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  • How Sonoma's Vineyards Survived a Siege of Fire, Smoke and Ash

    Through collective action and informed practices, such as promoting grazing in vineyards, residents in fire-ravaged communities build a more resilient future. Across California’s wine region, locals have begun to reorient their way of life to mitigate the effects of future wildfires. The Good Fire Alliance, nonprofit group of organizations, focuses on promoting community resilience to wildfires, educating about safe burning practices, grazing, and encouraging general fire-ecology awareness.

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  • Can ‘Big Data' Help Fight Big Fires? Firefighters Are Betting on It

    FireMap is a new program that uses real-time data to predict the direction of wildfires. In Southern California, where the tool is being tested, there is a huge potential for positive impact - fires in California swept across about 1.7 million acres in 2018. FireMap is built off an older technology, but this one is faster, more accurate, and has greater potential to scale.

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  • The rise of wildfire-resilient communities

    Coordination and planning can prove to be the best defensive measures against wildfires. Funded by the US Forest Service, the Community Planning Assistance for Wild Program (CPAW) promotes community fire adaptation, including measures like prescribed burns. Policymakers and city planners enrolled in CPAW benefit from teaming up with foresters, economists, and other experts to model risk and mitigate the impact of fires.

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  • This California Neighborhood Was Built to Survive a Wildfire. And It Worked

    In the Rancho Santa Fe neighborhood of California, one neighborhood was designed and built to protect homes from wildfires. Included in the design were certain regulations, like regulating weeds, brush, and mulch, and installing noncombustible siding and roofs. Because of climate change, the strength and frequency of wildfires have increased across the state, prompting residents, firefighting professionals, and legislators to become more resilience- and prevention-oriented.

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  • Hungry Goats Are on the Front Lines of Wildfire Prevention in Southern California

    When a Southern California rainy season fuels a boom in non-native grasses, the Los Angeles County Fire Department's Forestry Division deploys herds of goats to munch on what could turn into a wildfire hazard. The goats provide a green alternative to the use of machinery to clear brush. The four-legged crews are more agile on steep slopes and cost less than their human and mechanical substitutes. The fire department limits the use of goats to qualified vendors who must ensure that the grass eaters don't go overboard, eating even native grasses and causing new environmental problems.

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  • ‘If we don't burn it, nature will': Georgia blazes old fears, leads nation in prescribed fire

    Prescribed fire is a way to protect forest ecosystems by starting fires in a controlled and sustainable way. The practice limits out of control forest fires and promotes the growth of important species. In Georgia, a leader of prescribed fire in the Southeast and the country, successful fire management is hoping to tip forest services nationally in favor of prescribed burn treatment and away from mostly focusing on fire suppression.

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  • Wildfire escape routes? There's (almost) an app for that.

    Scientists and engineers in Colorado are developing an app that can help firefighters determine the safest routes to safety during wildfires. The app, currently in development, was created with data from another trail and hike tracking app and applied to analyze how long it would take a firefighter – given their unique equipment and uniforms – to escape wildfire.

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  • To Control Forest Fires, Western States Light More of Their Own

    Prescribed burns help prevent the devastating impact of uncontrolled forest fires in Western states. In states like Colorado, the US Forest Service, local governments, and nonprofits, are working to improve forest habitat and protect communities from wildfires by increasing the acreage of forest exposed to controlled fires. After years of policy that aimed to reduce fires, agencies are now working to restore ecological balance and prevent future natural disasters.

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  • Cañada Cove COPEs with disaster planning

    San Mateo County’s coastside residents have created their own, volunteer-based disaster response system. Considering that they make up just 5% of the county’s population, and are just as much at risk for natural disasters like wildfires, flooding, and landslides, they recognized that they had to be proactive in the event that help and resources would be limited in such an event. The Cañada Cove Community Association developed a localized plan for disaster preparedness, including manuals, communication systems, and a database of residents that provides information on the specialized needs of citizens.

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  • Here's what one volunteer fire department is doing to prevent another West explosion

    After a fertilizer plant explosion in West, Texas, the state has developed a safety course that focuses on fertilizer grade ammonium nitrate – one of the causes of the deadly fire years ago. While the course is still voluntary and doesn’t result in official certification, fire departments across the state have voiced their support.

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