Community Wildfire Protection Plans (CWPPs) are a collaborative approach to wildland fire protection and mitigation.  A plan can be as simple or complex as the needs of the community dictate.  CWPPs are authorized by the Healthy Reforestation Act, signed into law in 2003. A CWPP can be used to identify high-risk WUI areas – where homes and businesses meet surrounding forests and fields.  The plan also can serve as an opportunity to target potential fuels reduction projects, training needs and prevention strategies. When developing a CWPP, WUI specialists along with community leaders work to:   Identify projects to reduce ignition sources around structures Address treatment of structural ignitability Identify local capacity building and training needs Promote wildfire awareness programs   A CWPP can be completed at the county or community level. Review the Leader's Guide and CWPP Guide for help creating an effective plan to reduce the risk of wildfire, home loss and provide for the safety of residents and firefighters.

View examples of completed CWPPs below:

The International Association of Fire Chiefs launched the "Ready, Set, Go!" program nationally in 2011. Texas is very active with nearly 400 members. 

• Ready: Your home and family should be ready long before a wildfire ignites. Creating defensible space through proper landscaping techniques (PDF, 13MB) and using fire resistant building materials (PDF, 2MB) designed to withstand a wildfire are part of this step.
• Set: When a wildfire is headed your way, it’s time to start preparing to leave. Alert your family and friends. Stay tuned to news reports. Grab your emergency kit, and be ready to head out at a moment’s notice. Make sure you know where you're going and what you're taking with you. The American Red Cross can provide shelter and basic necessities during a disaster and can help you get back on your feet after it's over.
• Go! Once the fire is bearing down on you, there is often nothing you can do but get out of its way. At this point, it’s time to go!

Wildfire Risk Assessment: Enlist a WUI Specialist to complete a wildfire risk assessment and create a plan that identifies agreed-upon achievable solutions to be implemented by the community. Board/Committee: Form a board/committee of residents and other stakeholders to develop a multi-year Action Plan based on the assessment. The board oversees the annual renewal requirements. Action Plans: are a prioritized list of risk reduction projects developed by the board/committee from the risk assessment to help reduce wildfire risk. Educational Outreach: each participating site is required to have a minimum of one wildfire risk reduction education event, or related activity annually.  Wildfire Risk reduction investment: at a minimum, each site is required to invest the equivalent of one volunteer hour per dwelling unit in risk reduction actions annually. Application: applicants begin the overall process by creating a site profile at: Portal.firewise.org. The application is eligible for submission when the overall criteria is completed.   Additional requirements from the Texas A&M Forest Service:   Provide a boundary map of the site. TFS will convert to a PDF format and also create GIS Shape files Provide Name and contact information for the Fire Department that provides protection for the site.   See this NFPA Fact Sheet on Becoming a Recognized Firewise Community.

To learn more about the Firewise Communities/USA Recognition Program, contact your local Wildland Urban Interface Specialist today.

Texas A&M Forest Service believes that wildfire risk reduction work is something everyone can accomplish, if they are just taught how. The Texas Wildfire Education Sites program, started in 2019, encourages parks, camps, schools and other public locations to show off how they are becoming more fire adapted. Becoming a recognized site will help create safer communities across the state and support the Texas A&M Forest Service’s goal to reach a greater number of Texas citizens with wildfire safety information. Texas Wildfire Education Sites will promote wildfire preparedness and illustrate fire resilient principles in action.

By becoming a Texas Wildfire Education Site, you will join the Texas A&M Forest Service in spreading knowledge about protecting homes, communities and our natural areas.

To become a recognized Site, the following minimum requirements must be met:

• Form a board of a minimum of 2 educators/site leaders
• Schedule mitigation and prevention training and a risk assessment with a local WUI Specialist
• Create an action plan detailing future mitigation goals, maintenance and educational outreach
• Complete and maintain property mitigation: must have fire resilient landscaping demonstration site
• Submit application and documentation to Texas Wildfire Education Peer Review Group

If you are interested in learning more about the Texas Wildfire Education Site program, please contact Kari Hines at khines@tfs.tamu.edu, or your local Wildland Urban Interface Specialist

Submit an application here

Wildfires will occur where people live—it’s not if, but when. And when a community hasn’t prepared, the economic, social and environmental consequences can be far-reaching. Taking the right steps in advance can minimize damage to homes and property, increase public safety, protect infrastructure and businesses, save millions of dollars and ensure future tourism and local recreation opportunities.

Implementing a Community Wildfire Protection Plan, or a program like "Ready, Set, Go!" and Firewise Communities/USA in your community is the best way for your community to become fire adapted.

To learn more about joining the Fire Adapted Communities initiative, contact your local Wildland Urban Interface Specialist today.

2015 Prescribed Fire Grant Application is now available

Scope of Project:

Reduce the hazard of high-risk fuels on private lands through the use of prescribed burning. Treatment area will be within 10 miles of a National Forest boundary. The grant's goal is to protect high-risk communities and associated forest resources by reducing the risk of catastrophic wildfire on private and public lands. Priority will be given to projects that meet both criteria.

Detailed Map of the Sam Houston National Forest Communities

Detailed Map of the Davy Crockett National Forest Communities

Detailed Map of the Angelina National Forest Communities

Detailed Map of the Sabine National Forest Communities

Grant recipients will be reimbursed actual costs associated with conducting the prescribed burn. The maximum reimbursement rate will not exceed $30 per acre. Upon completion of the prescribed burn, the landowner will provide an invoice indicating work performed to Texas A&M Forest Service. After inspection by TFS personnel, the landowner will be reimbursed up to $30 per acre.

2015 Community Wildfire Protection Grant Final Summary Report

2014 Community Wildfire Protection Grant Final Summary Report

2013 Community Wildfire Protection Grant Final Summary Report

The Texas Wildfire Risk Assessment Portal is an online, user-friendly, statewide planning tool that provides reference information, maps, reports and statistics for community leaders in regards for wildfire planning and mitigation needs. TxWRAP provides information on the following topics:

TxWRAP has the ability to produce an informative output summary of maps, text, tables and graphs for your county, community or fire department response area. The information can be included in your Community Wildfire Protection Plan (PDF, 22MB) or other wildfire mitigation plans.  To learn more about using TxWRAP, please contact your local WUI Specialist.