Wildfire Hazard Assessment

PHOTO: Highly flammable vegetation close to your home is a wildfire hazard.

There are a number of factors that can make a neighborhood either safer from, or vulnerable to, a wildfire. The Hazard and Wildfire Risk Assessment Scoresheet (pdf, 146k) is used to evaluate the wildfire hazard of a subdivision or neighborhood. The 24 items listed on the scoresheet are factors in the wildfire safety of a neighborhood located in the wildland/urban interface. The greater the possible points for a particular item, the more important that particular item is for wildfire safety.

• Access (How difficult is it for emergency equipment to get in
• How difficult would it be for residents to evacuate?)
• Vegetation (How flammable is the vegetation and how close is it to structures?)
• Building Construction (Are the homes made of fire resistant building materials?)
• Fire Protection (How far is the nearest fire station?)
• Utilities (Do the utilities represent a hazard?)
• Additional Rating Factors (Other factors which increase risk: e.g.: Is there a significant number of undeveloped lots interspersed with homes?)

When the Hazard and Wildfire Risk Assessment Scoresheet has been completed, a subdivision/neighborhood will fall into one of five categories:

1. Low Hazard: less than 50 points
2. Moderate Hazard: 50 - 74 point
3. High Hazard: 75 - 99 points
4. Very High Hazard: 100 - 120 points
5. Extreme Hazard more than 120 points

The value of the Hazard and Wildfire Risk Assessment Scoresheet is that it can be used as a "checklist" to develop a quantitative hazard rating for a subdivision. Residents and fire protection partners can then focus on implementing strategies to mitigate the hazard and lower the hazard rating score.