WHAT IS A FIRE ADAPTED COMMUNITY?

The National Wildfire Coordinating Group defines a fire adapted community as “A human community consisting of informed and prepared citizens collaboratively planning and taking action to safely coexist with wildland fire.” More fully, fire adapted communities are knowledgeable, engaged communities where actions of residents and agencies in relation to infrastructure, buildings, landscaping and the surrounding ecosystem lessen the need for extensive protection actions and enable the communities to safely accept fire as part of the surrounding landscape. Because every community is unique, the steps and strategies they take to improve their wildfire resilience will vary from place to place.

WHERE SHOULD I GO FOR MORE INFORMATION?

• Frequently Asked Questions about FAC & FAC Net (Fire Adapted Communities Learning Network)
  
• FAC Cycle Infographic & Facilitator’s Guide (Washington Fire Adapted Communities Learning Network)
• Firewise Toolkit (National Fire Protection Association)
• Ready, Set, Go! Program (International Association of Fire Chiefs)
  
• Commonly Referenced Wildland Fire Initiatives, Programs, and Networks (Southern Fire Exchange)
• Wildfire Resources (Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety)
• Fire Adapted Communities Self-Assessment Tool (Fire Adapted Communities Learning Network)
• Fire Adapted Communities Infographic (National Fire Protection Association)

HISTORY

The term “fire adapted communities” was codified in the 2005 Quadrennial Fire and Fuel Review, and subsequently became one of the three tenets of the National Cohesive Wildland Fire Strategy.

Fire adapted communities is not a program, rather it is a continual process with no defined endpoint. There is no entity that certifies that any given community is fire adapted and there is no checklist. This is because every community’s fire adaptation journey is different, and because of the need for continual re-evaluation and adjustment.

FIRE ADAPTED COMMUNITIES COALITION

The Fire Adapted Communities Coalition is committed to helping people and communities in the wildland urban interface adapt to living with wildfire and reduce their risk for damage, without compromising firefighter or civilian safety. The coalition provides information and expertise on the development of this website and other activities related to fire adapted communities. For an example of fire adapted communities principles in action, check out this report by the FAC Coalition: “Lessons Learned From Waldo Canyon” (2 mb, pdf) and the Report Appendix (2 mb, pdf).