Be prepared for the next wildfire with Firewise USA.

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Come meet the Firewise board and other Greer homeowners!  Firewise representatives will explain what Firewise is, how you can create your own defensible space around your home and have information available for you to take home.

Greer Fire will be there, Navopache representatives will give an electrical fire prevention demonstration. 

Ready, Set, Go will be explained, questions will be answered.  Don't miss this!  We need you to get involved!

Firewise USA is a grassroots program designed to engage and encourage residents in a community to band together through collaboration and joint efforts to reduce wildfire risk. Each participating resident has a responsibility to perform wildfire risk reduction work within their property parcel.

Firewise USA is focused on home hardening and vegetation mitigation starting from the structure/home and extending to property boundaries.

The two main concerns for wildfire infiltration to a home are:

1. Embers that blow to the home from a wildfire or structure fire nearby or even miles away and cause a fire.
2. Surface fires within 0-5' of a structure/home.

Greer homeowners are actively working to reduce the wildfire risks to their homes by creating more defensible spaces and being ember aware.  

Creating a defensible space mean’s reducing fire hazards in the three home ignition zones around your home: 

1. Keep the first 0–5 feet clear of all combustibles, creating a "lean, clean, and green" zone and assessing the home’s ember vulnerability.
2. From 5–30 feet clear deadfall and limb up trees 5-6’.
3. Manage the extended zone from 30–100 feet by creating space between trees and shrubs and keeping them well-maintained. 

The goal is to create a buffer that slows or stops wildfire spread and 

gives firefighters a safer area to work. 

Other recommendations include but are not limited to: noncombustible siding, roofing or decking materials, noncombustible landscaping and vegetation.  

BE EMBER AWARE

It is usually not a wall of fire that will ignite a home but embers from a wildfire miles away will blow with the wind and land on something flammable that ignites and spreads. Regular maintenance and spot checks should focus on roof tops, gutters, skylights, chimneys and eaves. Roofs are particularly vulnerable to fire embers because of their large surface area and the accumulation of debris. Also be aware of flammable doormats, brooms and outdoor cushions.

Contact us at greerfirewise@gmail.com for a free Firewise USA home assessment where one of our certified assessors will walk the exterior of your home with you and point out ways you can create a more defensible space and harden your home against the next wildfire.