Wildfire mitigation: Community engagement | PEMCO

Wildfires are a growing concern for many communities, especially those in wildfire-prone areas throughout the Pacific Northwest and beyond. In fact, a recent study shows that the risk of Wildfire in the Pacific Northwest region will double in 2035 from the previous 30 years. However, you can play a pivotal role in your community by helping to organize and clean up your neighborhood, which can help mitigate some of the risks associated with wildfires.  

Here are some ways you can involve your community, municipal, and county resources in wildfire mitigation efforts. You can help engage your entire community in the love of prevention. 

Understanding wildfire mitigation 

Wildfire mitigation involves a series of practices designed to minimize the damage caused by wildfires. These practices include using safer construction materials, creating defensible spaces around home and structures, understanding evacuation levels, and more. By engaging your community in these efforts and doing your part to “prevent the preventable,” you can help protect lives and homes. 

Educate and raise awareness 

• Host a community meetup: Consider organizing an event to educate residents in your area about wildfire risks and mitigation strategies. You can even invite experts from local fire departments or environmental agencies to speak. 
• Distribute informational materials: If hosting a gathering isn’t attainable, consider sending out a newsletter or flyer to make sure neighbors are aware of next steps. Share online resources that explain the importance of wildfire mitigation and offer practical tips.  

Create a community wildfire protection plan (CWPP) 

• Designate a committee: Establish a neighborhood committee to lead the development of a CWPP. This plan outlines local priorities for wildfire risk mitigation and involves community input. It’s a great way to ensure your entire area is on the same page. 
• Conduct risk assessments: Work with local fire departments and environmental agencies to assess wildfire risks in your area. Use this information to guide your mitigation efforts.  

Implement home hardening techniques 

• Fire-resistant materials: When updating your home, use fire-resistant materials for roofs, siding, and decks. If you plan on remodeling or updating your home, it’s a great time to improve it with materials that will make it more resistant to fire damage. 
• Vent protection: Install metal mesh screens on vents to prevent embers from entering homes. This is one of the most important steps you can take to mitigate the impact of wildfire on your home. 

Develop Defensible Spaces 

• Zone creation: You can create a defensible space around your home by clearing flammable vegetation and debris. This includes maintaining the home ignition zone, which is divided into three areas: Immediate Zone, Intermediate Zone, and Extended Zone. 
  • The Immediate Zone (or Zone 1) is your house itself and space within five feet of the structure. This area should be kept clear of all flammable materials (wood, branches, debris), especially when the weather is dry. 
  • The Intermediate Zone (or Zone 2) is the area within five – 30 feet of your home’s structure. This area can be landscaped (or “firescaped”) with fire-resistant plants and rockery that are designed to prevent fire from spreading to your house. 
  • The Extended Zone (or Zone 3) is the area within 30 – 200 feet of your house. This area can have well-spaced trees (ensuring crowns are at least 15 feet apart) and shrubs to interrupt fire and keep it low to the ground. 
• Fire-resistant landscaping: Dry creek beds and rockery can serve as a firebreak. For ground cover closest to your home’s structure, we recommend using rocks (like gravel or pavers) instead of mulch, as it is not flammable and can slow the spread of fire. 

Organize community clean-up events 

• Fuel reduction: Plan regular community clean-up days to remove dead plants, dry debris, and other combustible materials from around homes. These materials can serve as fuel for fires. 
• Collaborate with local authorities: Reach out to your city and county resources to provide tools, equipment, and support for these events. They might be interested in partnering with you. Remember, wildfire mitigation is more impactful when done at the community level, rather than just individual homes. 

Leveraging local resources 

We recommend learning what type of programs may be offered in your community to help   strengthen your wildfire mitigation efforts. For example, King County has a wildfire mitigation program that offers risk assessments and may assist with project planning. You can get toolkits and guidance documents from the Community Wildfire Protection Plan Portal to support the development of your community’s own CWPP. 

By taking these steps and leveraging available resources, you can help your community become more resilient to wildfires. Engaging your neighbors, collaborating with local resources, and implementing effective mitigation strategies will not only protect homes and lives but also foster a sense of community and shared responsibility.  

At PEMCO, we believe prevention is more powerful when practiced together. And prevention doesn’t just help prevent bad things from happening...it paves the way for all the good that follows. 

Note: Following these wildfire mitigation and prevention tips does not guarantee insurance coverage from PEMCO.