When a disaster occurs, it can be devastatingly quick. That's why experts say it is crucial for community associations to prepare for worst-case scenarios—especially when it comes to wildfires. In 2017 alone, wildfires consumed 9.7 million acres of American land.
Get Firewise
When a fire is on the way, simple tips like these can go a long way to saving your home, your loved ones, and yourself.
Resources
Your community can never be too prepared, which is why we recommend checking out these resources for wildfires:
FEMA
Insurance Information Institute
National Fire Protection Association
Sierra Club
U.S. Fire Administration
USC Sol Price Schole of Public Policy's online Executive Master of Urban Planning program on wildfires in the west
WARNING
FEMA does NOT reimburse community associations that remove debris from private roads. We strongly encourage you to review the guideline for removing debris NOW.
Read Common Ground's Coverage on Wildfire Preparation
"In the Line of Fire," an article from Common Ground's July/August 2016 issue, described the importance of preparation when it covered communities affected by the King Fire in 2014 and Waldo Canyon Fire in 2012. Together, both fires claimed hundreds of thousands of acres, nearly 400 homes, and a few lives. When Jeff Chamberlin, AMS, manager of the Resort at Squaw Creek in Olympic Valley, Calif., was told to prepare for an evacuation as the King Fire neared, he knew that his community's well-versed emergency plan, which emphasized helping those with disabilities, was going to make all the difference.
>>Read the article here.