There are many simple steps you can take to reduce the wildfire risk to your property.
25 Kentucky Firewise Tips (pdf)
List of 25 Firewise tips that homeowners can utilize to minimize the wildland fire risk to their properties.
Be Prepared for Wildfires (pdf)
You can give yourself and your family a better chance of escaping harm during a wildland fire by following as many of these precautions as possible.
Creating Defensible Space (pdf)
Defensible space is an area around a structure where forest fuels and vegetation are treated, cleared or reduced to slow the spread of wildland fire towards the structure. By following these simple steps, you can help protect your home from being destroyed by wildland fire.
Firewise Checklist (pdf)
Use this checklist to determine if your home and property are Firewise.
Firewise Landscaping (pdf)
There are no fireproof plants, but some are more fire resistant than others. Learn which plants can work for you.
Homeowner's Role in Firewise (pdf)
The number of homes being built in or near forested areas is increasing rapidly in Kentucky. When a fire occurs around one of these homes, it often extends into the forestland, threatening other homes and forest resources. Wildland fires often threaten and burn homes and structures built in wooded areas if the homeowner has not taken proper precautions. This publication outlines what homeowners can do to protect their homes and properties.
Is Your Home Firewise? (pdf)
Areas where homes meet the wildlands are called the wildland/urban interface. A home in a woodland setting is surrounded by flammable forest fuels. You can minimize a fire threat to your home and family by following a few of the safety tips discussed in this publication.
Landscaping Checklist (pdf)
To create a Firewise landscape, the primary goal is fuel reduction. This checklist offers suggestions on how to establish a fire-resistant landscape.
To check how safe your home is from wildland fire, click on the simple assessment guide below and determine how Firewise your home is.
Kentucky Division of Forestry's Woodland Home Wildfire Hazard Assessment Guide (interactive template)
Kentucky Division of Forestry's Woodland Home Wildfire Hazard Assessment Guide (pdf)
To learn more about protecting your community use the Guide for Protecting Communities from Wildfire (pdf). The guide contains information about defensible space, Firewise landscaping, vehicular access, controlling open burning, community action planning and much more.
Community Wildfire Protection Plan (interactive template)
Community Wildfire Protection Plan (pdf)
Community Wildfire Protection Plan Instructions (pdf)
A Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) enables a community to plan in advance for the possibility of a community threatening wildfire. The CWPP helps to empower communities to organize, plan, educate and take action on wildfire issues that impact community safety. To learn more about CWPPs, please click on the instruction link directly above.
How to Become a Firewise Community (interactive template)
How to Become a Firewise Community (pdf)
Firewise Communities Program is a unique opportunity available to Kentucky's fire-prone communities. Its goal is to encourage and acknowledge action that minimizes home loss to wildfire by preparing for a fire before it occurs. It provides citizens with the knowledge necessary to prepare and maintain a Firewise neighborhood while coordinating with the Kentucky Division of Forestry for effective emergency response. The program draws on a community's spirit, its resolve, and its willingness to take responsibility for its ignition potential. To learn more about the Firewise Communities Program, please click on either of the links above.
Woodland Community Wildfire Hazard Assessment (interactive template)
Woodland Community Wildfire Hazard Assessment (pdf)
This form can be used to evaluate your community and determine the level of wildland fire risk. It roughly covers one-half of the hazards normally taken into account when calculating fire risks, but does provide an approximate indication of true risk.
When building or renovating a home in a fire-prone area, make sure to utilize all available fire retardant building materials to help your home survive a catastrophic fire.
Firewise Construction Checklist (pdf)
The three most important steps in building a home in the wildland/urban interface are choosing a Firewise location, designing and building a Firewise home and employing Firewise landscaping and maintenance techniques.
Guide for Protecting Communities From Wildfire (pdf)
The guide contains information about defensible space, firewise landscaping, vehicular access, controlling open burning, community action planning and much more.
Financial assistance is available for communities interested in minimizing wildland fire risks. Please review the Firewise Community Grant Application and Guidelines (pdf) for more information.
For technical assistance, contact the local Division of Forestry office, your fire department, the National Firewise Program's Web site or the Society of American Foresters Web site http://www.safnet.org/policyandpress/cwpp.cfm.
