Firewise Wildfire Safety Message Going Global
New Zealand is one of the newest places the wildfire safety message has reached.
An Aug. 21 post to the Firewise safety blog reports this wildfire safety message has spread to New Zealand, as well as South Africa, Canada, and Australia, which has experienced devastating wildfires in recent years. Greece and Russia also are experiencing major wildfires this summer.
The post said fire safety communities in New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, and Canada have developed outreach programs and messages similar to Firewise, which encourages local solutions for wildfire safety by involving homeowners, community leaders, planners, developers, and firefighters. The program is co-sponsored by the USDA Forest Service, the U.S. Department of the Interior, and the National Association of State Foresters.
The report says Michele Steinberg of the Firewise team at NFPA attended conferences in New Zealand recently and gave presentations on the benefits of Firewise, visiting communities that have prepared for wildfires.