August 6, 2015 – As wildfires burn in California and across many communities in the U.S., Green Builder Media will host a free webinar presented by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) on Wednesday, August 19, 2015 at 2:00 pm EDT to help builders, remodelers, architects and consumers make better choices in design and materials that are environmentally sound, and safer from wildfire.
The webinar, “Building Safer in Natural Areas – Firewise and Wildland Fire,” will be hosted by Michele Steinberg, NFPA’s Wildland Fire Operations Division Manager, who will discuss concepts and techniques around siting, designing, building and maintaining homes and neighborhoods to resist ignition from wildland fire. She will also explain how Firewise techniques can help reduce exposure to wildfire threat.
Increasing public awareness about wildfire safety, enhancing fire-related codes and policies, developing effective risk mitigation strategies, and creating comprehensive Community Wildfire Protection Plans (CWPP) is essential. Land owners, communities and businesses that are already in wildfire-prone areas need to continue to invest in fireproofing measures, and municipalities will have to plan on assuming firefighting costs and making better—and sometimes difficult—planning and zoning decisions in high risk areas to create safer places to live for residents.
“Research has shown that well-built homes and well-designed landscapes are much more likely to survive a wildfire,” said Steinberg. “The building and design community has a lot to offer to help solve the challenge of home destruction in a wildfire. NFPA is pleased to present this webinar and work closely with Green Builder Media and its audience to raise awareness and continue the dialogue about the importance of wildfire safety and mitigation in communities.”
The U.S. Forest Service has confirmed that wildfire seasons are increasing in length and intensity. A recent study published in Nature Communications indicates that there is “a significant lengthening of fire weather seasons across 25.3 percent of the planet's vegetated lands, leading to the elevation of mean fire season duration by up to 18.7 percent.” The study also states that, “the locations, which have become prone to burning due to the long periods of fire weather, also increased by 108.1 percent.”
The Firewise Communities Program encourages local solutions for safety by involving homeowners in taking individual responsibility for preparing their homes from the risk of wildfire. The program is co-sponsored by the USDA Forest Service, the US Department of the Interior, and the National Association of State Foresters.
Join this important information sharing webinar. Register today.
About Green Builder Media
Green Builder Media, LLC is the leading media company in North America focused on green building and sustainable living. With a comprehensive suite of print and digital media solutions, demonstration projects, case studies, online training, and live events, Green Builder Media assists building professionals in preparing themselves for the new green economy and helps homeowners understand how to live more sustainably. www.greenbuildermedia.com
About the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)
Founded in 1896, NFPA is a global, nonprofit organization devoted to eliminating death, injury, property and economic loss due to fire, electrical and related hazards. The association delivers information and knowledge through more than 300 consensus codes and standards, research, training, education, outreach and advocacy; and by partnering with others who share an interest in furthering the NFPA mission. For more information visit www.nfpa.org. All NFPA codes and standards can be viewed online for free at www.nfpa.org/freeaccess.
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Contact: Lorraine Carli, Public Affairs Office: +1 617 984-7275