How can I participate in the Wildland Fire Council or Firewise effort?

There are several ways you can take part in the ongoing efforts of the Fruitland Fire Council and be an integral member of the Fruitland Firewise community to make this area safer from the potential devastation of wildfires.

The first step in participating is protecting your own home/cabin, property, (which in turn helps protect the community around you) is to create a 100 foot defensible space around your home/cabin and structures on your property. Reduce fuels (downed trees, dead trees, piles of pine needles and dry tinder that allow an approaching wildfire to spread and consume your precious buildings, cabins and beautiful trees, domestic animals and wildlife.

Attend the Fire Fair and/or contact Ken Ludwig who has State resources (crews) set aside just to help you and the best part is this service is FREE of charge to you. You are only asked to help if possible.

Also see the “Protect Against Wildland Fires” page.

The clean up work that you do will help make your property and the local area safer AND if you keep track of your time and turn in your hours as “in-kind” hours they are matched by the Federal Government in the form of Grants and Equipment to help you and your neighbors.

Why?

     The Fruitland Fire Council competes for and receives federal Fire Grants to pay for crews and equipment who work to do larger projects that the community can’t do. They also assist individual property owners with defensible space and forestry cleanup.

     This also includes helping people who aren’t physically able to do defensible space work around their own property.

     To use that funding, the money must first be matched dollar-for-dollar by “in-kind” hours of work by members of the community.

This helps us all reduce Wildland fire danger by the contributed efforts by residents and property owners in the geographical area covered by the Council.

It’s important, then, to keep track of any qualifying “in-kind” hours for ANY work that you do on your property and turn it in on the appropriate In-Kind Time Tracking Form to either a Fire Council member or the local office of the Utah Division of Forestry Fire and State Lands. To download the form go to the Downloads section.

The Fire Council is comprised of volunteers living or owning property within the Fruitland Fire Council area. Don’t wait until you are personally affected by a devastating wildfire to get involved. The Fire Council generally meets for an hour once a week leading up to the Fire Fair and less during the winter months.

If you have questions or think you would like to attend a meeting,