GLOUCESTER — High fire danger led the National Weather Service to issue a Red Flag Warning for the entire Commonwealth of Massachusetts on Friday, Nov. 1, and the Gloucester Fire Department would like to remind residents and business owners that they can help protect themselves by reviewing the Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) that was prepared by regional stakeholders this spring.
The Cape Ann CWPP includes resources that can help homeowners and business owners learn more about the threats in their community and how to mitigate those threats using simple, common sense steps on their property.
A CWPP is a collaborative document developed for a community, or group of communities, in the wildland urban interface — areas where homes and businesses are comingled with forest and brush. It’s a comprehensive and strategic plan that aims to reduce the risk of wildfire damage to people, property, and natural and cultural resources. The CWPP is developed with the participation of local residents, community leaders, land managers, fire personnel and other stakeholders.
The Cape Ann CWPP was initiated and put into place this spring in response to several large and threatening wildfires in the area over the past couple of years. Community leaders wanted to take steps to help mitigate the potential damage from such wildfires.
The CWPP process, a cooperative effort between local, state and federal authorities, involved a thorough assessment of the community’s wildfire risk and vulnerabilities, including the analysis of fire history, fuel (vegetation) conditions, weather patterns and the community’s capacity to respond to wildfire events. Based on the assessment, the CWPP outlines a set of actions that can be taken to reduce risk and improve the community’s preparedness and resiliency.
On Cape Ann, the CWPP identified high-risk areas for wildfires and suggested strategies for preventing them and reducing risk.
Those strategies include mechanical fuel treatments, in which vegetation that can fuel fires is managed; adding fire containment features to the environment, such as firebreaks; working with local home owners associations and residents to develop fuel break measures around homes and properties; working with the Department of Conservation and Recreation to establish forest projects that reduce wildfire risk; and implementing a community chipper program to encourage residents to keep brush and other vegetation cut back from their homes.
The CWPP website, which can be accessed here, provides detailed maps of Cape Ann along with numerous resources for home and business owners to protect their properties against fire. An entire section of the plan is focused on steps that home and property owners can take to help protect their properties.
Among the tips for homeowners are reducing flammable brush within 5 feet of the home, keeping gutters clean and keeping trees trimmed back from homes and trimmed at least 10 feet from the ground.
“The Gloucester Fire Department and other regional, state and federal stakeholders put a lot of work into creating this plan earlier this year in preparation for the dangerous fire conditions we knew would come,” said Deputy Chief Robert Rivas. “We encourage homeowners and business owners to review the plan and learn what they can about simple ways to protect lives and property.”
To learn more about the plan or to view its full details, click here.
