based podcast covering the latest research in fire ecology and how it relates to management of wildlife and plant communities. This podcast is part of a larger podcast network: Natural Resources University, funded by the Renewable Resources Extension Act.

Videos on defensible space and wildfire mitigation:

• "Roofs and Gutters - Episode 1" mitigation video (2 min)

• "Your Home and Wildfire. Choices that can make a difference." video (4 min)

• "Your home can survive a wildfire" video (14 min)

• "Safer from the Start: Developing a Firewise Community" video (18 min)

• "Firewise Wildfire Mitigation in WNC Mountains" video (22 min)

Fire on the Land (video)

Fire can be used as a land management tool to restore native landscapes. Learn how a prescribed burn is conducted, why burns are beneficial to the ecosystem, and who to contact to use this resource.

Fire in North Carolina (video)

Laurel Kays' presentation focuses on North Carolina and how our fire history and human history are fundamentally linked.

​

Other oRGANIZATIONS Supporting Community fire adaptation

Appalachian RC&D Fire Adapted Communities Coalition

In 2016, a group of RC&D’s aimed to expand the success of the Fire Adapted Communities concept up the Appalachian Mountain Chain from Georgia to Virginia to help reduce the risk of wildfire in communities in the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI), most of which border National forests. 

North Carolina Forest Service

The NC Forest Service's primary purpose is to protect, manage and develop the forest resources of the state. Programs include reforestation services, forest fire prevention and suppression, and insect and disease control.

Southern Blue Ridge Prescribed Burn Association

A community-based organization focused on increasing access to prescribed fire on private lands to benefit the Southern Blue Ridge mountains. Members of the Southern Blue Ridge Prescribed Burn Association include anyone interested in supporting the conservation effort: private forest landowners, natural resource professionals, students, and the public.

Consortium of Appalachian Fire Managers and Scientists

CAFMS is one of 15 Fire Science Exchanges supported by the Joint Fire Science Program. Their goal is to connect fire managers and scientists throughout the Appalachian by promoting communication and collaboration through workshops, virtual meetings and presentations, plain-language research summaries, publications, social media, and individual meetings with CAFMS members.

Forest Stewards Guild - Southeast Region

The Guild focuses on a more ecological approach to forest management through outreach, education, training, and research to empower land managers and landowners.

Wildland Fire in the Southeast

An online resource for southeastern Cohesive Fire Strategy information and news and to provide tools and resources to professionals and the public that can increase landscape resiliency, protect communities and ensure a safe, effective and risk-based fire response.