Reducing flammable vegetation to restore ecosystems is important, but it is not enough.

Wildfire does not stop at property boundaries. Communities must prepare for it. To help communities near wildlands, the Forest Service provides grants to train firefighters, buy firefighting equipment, develop community wildfire protection plans, and more. With our partners in state and local governments and tribes, we will continue to work hard to keep wildfires away from communities.

Responding to wildfire near homes and neighborhoods is risky and complex. About 70,000 communities in the United States are at risk from wildfire. In the last ten years, wildfires have burned nearly 28,000 buildings, including homes and businesses. Wildfires lower property tax receipts that fund schools and hospitals. They threaten power grids, railroads, and highways, and interrupt people’s jobs. Extreme fires can devastate watersheds that tens of millions of people depend on for water. More than ever, communities are part of the challenges and solutions in the wildland fire environment.

Features:

Effectiveness of fuels treatments on Wallow fire

In 2011, the Wallow fire, the largest wildfire in Arizona history, burned more than 538 million acres. Although 38 structures were lost to the fire, thousands of homes were saved, thanks to prior work done by the Forest Service, Tribes, state and local governments, and private citizens to reduce hazardous fuels. Read more

Federal Excess Personal Property Program

The Federal Excess Personal Property (FEPP) program is a program offered through the U.S. Forest Service. The program is used by various departments in acquiring federal excess property. Read more on FEPP.