Urban growth into rural areas results in the need for different wildfire management strategies.

In 1985, after the loss of over 1,400 homes in Florida and California fires, the U.S. Forest Service and the NFPA met, and the concept known as the wildland urban interface (WUI) emerged. The term was first described in the context of fire and firefighting. Fire managers noticed that, as development moved into rural areas, new problems were occurring that they were not trained for.

A direct result of this meeting was the development of the National Firewise® program. A basic concept of the Firewise® program is that responsibility is shared between homeowners, planners, developers, and fire managers for the safety of all in the WUI.

Please visit Firewise.org to learn more about how to reduce the risk from wildfire for your home and your community.

List of Firewise Communities in Georgia