-At a Commissioners meeting on Tuesday in Montgomery, officials with the Alabama Forestry Commission unveiled a new website that will help homeowners and communities across the state determine wildfire risk, as well as take measures to minimize or mitigate potential wildfire hazards.
The Southern Wildfire Risk Assessment Portal, nicknamed “SouthWRAP,” allows users in Alabama 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.
Accessible at www.SouthernWildfireRisk.com, the tools are free to use. Professional users such as community planners and land developers, wildland fire managers and emergency services organizations, as well as civic leaders and local governments can use SouthWRAP to generate a report packaging all the wildfire risk data for their specific communities. Such a tool can be useful in defining mitigation options, allocating resources, and prioritizing programs that will better protect communities.
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.
Alabama State Forester Greg Pate
“We’re excited about this new wildfire prevention tool. It can and should be a ‘pivot point’ for Southerners as they learn what their risks are and how to mitigate them,” Alabama State Forester Greg Pate commented. “It is a tool that neighbor can pass on to neighbor – making our state and the South a safer place to live.”
“My colleagues and I were excited to hear about the Southern Wildfire Risk Assessment Portal,” said Alabama Forestry Commission Chairman Salem Saloom. “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.”
The mission of the Alabama Forestry Commission is to protect and sustain Alabama’s forest resources using professionally applied stewardship principals and education, ensuring that the state’s forests contribute to abundant timber and wildlife, clean air and water, and a healthy economy. If you would like to learn more about SouthWRAP, please contact your local AFC office or visit www.forestry.alabama.gov.
MEDIA RELEASE/ALABAMA FORESTRY COMMISSION/JOHN GOFF
