Defensible Space - Prepare Your Home
   

Firewise graphic with house and trees on fire
 
Each year, wildland fires consume homes in the wildland-urban interface – defined as areas where homes are built near or among lands prone to wildland fire. Studies show that as many as 80 percent of homes lost to wildland fire may have been saved if brush around the homes were cleared and defensible space created around structures. There is no better time than now to prepare and educate your family, friends and neighbors. Make sure everyone knows what to do to protect people and homes in case of fire.
  • Prepare around your home. If your home is built in or near the forest, follow these steps to protect your home from wildfire. When developing your home landscaping, try planting fire-resistant plants to help reduce your risk from wildfire or try this specific to Eastern Washington Fire-Resistant Plant Guide.
  • Unite with your neighbors – start a Firewise USA® Recognition site.
  • Know the outdoor burning rules. DNR regulates outdoor burning on all forestlands where we provide wildfire protection. Don’t burn outdoors until you know the rules.
  • Have a plan when it's time to leave - Ready, Set, Go!

Washington Firewise USA®

DNR works with local fire districts, conservation districts, counties, and WSU Extension programs to help Washington residents benefit from the Firewise USA®. Administered through the National Fire Protection Association, the Firewise USA® program encourages homeowners and communities to prepare for wildfire.

2024 Washington Department of Natural Resources Firewise USA® Site Micro Grant

The 2024 Washington Department of Natural Resources Firewise USA® Site Micro Grant is a part of the Wildfire Ready Neighbors (WRN) Program assisting Firewise USA® sites in community effort to implement their Firewise USA® Action Plans and be more prepared for a wildfire.
This funding opportunity is designed to encourage neighbors to work together and take action to reduce wildfire risks through implementation of mitigation strategies identified in Firewise USA® site Action Plans

Contacts

For more information on Firewise USA®, please contact firewise@dnr.wa.gov or your local DNR staff listed in the righthand column.

Additional Programs

Cost-share opportunities for Central and Eastern Washington are available to non-federal owners of fewer than 5,000 acres of forestland seeking to improve forest health and reduce the threats of wildfire and bark beetle damage.
 
The Ready, Set, Go! Program, managed by the International Association of Fire Chiefs helps fire departments teach individuals who live in high risk wildfire areas how to best prepare themselves and their properties against fire threats. See Your Personal Wildland Fire Action Guide.
 
Firewise USA® and Ready, Set, Go! are components of the Fire Adapted Communities strategy. A “Fire Adapted Community” incorporates people, buildings, businesses, infrastructure, cultural resources, and natural areas working together to prepare for the effects of wildfire.
 
The Washington Fire Adapted Communities Learning Network (WAFAC), funded by the Bureau of Land Management, is a statewide group of organizations supporting communities confronting the threat of wildfire. The project provides member communities with resources to engage with other WAFAC participants, to share best practices and ways to manage wildfire threats.

Additional Resources