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Spatial management processes, such as the development of Potential Operational Delineations, is creating pathways for more informed, collaborative and safety-focused wildfire management. Credit: USDA Forest Service
Topic: Planning Wildfire risk assessment Type: Tools / Resources
Apr 05, 2018
Collaborative Spatial Fire Management: Getting Ahead of Fire Using Potential Operational Delineations
Mike Caggiano, Colorado Forest Restoration Institute, Colorado State UniversityAt the end of a windy summer day, an engine captain receives a smoke report from the dispatch center, readies his crew, and heads up the mountain in search of the fire. The crew rounds a bend and finds the flames. The fire is approximately 1-acre and… Read More
Editor's Note: All blog entries are reviewed and edited for length and clarity by Network staff before approval for posting.
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Credit: Huub Zeeman shared via Flickr Creative Commons
Topic: Planning Preparedness Resilience Type: Best Practices
Apr 19, 2018
Have you ever gone on a family vacation for more than two weeks, during which you lived out of a suitcase? If your family is anything like mine, it can get pretty stressful! Now imagine having to live in temporary housing for six, nine or 12 months… Read More
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Join us for a day with Frank M. Riley Jr., the executive director of the Chestatee-Chattahoochee Resource Conservation and Development Council. Credit: Linda Riley, Mountain Scene Farms
Topic: Communications / Outreach Defensible space / Firewise Type: Essay
Apr 12, 2018
Farmer Gone FAC: A Day in the Life with Frank M. Riley Jr.
Frank Riley Jr., Chestatee/chattahoochee RC&D CouncilMy roots run deep in Towns County, Georgia. My grandfather was born here in the Blue Ridge Mountains in 1889, and in fact, he was Towns County’s first county extension agent. Today, my wife and I live on his old farm, with the scenic… Read More
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Meet Sarah. Sarah is the director of a wildfire council. Part of her job is to help residents and communities be more prepared for wildfire. Sarah has tools and programs that she’s used in the past, but she is wondering if she could be more innovative and effective… Credit: Wildfire Research (WiRē) Team
Topic: Communications / Outreach Wildfire risk assessment Type: Tools / Resources
Mar 29, 2018
Asking is Better Than Assuming: Enhancing the Work of Wildfire Practitioners with Social Science
WiRē TeamWildfire practitioners face the overwhelming challenge of changing the behaviors of residents and the physical conditions of structures and landscapes. Rather than using general recommendations designed for “Anytown, USA,” the Wildfire Research… Read More
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Images (back to front): Lake Tahoe, Credit: Don Graham shared via Flickr Creative Commons; Forest Shafer with his brother Keegan on a wildfire assignment, Credit: Forest Shafer
Topic: Collaboration CWPPs Fuels treatment / Prescribed fire Type: Essay
Mar 22, 2018
Fire in His Blood, Pace and Scale on His Mind: A Day in the Life with Forest Schafer
Forest Schafer, Tahoe Fire and Fuels TeamIt’s hard to forget your first wildland fire. Mine was years before I started fighting fires, and I remember seeing trees explode into flames as they lit up the dark road. I could feel the heat through the windshield of my dad’s utility… Read More
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Photo credits (left to right): Ashley Blakely; Yosemite National Park; Ed Keith, Deschutes County
Topic: Communications / Outreach Defensible space / Firewise Preparedness Wildfire recovery Type: Tools / Resources
Mar 15, 2018
If you’re wondering how to engage your community on National Community Wildfire Preparedness Day (#WildfirePrepDay, or Prep Day), look no further. Take this short quiz to find out what project(s) fit your needs and interests, and also get access to… Read More
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Firsthand accounts on how to prepare yourself, your communities, and even your pets for evacuation. Credit: John Wright via Flickr Creative Commons
Topic: Evacuation outreach/planning Type: Success Story / Lessons Learned
Mar 08, 2018
This Does Not Belong To You. Ask yourself As you stand there In the pale gray air Frozen to these four walls Feet turned to stone Decide! What is worth saving? Can you will your hands To grab the memories You carry only in your heart Can… Read More
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Take a moment to celebrate the impressive fire adaptation efforts occurring across the country! (Photo: Three FAC Net members during a fire department-focused learning exchange. Credit: Michelle Medley-Daniel, Fire Adapted Communities Learning Network)
Topic: Collaboration Fuels treatment / Prescribed fire Learning networks Wildfire Type: Success Story / Lessons Learned
Mar 01, 2018
April marks FAC Net’s fifth year of operations. According to some traditions, an appropriate five-year anniversary gift is something made of wood. For FAC Net members and partners, perhaps fewer wooden fences near homes or healthier forests would… Read More
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Mistletoe has numerous impacts on trees, which in turn can impact fire behavior. Shown here is a tree infested with mistletoe and the resulting patches of dense, twiggy growth, known as witches’ brooms. Find out how and when fire can serve as a management tool against this nuanced pest. Credit: Graeme Churchard shared via Flickr Creative Commons
Topic: Fuels treatment / Prescribed fire Wildfire Type: Research Synthesis
Feb 22, 2018
To see dwarf mistletoe seeds is to experience them. These are not typical seeds that gently drop from a mature plant. Rather, they are explosive — forcibly ejected from their fruits at high rates of speed. I remember learning about this in college:… Read More
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Put your FAC and fire messaging skills to the test; take this quiz today! Photo: Jason Houston, The Nature Conservancy
Topic: Communications / Outreach Type: Best Practices
Feb 15, 2018
Put your FAC communication skills to the test; take this five-question quiz! Powered by Read More
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Only weeks after the Thomas Fire, lessons learned are surfacing. The University of California Cooperative Extension's Matthew Shapero presents those realizations from a ranching perspective, with a strong call to action. Photo credit: K-BOB's Steakhouse shared via Flickr Creative Commons
Topic: Business resilience Defensible space / Firewise Planning Wildfire Wildfire recovery Type: Success Story / Lessons Learned
Feb 08, 2018
When Wildfire Hits the Ranch: Lessons Learned from the Thomas Fire
Matthew Shapero, University of California Cooperative ExtensionJust as quickly as the Thomas Fire swept through parts of our community, the questions started flooding my office: Should we prune our burned avocado trees? Can I graze my cattle on burned pastures, and if not, how can I increase my forage production… Read More