In October 2018, a Category 5 hurricane hit the Florida Panhandle, leaving 72 million tons of trees broken or uprooted and prime for burning. The work of Mike Mathis and Chris Colburn is a shining example of how to quickly mitigate wildfire risk following natural disasters. Mike Mathis and Chris Colburnįlorida Forest Service Southport and Tallahassee, Florida TFFT has helped 59 Basin communities become Firewise USA recognized and, through its "Tahoe Network of Fire Adapted Communities" effort, hosted events and workshops that have reached over 18,000 people in-person and another 3,800 people through social media. TFFT is now the primary coordinator of wildfire mitigation work in the Basin. Without them, the fire would have caused massive destruction to homes and businesses in Meyers and South Lake Tahoe, killed firefighters and residents, and burned thousands of additional acres of forestland. Those efforts paid off during the 2021 Caldor Fire. Since 2008, TFFT has treated 65,000 acres in the Basin’s wildland-urban interface (WUI) for hazardous fuels. ![]() The Tahoe Fire and Fuels Team (TFFT)-comprised of 21 federal, state, local, tribal, and non-profit entities-was formed after the Angora Fire of 2007 to tackle wildfire prevention, fuels reduction, and community preparedness in the Lake Tahoe Basin. Jon's out-of-the-box thinking-which most recently brought goats to Wenatchee for hazardous fuels reduction-has inspired others, both regionally and nationally, to take action to protect their communities. He also helped to train CAFÉ staff in providing wildfire risk assessments. Jon forged one such partnership with the non-profit CAFÉ in order to host bilingual presentations on wildfire mitigation for underserved Spanish-speaking community members. In the last five years serving as the Chelan Fire District's first Community Wildfire Liaison, Jon Riley has cultivated the district's Community Wildfire Program and expanded its role within the community by offering virtual and in-person information sessions, securing grant funding, utilizing new mitigation tools for home assessments, implementing seasonal fuels reduction projects, and partnering with local organizations. Jonathan RileyĬhelan Fire District 1 | Wenatchee, Washington In 2018, Danny teamed up with the Kentucky Division of Forestry to plan Kentucky’s first Wildfire Preparedness Day celebration, an event that garnered more than 500 attendees. Ultimately, the project accomplished wildfire risk assessments on 1,000 homes within the watershed’s wildland-urban interface. Additionally, in 2014, a Triplett Creek Watershed mitigation project co-developed by NRCFC was chosen to receive grant funding by the USDA Joint Chiefs’ Landscape Restoration Partnership. ![]() Through his work with the Northeast Rowan County Fire Council (NRCFC), Danny helped Lake Lewman become one of the first Firewise USA communities in the state. A volunteer firefighter, fire and rescue instructor, and regional director for the Kentucky Firefighters Association, Danny was instrumental in the development of the Kentucky Fire Commission’s Wildland Firefighter Awareness program, which is now a required course for all Kentucky firefighters. William “Danny” Blevins is well known in eastern Kentucky for promoting wildfire preparedness and mitigation. Kentucky Division of Forestry | Morehead, Kentucky Paul’s Fire Adapted Vail program earned his town Fire Adapted Community status, and more recently, his social media campaign "Vail Wildfire Ready" resulted in 88 new resident registrations with the Vail Fire Community Connect program and a 100% increase in registrations for the county-wide emergency notification program "EC Alert." Thanks to Paul’s tireless community outreach efforts, he has inspired awareness not only among permanent residents of Vail, but also among vacation homeowners and thousands of annual visitors. Vail Fire and Emergency Services | Vail, ColoradoĪs the Wildland Program Administrator for the Town of Vail's Fire and Emergency Services, Paul Cada has led fuels reduction projects on over 250 acres and completed wildfire risk assessments on every property in Vail. ![]() This year’s recipients have earned the highest commendation for innovation and leadership in wildfire mitigation. WASHINGTON-The Wildfire Mitigation Awards committee has named the six individuals and organizations chosen to receive 2022 Wildfire Mitigation Awards.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |