GEORGIA—A collaborative group comprised of private landowners and resource conservation and development councils recently provided fire prevention education to residents across the Southern Appalachian region.

The Appalachian Resource Conservation and Development Fire Adapted Communities Coalition is supported by fire professionals from the USDA Forest Service and state forestry agencies, and works closely with state employees, including those from the Georgia Forestry Commission.

AppCo’s goal is to educate homeowners about wildfire risks and help residents take ownership of their surroundings.

“This is neighbors helping neighbors,” said Frank Riley, executive director of the Chestatee/Chattahoochee Resource Conservation and Development Council and Appalachian Coalition coordinator. “Citizen ownership is the only way to create sustainability and make fire adaption a lifestyle.”

Riley explains that the coalition teaches residents in the Appalachian region how to live with the inevitable risk of fire and ensures residents gain the knowledge to protect themselves and their property. One part of practicing fire prevention is understanding your home’s risk and taking action to lower the wildfire risk near your home.

“Fire Prevention Week is a good reminder to all that a wildfire can happen anytime and anywhere,” said Frank Sorrells, fire chief for the Georgia Forestry Commission. He further advises: although the risk is high, there are things we can do proactively to help prevent the spread of a wildfire. One of the first steps to increasing your defensible space as a homeowner, is to clear leaves and forest debris away from your house.

In 2021, even during the pandemic, AppCo was able to reach 7,600 residents within the Appalachian Region through 280 community presentations and 166 community assistance programs.

Funding for these education projects is made possible by a grant from the USDA Forest Service, State & Private Forestry, through the Georgia Forestry Commission. The grants have benefited those in more than 75 counties across Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina and Virginia.

The grant has allowed AppCo to begin adding an additional 60 Firewise communities and complete 96 mitigation projects. Through this community outreach, a network of locals collaborates and strengthens their communities as fire-adapted communities.

One major success to date is in Towns County, Georgia, where 24 of the 124 communities are designated as fire adapted. The coalition hopes that as more communities learn about the sustainability of a fire-adapted community, the successes of AppCo will continue to spread throughout the Appalachian Region.

National Fire Prevention Week is Oct. 9-15. This week is set aside to raise fire safety awareness and help ensure your home and family is protected.