Community Resilience for Wildland Fires

The AZWI will develop collaborative programs to help communities better prepare for wildfire from homeowners to city and county leaders. We will expand the development of an AZ Fire Adapted Community Network (AZ FAC) and foster the development of community liaisons and outreach programs and products that are intended to create resilient communities and engage those communities in wildfire management. These efforts will be collaborative, engaging local, state and federal agencies, tribes, the private sector, and NGOs to leverage different audiences and platforms for communication. 

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What does it mean for a community to be resilient to wildfire?

The foundation of resilience begins with the understanding of the role wildfire plays in fire-dependent ecosystems here in Arizona.  Resilience communities know how to adapt; they invest in the knowledge, planning, and resources to understand the risk they face, prepare for wildfire, and respond effectively to its impacts.

The question at the center is:  How do we learn to live with wildfire in a way that assures a functioning, healthy landscape while protecting lives and property?  

Why is an emphasis on community important in relation to wildfires? 

Arizona is a diverse state, and each community is unique in its culture, level of risk, and capacity to adapt. In recent years we’ve seen how wildfires impact Arizona communities, both in the mountains and in the desert. In order for communities to build their resilience, it’s important that we take the lessons learned, the success stories, and share those across the state.

What tools do communities need to adopt to be more prepared to address wildfires and how can this change from group to group?

That’s the very question we’re asking communities across the state right now.  Our initial phase of this Initiative is assessing where communities currently stand in their preparedness.  Each community will be different.  Some are resource-rich and have a great deal of experience living with wildfire, others less so.  We will be helping communities assess their level of risk, identify the tools necessary to address that risk, and connect them to the resources that will help them build resilience as they define it.

What’s happening now?

The AZWI Advisory Board has identified where in the state there are communities most at risk for uncharacteristic wildfire, and which of these vulnerable communities may have the greatest gap between their current capacity to adapt what they truly need. Our team is aiming its initial effort in the communities of southeast Arizona, conducting an initial assessment of the status of resiliency in those communities.  In follow-up workshops this spring, the team will work with community leaders and residents to build on existing partnerships and tools that will assure a sustainable framework for resiliency.

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