More and more communities are now near or within forests. In fact, the area where unoccupied land and human development meet has a name and it’s called the Wildland Urban Interface, or WUI.

The WUI is the most challenging area of the forest for wildland firefighters to suppress fire. Here fire transitions from trees and brush to homes and vehicles. This transition creates increased risks and costs for all involved.

Largely because of increased development of the WUI, a record number homes, more than 12,000, and other structures, were destroyed by wildfires in 2017. But this doesn’t need to happen. If you live where your front door meets the forest, you can do your part to make sure your home is as resistant to wildfire as possible.

Research has shown that reducing a structure’s vulnerability to flying embers during a wildland fire is the most effective way to reduce the risk of a catastrophic fire on your property. This is because burning embers get picked up by the winds created by wildland fires, float through the air and can ignite homes near the flames. [Read more…]