Assessing Wildfire Hazards in the Home Ignition Zone courses
Destructive wildfires affect virtually every part of the U.S., threatening communities, disrupting residents through evacuations and home losses, creating millions of dollars of damage to homes, businesses and valuable natural resources. In the past 10 years, annual home losses from wildfire have tripled. In 2012, more than 2,200 primary structures were lost due to wildfire and resulting in home-to-home ignitions. While firefighters work diligently to protect our property, the truth is, they can’t save every home, and their efforts and safety are increasingly compromised by today’s severe wildfires.
The good news is, unlike floods, hurricanes or earthquakes, there are simple and often inexpensive ways to make homes safer from wildfire. With a good understanding of wildfire hazards and mitigation strategies, community residents can effectively lower the wildfire risk and losses to their homes, neighborhoods and natural resources.
NFPA recognizes that the change needed to reverse this loss trend begins with a rock-solid understanding of the basics of how wildfires ignite structures combined with scientifically proven mitigation actions. The two-day “Assessing Wildfire Hazards in the Home Ignition Zone” and the one-day “Assessing Residential Wildfire Hazards” mitigation courses are based on research and post fire investigations. These identify the mitigation techniques that are most effective in reducing wildfire damage potential in the home ignition zone (HIZ) – the home itself and everything around it within 100 to 200 feet.
The courses are taught by experienced wildland fire specialists and focus on both the physical and behavioral sciences behind successful wildfire mitigation. They are also the only national standardized training that offers factual solutions and action strategies regarding modern wildfire mitigation.
Video: Pat Durland talks about NFPA's "Assessing Wildfire Hazards in the Home Ignition Zone" and the one-day "Assessing Residential Wildfire Hazards" mitigation courses.
For more information and to find out how you can bring these courses to your organization, please contact Pat Durland at Stone Creek Fire, LLC, at +1 208 869-1755.