Kentucky Firewise Program

​​​The Kentucky Firewise program encourages local solutions for wildfire safety by involving homeowners, community leaders, planners, developers, firefighters, and others in the effort to protect people and property from the risk of wildfire.  Kentucky Firewise is part of the National Firewise Communities program organized by the National Fire Protection Association and co-sponsored by the USDA Forest Service, the U.S. Department of the Interior, and the National Association of State Foresters.

Protecting Your Home

Do you live in or near a forest? If you do, then you live in the wildland urban interface and your home has an increased risk of being destroyed by wildland fire.

There are many simple steps you can take to reduce the wildfire risk to your property.  Please refer to the following fact sheets for detailed information about Firewise practices that could save your home:

• 25 Kentucky Firewise Tips​
  
• Be Prepared for Wildfires
  
• Creating Defensible Space
  
• Firewise Checklist
  
• Firewise Landscaping
  
• Homeowner's Role in Firewise
  
• Is Your Home Firewise Guide
  
• Landscaping Checklist
  

This assessment guide will help you determine if your home is Firewise:

• Kentucky Division of Forestry's Woodland Home Wildfire Hazard Assessment 
  

Protecting Your Community

Kentucky's Firewise program is a unique opportunity available to Kentucky's fire-prone communities.  The program adapts especially well to small communities, developments and residential associations of all types. 

Please refer to the following guides for information about defensible space, Firewise landscaping, vehicular access, controlling open burning, community action planning and much more:

• Guide for Protecting Communities From Wildfire
  
• How to Become a Firewise Community
  
• Woodland Community Wildfire Hazard Assessment​
  

A Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) enables a community to plan in advance for the possibility of a community threatening wildfire. The CWPP helps to empower communities to organize, plan, educate and take action on wildfire issues that impact community safety.  

• Community Wildfire Protection Plan template
  

Kentucky Firewise Community Grants

The Firewise Community grant program provides funding to assist communities in wildland/urban interface areas in reducing their wildfire risk.  The grant cycle runs from Oct. 1 through June 30.  Grantees must complete project activities and submit receipts and documentation in order to receive reimbursement.   

Download a copy of the grant click here​.

To learn how to "Firewise" your home and community and how to establish a Firewise Council visit the National Firewise Web site or contact the division's Firewise Program Coordinator, Kessley Baker.