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FIREWISE COMMUNITIES
The Veld/Urban Interface Zone
Following devastating wildland fires and the loss of over 1,400 homes in California and Florida, USA, in 1985, the United States National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and the USDA Forest Service met with professionals from many disciplines to help define the phenomenon that has become known as the wildland/urban interface. The meeting was held in 1986 at the NFPA headquarters in Quincy, Massachusetts, and involved state and national forest service officials, researchers from the USDA Forest Service and major universities, landscape architects, building architects, municipal and volunteer fire department members, elected officials, and many others.
Following the 1986 conference, a cooperative agreement was signed that shaped the National Wildland Urban Interface Fire Protection Initiative. Part of the mission of the Initiative was to sponsor the development and delivery of numerous conferences, workshops, publications and videotapes to address specific audiences, as recommended by the 1986 conference participants. First, the emphasis was placed on fire fighter safety and actions that interface homeowners could take to protect their homes from wildland fires. Next, several programs were developed for landscape architects, designers and installers. Research and review of major wildland fires indicated that many homes had been spared destruction or damage by good landscaping and the actions of homeowners before the fire.
In 2006 Working on Fire (WoF) adopted the USA model for use in South Africa, convinced that the principle of indigenous FIREWISE communities would work in both poor and affluent, rural and urban situations. This decision was supported by the Department of Water Affiars and Forestry, responsible for the National Veld and Forest Fire Act of 1998, and the Department of Provincial and Local Government's National Disaster Management Centre, responsible for the Disaster Management Act of 2002. Both Departments are committed to building resilient communities and a reduction in damaging wildfires.
Working on Fire has maintained a training partnership with the National Wildfire Coordinating Group of the United States. Advanced leadership courses are held annually. WoF launched a FireWise Awareness campaign late in 2006, and FIREWISE USA was consulted for advice. WoF was encouraged to establish FireWise SA, in partnership with the United States forum. Firewise SA is an open forum established to create awareness of the dangers of uncontrolled veld fires. One of the key objectives is to train landowners, community leaders, firefighting agencies,planners and developers about veldfire prevention skills. This resource provides valuable information for WUI communities, the media, government institutions and all partners.
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