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The Wildland/Urban Interface
A home located in the wildland/urban interface. |
The wildland/urban interface (WUI) is "The line, area
or zone where structures and other human development meet
or intermingle with undeveloped wildland or vegetative fuels".
In simpler terms,wildland/urban interface areas are locations
where human structures and forests or wildlands meet or
intermingle.
Some examples are:
- Where the edge of a community transitions to forestland
- Individual farms or vacation homes surrounded by
woodlands
- Homes around the edge of a (wooded) city park or
preserve
People build homes in the wildland/urban interface for a
number of reasons: to enjoy the beauty and solitude of natural
surroundings, to escape the stress of city life and to live "close to nature". This creates unique challenges because
interface residents frequently expect local government to
provide the same level of service they received when they
lived in the city (law enforcement, ambulance, fire protection,
etc.). In addition, land managers find it increasingly difficult
to manage forests for timber, wildlife and watershed when
these areas are interspersed with subdivisions and individual
homes.
Interface homes are frequently vulnerable to wildland fires
because fire departments are no longer just minutes away,
and are, for the most part, unable to protect homes in outlying
areas from wildland fire disasters. This gained national
attention in 1985, when over 1400 homes were lost nationwide
as a result of wildland fire (mostly in California and Florida).
The following year, representatives from the U.S. Forest
Service, National Association of State Foresters, National
Fire Protection Association, U.S. Department of the Interior
and a number of other agencies and organizations met to
discuss this growing problem. One result was the Firewise
Communities program. The Firewise Communities program is
a national initiative promoting community action and homeowner
responsibility as the only effective way to solve this growing
problem.
The Firewise Communities program is based upon main two
principles:
- Homeowners must take some responsibility for home
fire safety and become "partners" with the fire protection
agencies, and
- Homes (neighborhood and communities) can be designed,
built and
maintained to withstand a wildland fire without
the intervention of a fire department.
Today we are still learning how to live safely in Florida's
fire-prone environment. Our growing population continues
to move from our towns and cities and build in areas that
have historically been forest or wildland. This expansion
into the wildland/urban interface has resulted in an increased
number of homes threatened by wildfire. We must become "Firewise" by learning how to protect our families, our homes and our
property from wildfire.
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