Virginia Department of Forestry:
“Officials with the Virginia
Department of Forestry have unveiled a new web
portal that will help homeowners and communities determine their wildfire risk
– and take measures to mitigate potential hazards. The Southern Wildfire Risk
Assessment Portal, or SouthWRAP, enables users in Virginia and 12 other southern
states to identify wildfire threats based on landscape characteristics,
historical fire occurrence, weather conditions and terrain. It also routes
users to resources that can help them implement wildfire prevention practices.
SouthWRAP is a web portal that
grants public access to risk assessment data that previously hasn’t been
readily available, particularly in a user-friendly format. Accessible at www.southernwildfirerisk.com,
the tools are free to use. Professional users, such as civic planners, wildland
fire managers and elected officials, can use SouthWRAP to generate a report
packaging all the wildfire risk data for their community. Such a tool can be useful in defining
mitigation options, allocating resources and prioritizing programs that will
better protect communities.
John Miller, VDOF director of
resource protection, said, ‘This can and should be a pivot point for Virginians as they learn what their risks are and
how to mitigate them. SouthWRAP is a
tool that neighbor can pass on to neighbor – making every community in Virginia
a safer place in which to live.’
State Forester of Virginia Bettina
Ring said, ‘My colleagues and I in the Southern Group of State Foresters are
excited to open the Southern Wildfire Risk Assessment Portal to the
public. This website will enable
homeowners, civic leaders, community planners, elected officials and others to
identify the risk wildfire poses to their communities. This tool empowers
Southerners to be able to better protect their homes and property.’”
~Virginia Department of Forestry, News Release
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