Home to more than 800,000 residents, Lee County, Florida, is taking the next step to better prepare for and reduce the risk of wildfire in their community. Lee County selected SWCA Environmental Consultants (SWCA) to help with the development of the county’s first Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP).
A CWPP examines the risk of wildfire at a community-wide level and defines actionable guidance for wildfire response, mitigation, and preparedness activities.
“Due to warmer, drier weather conditions, the increase of wildfire risk across the country is encouraging more communities that you wouldn’t expect to focus on wildfire planning,” said Victoria Amato, principal planner of fire and forestry at SWCA.
Wildfire is a considerable hazard in Southwest Florida. Historically, Lee County has experienced an increased risk of wildfire following hurricanes. For example, downed trees from Hurricane Charley in 2004 provided fuel for the 2006 Caloosahatchee Fire Complex, which led to more than $2 million in fire protection costs and damage to public facilities, burned more than 2,000 acres, and destroyed 15 homes. Lee County’s CWPP will enhance the county’s ability to prevent and respond to wildfires, while also enabling a pathway to additional funding for these activities.
“We appreciate the opportunity to partner with Lee County to help them with wildfire planning and resilience. At SWCA, we take a people-first approach to facilitate collaboration and incorporate the values of the community into their plan,” said Arianna Porter, project manager at SWCA.
In the past year, SWCA has been selected by counties across the U.S., including Mineral County and Treasure County, Montana; Clallam County, Washington; Sandoval County, New Mexico; and Polk County, Oregon, to develop CWPPs. SWCA has crafted more than 70 CWPPs nationwide, leading collaborative planning to enhance wildfire resilience in the U.S., and more recently, wildfire knowledge transfer with the U.K.