Assessing and Mitigating Fire Risk for Landowners in the Southern Wildland-Urban Interface
Project Summary
A major issue of concern in the southern wildland-urban interface is the loss of homes and structures to wildland fire. In most situations, individual landowners must assume some responsibility for mitigating their fire risk. However, assuming that responsibility requires that landowners have the necessary information. The primary goal of this project is to develop detailed guidelines that provide southern landowners with the ability to assess their particular risk of fire and to evaluate the various options they can use to mitigate such risk. These guidelines must be adaptable across the southern United
States, understandable by diverse audiences, and in formats that can be easily used in a variety of technology transfer venues.
- The key factors that influence fire risk in southern interface landscapes,
- A ranking of different plants (or plant groups) by their flammability,
- Risk assessment procedures for landowners, and
- Landowner options for managing their landscapes to mitigate fire risk.
Project History
This 3-year project was initiated during the summer of 2001. The project is conducted through a cooperative agreement with the USDA Forest Service, Centers for Urban and Interface Forestry (USDA FS) and the University of Florida, School of Forest Resources & Conservation (UF/SFRC). Funding is through the National Fire Plan and UF/SFRC. Data collection for these projects began in spring 2002.
Project Group
UF/SFRC
Alan J. Long - Associate Professor
Mary L. Duryea - Professor & Assistant Dean
Wayne H. Smith - Professor & School Director
Lauren McDonnell - Project Coordinator
Anna L. Behm - Graduate Student
J. Douglas Doran - Graduate Student
USDA FS
L. Annie Hermansen - Technology Exchange Coordinator
Wayne C. Zipperer - Research Scientist
Sara Kasper - Project Intern
Michael Ha - Web Developer,
Interfacesouth.org
For more information about this project please contact Lauren McDonnel, mcdonell@ufl.edu or click
here to review the first-year reports.
To view the project fact sheet series visit: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/TOPIC_SERIES_Fire_in_the_Wildland_Urban_Interface
