Wildfire Season Highlights Fire Safety Concerns Across U.S.

Residents in the West are bracing for the threat of this fire season. Having destroyed more than a dozen houses, a wildfire raging near Los Angeles tripled in size over the weekend to more than 33,000 acres. Meanwhile, Colorado’s State Forest Service FireWise construction guide is encouraging the use of noncombustible construction materials such as metal, concrete, cement, brick, stucco and stone. However, wildfire risks are not limited to western states. As reported by Rolling Stone, a 1.1-million-acre tract in southern New Jersey has the potential to be the worst wildfire disaster in U.S. history because of the population density.

Previously, we reported on President Obama’s executive order requiring that buildings above 5,000 square feet located on Federal lands to comply with ICC's 2015 International Wildland-Urban Interface Code (IWUIC). This White House support for resilient building codes and standards intends to address the impact of climate change and natural disasters through mitigation. We know mitigation efforts not only increases the chance a structure can survive a wildfire, but helps firefighters do their jobs as well.

NRMCA has resources to help members and state affiliates advocate for resilient and safer construction, including model legislation, talking points, public relations and other key strategies.