Seventy-six homes were destroyed by a fire that started on Earth Day 2009 in Honey Hill, a planned community outside of Ridgeland, SC. This wildland fire was the worst wildland-urban-interface (WUI) fire in the state’s history. The WUI is an area where either an individual or a group of homes have been developed adjacent to or within traditional forestlands. When a wildfire occurs in the forest, it can threaten those homes and properties.

To help citizens protect their homes in the WUI, a national program, Firewise USA, was developed. Firewise USA addresses issues in communities at risk for wildland fire and provides guidance to residents living within an interface area. Part of this guidance includes an analysis of risks associated with living in the WUI. After this analysis, the community decides which elements of risk to mitigate or reduce by implementing specific Firewise principles (see list below).

Recently, Honey Hill was honored as a Firewise USA Community. During the process of becoming a Firewise USA Community, the Firewise Board along with assistance from the SC Forestry Commission, US Fish & Wildlife, and the Town of Ridgeland Fire Department, developed a Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP). The CWPP helps a community reduce the risk of wildfire and identifies strategic sites and methods for fuel reduction projects across the landscape and jurisdictional boundaries. In addition to helping reduce the risk of a wildland fire, the benefits of having a CWPP include National Fire Plan funding priority for projects identified in a CWPP.

In addition to the CWPP, the Honey Hill Homeowner’s Association held a “How to Have a Firewise Home” workshop aimed at enlightening residents on ways to reduce risks on their own property.  Additionally, the SC Forestry Commission conducted a controlled burn to minimize forest vegetation as a demonstration of how to reduce the amount of available fuel in adjacent woodlands near homes. Both the education-oriented workshop and the hazard mitigation burn prepared residents for this important national designation and taught homeowners how to protect their investments, their homes, and how to effectively remove nearby flammable vegetation.

Honey Hill residents are implementing some methods recommended by the National Fire Protection Association’s Firewise Communities team to improve your “home ignition zone.” The home ignition zone includes the house and surrounding area within 100 feet. The following steps can be taken to reduce a home’s vulnerability:

The SC Forestry Commission has assisted and certified six planned communities as Firewise USA. For more information about the Firewise Program in South Carolina, call the SC Forestry Commission’s Statewide Firewise Coordinator, Mike Bozzo at (803) 896-8810 or visit www.firewise.org.