Wildfire Prevention Workshops Available

Hillsborough County is one of 10 counties chosen by the Florida Division of Forestry to participate in developing a Community Wildfire Protection Plan. The county was chosen to participate based on its high wildfire risk ranking in the state.
 
As part of the state’s effort to increase communities’ awareness and protection from wildfires, a free workshop, "Living on the Edge, How to Have a Firewise Community," is available to interested organizations and neighborhoods in Hillsborough County.  This interactive workshop will engage participants in activities and discussions to increase their understanding of local wildfire issues and identify ways to make their communities more wildfire safe. 

Neighborhoods that participate will have an opportunity to start the process of becoming an official “Firewise Community.”  More information on Firewise Communities is available at: www.fl-dof.com/wildfire/firewise_index.html.
 
The firewise workshops are available for free to local interested groups and communities.  Interested groups should contact Bill Delph, Florida Division of Forestry, fire prevention specialist at, 863-648-3152, or Bill.Delph@freshfromflorida.com.
 
In conjunction with these firewise workshops, the county has been meeting with local agencies, organizations and municipalities to develop the county’s Community Wildfire Protection Plan. The CWPP will address the county’s wildfire hazard and create a strategy to reduce current and future wildfire risk. Plan participants attended an initial firewise workshop and met two additional times to discuss local wildfire risks. The goal of the plan is to draft proposed future actions such as fuel management projects, wildfire suppression needs, education and information initiatives, and policy recommendations. 
 
The draft CWPP will be available for the public to review and comment in early summer, prior to taking the plan before the Board of County Commissioners for approval and incorporating it into the countywide Local Mitigation Strategy.
 
The Florida Division of Forestry received funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act for fire high risk counties to develop a Community Wildfire Protection Plan.