Homeowners are the first line of defense to protect their property and loved ones. But the Forest Service report also stresses that 鈥渞educing the loss of lives, property, infrastructure, and natural resources from wildfires depends on long-term community action.鈥�
This action begins with efforts to become a 鈥渇ire adapted鈥� community. Such a community, the report advises, does the following.
- Accepts 鈥渇ire as a part of the surrounding landscape.鈥�
- Reduces 鈥渢he risk of brush, grass, and forest fires.鈥�
- Agrees on 鈥渁 community-wide pre-fire strategy as well as actions, to reduce risks and thus costs.鈥�
- Will 鈥渨ork together to remove fuels, reduce ignition sources, modify structures, prepare the larger landscape for fire, and build strong local response capability.鈥�
- Will 鈥渦se codes and ordinances where possible, develop internal safety zones, build external fuel buffers, use preventive education, and form partnerships to address hurdles that can deter some people from participating in fire-risk reduction activities.鈥�
