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A Program of the Georgia Forestry Commission with support from the U.S. Forest Service

Community Wildfire Protection Plan
An Action Plan for Wildfire Mitigation and Conservation of Natural Resources
Pike County
July 1, 2009

April 2017

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The following report is a collaborative effort between various entities. The representatives listed below comprise the core decision-making team responsible for this report and mutually agree on the plan's contents.

County Representative(s):

Name

Jimmy Totten, Director, Pike County Emergency Management

Address

P.O. Box 377 (75 Jackson St.)

Zebulon, GA 30295

Phone Number

770-567-2018

Other Contact

pikecountyema@bellsouth.net

Name Address
Phone Number Other Contact Information

John Hanson, County Manager P.O. Box 377 (75 Jackson St.) Zebulon, GA 30295 770-567-3406
jhanson@pikecoga.com

Name Address
Phone Number Other Contact Information

J. Briar Johnson, Chairman, Pike County Commissioners P.O. Box 377 (75 Jackson St.) Zebulon, GA 30295 770-567-3406

Local Fire Department Representative(s):

Name

Rick O'Barr, Fire Chief, Pike County Fire Department

Address

P.O. Box 377 (75 Jackson St.)

Zebulon, GA 30295

Phone Number

678-588-5067 or 770-567-3406

Other Contact

Information

chief@pikecoes.com

Name Address Phone Number Other Contact Information

Dale Jackson, Fire Chief, Zebulon Fire Department 7818 Hwy 19 S. Zebulon, Ga. 30295 404-473-0293

Local Georgia Forestry Commission Representative(s):

Name

Jeff Kenerly, Chief Ranger Sr.

Address

Georgia Forestry Commission 2035 Ethridge Mill Road Griffin,

Phone Number

770-227-5522 0r 770-229-3005

Other Contacts

jkenerly@gfc.state.ga.us

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PLAN CONTENTS

I. Objectives ............................................................................................................. 4 II. Community Collaboration ...................................................................................... 4 III. Community Background and Wildfire History ......................................................... 6 IV. County Base Maps ............................................................................................... 11 V. Wildland Urban Interface ..................................................................................... 14 VI. Southern Wildfire Risk Assessment Summary ..................................................... 17 VII. Community Risk Assessments ............................................................................ 20 VIII. Prioritized Mitigation Recommendations ............................................................. 22 IX. Action Plan ............................................................................................................ 26 X. Grant Funding & Mitigation Assistance.......................................................28 IX. Glossary ..............................................................................................29 X. Sources of Information............................................................................31

Appended Documents:
Pike County Wildfire Pre-suppression Plan
NFPA 1141 Standard for Fire Protection Infrastructure for Land Development in Suburban and Rural Areas.
Pike County Southern Wildfire Risk Assessment Report (SouthWRAP)

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I. OBJECTIVES
A Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) provides a community with a road map to reduce its risk from wildfire. A CWPP is designed through collaboration between state and local fire agencies, homeowners and landowners, and other interested parties such as city councils, utilities, homeowners associations, environmental organizations, and other local stakeholders. The plan identifies strategic sites and methods for risk reduction and structural protection projects across jurisdictional boundaries.
Comprehensive plans provide long-term guidance for growth, reflecting a community's values and future expectations. The plan implements the community's values and serves to protect natural and community resources and public safety. Planning also enables communities to address their development patterns in the Wildland Urban Interface and determine how they can reduce their risk through alternative development patterns. The formal legal standing of the plan and its central role in local government decision making underscores the opportunity to use this planning process as an effective means for reducing wildfire risk.
The mission of the following plan is to set clear priorities for the implementation of wildfire mitigation in Pike County. The plan includes prioritized recommendations for the appropriate types and methods of fuel reduction and structure ignitability reduction that will protect this community and its essential infrastructure. It also includes a plan for wildfire suppression. Specifically, the plan includes community-centered actions that will:
Educate citizens on wildfire, its risks, and ways to protect lives and properties, Support fire rescue and suppression entities, Focus on collaborative decision-making and citizen participation, Develop and implement effective mitigation strategies, and Develop and implement effective community ordinances and codes.
II. COMMUNITY COLLABORATION
Wildfire risk reduction strategies are most effective when approached collaboratively involving groups of residents, elected officials, community decision makers, emergency managers, and natural resource managers and when combined with effective outreach approaches. Collaborative approaches make sense as the initial focus of any community attempting to work toward wildfire risk reduction. In all Community Wildfire Protection Plan collaborations, the goal is to cooperatively identify problems and reach a consensus for mutual action. In the case of wildfire mitigation, a reduction in the wildfire risk to the community's lives, houses, and property is the desired outcome.
The collaborative core team convened on August 20, 2009 to assess risks and develop the Community Wildfire Protection Plan. The group is comprised of representatives from local government, local fire authorities, and the state agency responsible for forest management.

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Below are the groups included in the task force:
Pike County Government County Fire Department Emergency Management Board of County Commissioners
City of Zebulon Fire Department
Georgia Forestry Commission
It was decided to conduct community assessments on the basis of the on high risk communities and the individual fire districts in the county. The core committee reconvened in January 2009 for the purpose of completing the following:
Risk Assessment
Assessed wildfire hazard risks and prioritized mitigation actions. The wildfire risk assessment will help homeowners, builders, developers, and emergency personnel whether the area needs attention and will help direct wildfire risk reduction practices to the areas at highest risk.

Fuels Reduction Identified strategies for coordinating fuels treatment projects.

Structure Ignitability
Identified strategies for reducing the ignitability of structures within the Wildland interface.

Emergency Management
Forged relationships among local government and fire developed/refined a pre-suppression plan.

districts and

Education and Outreach
Developed strategies for increasing citizen awareness and action and to conduct homeowner and community leader workshops. Outreach and education programs are designed to raise awareness and improve audience knowledge of wildfire risk reduction needs and practices. In the best cases, education and outreach programs will influence attitudes and opinions and result in effective action.

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III. Community Background and Wildfire History
Location and County Information

In 1822 Pike County, the state's fifty-sixth county, was created from Monroe County in west central Georgia by the state legislature. Later, parts of Pike County were used to create Upson (1824), Spalding (1851), and Lamar (1920) counties. Pike County, which comprises 218 square miles, and its county seat, Zebulon, are named after Zebulon Pike, a general in the War of 1812 (1812-15) and an explorer of the Louisiana Territory. Pike's name was made famous by his discovery of a Colorado mountain, subsequently named
Pikes Peak.

Zebulon was incorporated in 1825, and a two-story wood-frame building

was constructed to serve as a courthouse. This building served the county

until 1844, when a brick building in the "Greek Temple" style

replaced it. This structure was, in turn, replaced by the present courthouse

in 1895. Other incorporated towns in Pike County are Concord, Meansville,

Molena, and Williamson.

Early white settlers to the area used Indian trails in lieu of roads, but in the 1830s they improved the main trail by laying down planks that could

Pike County Courthouse

support stagecoaches. This route became known as the Old Plank Road. Another old

stagecoach line in Pike County came from Columbus, traversed Pike County up to

Indian Springs, and then continued to Augusta. This was known as the Old Alabama

Road.

Agricultural and forest products have traditionally been the

economic mainstay in Pike County. Early crops

were cotton and peaches.

Later, poultry and soybeans became important farm

products as well. Beginning in the 1970s, the county

emerged as one of metropolitan Atlanta's bedroom

communities.Notable residents include Charles Barrett, a

founder of the Georgia Farmers Union and longtime

Pike County Sawmill

president of the National Farmers Union, and Jacques Futrelle, a novelist, journalist, and writer of detective fiction

who died in the sinking of the Titanic.

According to the 2010 U.S. census, the population of Pike County was 17,869, an increase from the 2000 population of 13,688.

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(The above information courtesy of the New Georgia Encyclopedia)
Fire History
Pike County traditionally does not have a critical problem with wildfire. During the period fiscal year 2007 through fiscal 2016 the average size fire in Pike was 3.75 acres. During this same period the state average size fire was 6.89 acres. During the last 10 years Georgia has experienced record breaking years in 2007 and 2011 for the number of wildfires and acreage burned. The State has also had record breaking years of low wildfire activity in 2010 and 2015 due to above normal rainfall. Typically the average size fire in Georgia for a year is just over 4 acres. Escaped debris burns remains the principal cause of wildland fire in Pike County. This is also the primary cause of wildfires throughout the State. The County does not have a significant problem with arson related fires although some have occurred. The Southern Wildfire Risk Assessment reveals that the northeast portion of the county shows the highest number of starts which correspond to the most rapid growth of the wildland urban interface in the county. Rapid response by the Georgia Forestry Commission and local fire departments and moderately easy access helps to keep the average size low. However, it should be kept in mind that large fires can and have happened in this part of Georgia. On July 16, 2000 there was a fire in nearby Upson County that burned approximately 400 acres in around 3 hours. Should drought conditions exist the possibility that large and damaging wildfires can happen will always exist. Growth of the wildland urban interface in Pike County increases the likelihood of ignitions and risk to critical infrastructure.

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Wildfire Activity so far in fiscal year 2017, July 1, 2016 thru June 30, 2017, is found in the table below.

County = Pike

Cause

Fires

Campfire

Campfire

1

Debris: Ag Fields, Pastures, Orchards, Etc

Debris: Ag Fields, Pastures, Orchards, Etc

0

Debris: Construction Land Clearing Debris: Construction Land Clearing

2

Debris: Escaped Prescribed Burn Debris: Escaped Prescribed Burn

0

Debris: Household Garbage

Debris: Household Garbage

1

Debris: Other

Debris: Other

0

Debris: Residential, Leafpiles, Yard, Etc

Debris: Residential, Leafpiles, Yard, Etc

5

Lightning

Lightning

0

Machine Use

Machine Use

4

Miscellaneous: Cutting/Welding/Grinding

Miscellaneous: Cutting/Welding/Grinding

0

Miscellaneous: Firearms/Ammunition

Miscellaneous: Firearms/Ammunition

0

Miscellaneous: Power lines/Electric Miscellaneous: Power lines/Electric

fences

fences

1

Miscellaneous: Spontaneous Heating/Combustion

Miscellaneous: Spontaneous Heating/Combustion

0

Miscellaneous: Structure/Vehicle Fires

Miscellaneous: Structure/Vehicle Fires

1

Miscellaneous: Woodstove Ashes Miscellaneous: Woodstove Ashes

1

Undetermined

Undetermined

1

Totals for County: Pike Year: 2017

17

Acres 1.90

Fires 5 Yr Avg
1.00

Acres 5 Yr Avg
0.91

0.00 0.40 1.52

21.26 0.00 0.20 0.00

0.80 4.94 1.00 2.47 0.20 0.04 0.40 1.45

7.25 3.20 8.68

0.00 49.92

0.20 1.57 1.60 20.16

0.00 0.20 1.66

0.00 0.20 0.73

0.30 0.60 0.67

0.00 0.20 0.12

0.53 0.40 0.21

8.70 26.30

0.60 4.45 0.40 5.81

116.36 11.40 55.39

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IV. County Base Maps

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V. The Wildland-Urban Interface

There are many definitions of the Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI), however from a fire management perspective it is commonly defined as an area where structures and other human development meet or intermingles with undeveloped wildland or vegetative fuels. As fire is dependent on a certain set of conditions, the National Wildfire Coordinating Group has defined the wildland-urban interface as a set of conditions that exists in or near areas of wildland fuels, regardless of ownership. This set of conditions includes type of vegetation, building construction, accessibility, lot size, topography and other factors such as weather and humidity. When these conditions are present in certain combinations, they make some communities more vulnerable to wildfire damage than others. This "set of conditions" method is perhaps the best way to define wildlandurban interface areas when planning for wildfire prevention, mitigation, and protection activities.
There are three major categories of wildland-urban interface. Depending on the set of conditions present, any of these areas may be at risk from wildfire. A wildfire risk assessment can determine the level of risk.
1. "Boundary" wildland-urban interface is characterized by areas of development where homes, especially new subdivisions, press against public and private wildlands, such as private or commercial forest land or public forests or parks. This is the classic type of wildland-urban interface, with a clearly defined boundary between the suburban fringe and the rural countryside.
2. "Intermix" wildland-urban interface areas are places where improved property and/or structures are scattered and interspersed in wildland areas. These may be isolated rural homes or an area that is just beginning to go through the transition from rural to urban land use.
3. "Island" wildland-urban interface, also called occluded interface, are areas of wildland within predominately urban or suburban areas. As cities or subdivisions grow, islands of undeveloped land may remain, creating remnant forests. Sometimes these remnants exist as parks, or as land that cannot be developed due to site limitations, such as wetlands. (courtesy Fire Ecology and Wildfire Mitigation in Florida 2004)
Pike County is typical of a County in the Southeastern United States in that it contains areas of both boundary and intermix WUI. Proximity to a large metropolitan with rapid and continuous development results in communities near extensive unbroken wildland fuel and also sited such that wildland fuels are present within the community.

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The Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) layer reflects housing density depicting where humans and their structures meet or intermix with wildland fuels.
Wildland Urban Interface Hazards
Firefighters in the wildland urban interface may encounter hazards other than the fire itself, such as hazardous materials, utility lines and poor access.
Hazardous Materials Common chemicals used around the home may be a direct hazard to firefighters from flammability, explosion potential and/or vapors or offgassing. Such chemicals include paint, varnish and other flammable liquids; fertilizer; pesticides; cleansers; aerosol cans, fireworks, batteries and ammunition. In addition, some common household products such as plastics may give off very toxic fumes when they burn. Stay OUT of the smoke from burning structures and any unknown sources such as trash piles.
Illicit Activities Marijuana plantations or drug production labs may be found in wildland urban interface areas. Extremely hazardous materials such as propane tanks and flammable/toxic chemicals may be encountered, as well as booby traps.
Propane tanks Both large (household size) and small (gas grill size) liquefied propane gas (LPG) tanks can present hazards to firefighters, including explosion. See the "LPG Tank Hazards" discussion for details.

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Utility lines
Utility lines may be located above and below ground and may be cut or damaged by tools or equipment. Don't spray water on utility lines or boxes.

Septic tanks and fields
Below-ground structures may not be readily apparent and may not support the weight of engines or other apparatus.

New construction materials
Many new construction materials have comparatively low melting points and may "off-gas" extremely hazardous vapors. Plastic decking materials that resemble wood are becoming more common and may begin softening and losing structural strength at 180 F, though they normally do not sustain combustion once direct flame is removed. However, if they continue to burn they exhibit the characteristics of flammable liquids.

Pets and livestock
Pets and livestock may be left when residents evacuate and will likely be highly stressed, making them more inclined to bite and kick. Firefighters should not put themselves at risk to rescue pets or livestock.

Evacuation occurring
Firefighters may be taking structural protection actions while evacuations of residents are occurring. Be very cautious of people driving erratically. Distraught residents may refuse to leave their property, and firefighters may need to disengage from fighting fire to contact law enforcement officers for assistance. In most jurisdictions firefighters do not have the authority to force evacuations. Firefighters should not put themselves at risk trying to protect someone who will not evacuate!

Limited access
Narrow one-lane roads with no turn-around room, inadequate or poorly maintained bridges and culverts are frequently found in wildland urban interface areas. Access should be sized-up and an evacuation plan for all emergency personnel should be developed.

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VI. SOUTHERN WILDFIRE RISK ASSESSMENT SUMMARY

The Southern Wildfire Risk Assessment tool, developed by the Southern Group of State Foresters, was released to the public in July 2014. This tool allows users of the Professional Viewer application of the Southern Wildfire Risk Assessment (SWRA) web Portal (SouthWRAP) to define a specific project area and summarize wildfire related information for this area. A detailed risk summary report is generated using a set of predefined map products developed by the Southern Wildfire Risk Assessment project which have been summarized explicitly for the user defined project area. A risk assessment summary was generated for Pike County. The SouthWRAP (SWRA) products included in this report are designed to provide the information needed to support the following key priorities:
Identify areas that are most prone to wildfire
Identify areas that may require additional tactical planning, specifically related to mitigation projects and Community Wildfire Protection Planning
Provide the information necessary to justify resource, budget and funding requests
Allow agencies to work together to better define priorities and improve emergency response, particularly across jurisdictional boundaries
Define wildland communities and identify the risk to those communities
Increase communication and outreach with local residents and the public to create awareness and address community priorities and needs
Plan for response and suppression resource needs

Plan and prioritize hazardous fuels Wildland Urban interface (WUI) map from the Pike

treatment programs

County SWRA report

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Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) risk map (above) and WUI Risk acres map (below) from the Pike County SWRA report

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Fire Intensity Scale map (above) and Community Protection Zones map (below)

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VII. Community Risk Assessments

Values from the Southern Wildfire Risk Assessment (SWRA) for Pike County are predominantly in the moderate to low range. This is in line with the generally low fire numbers and rapid containment of those that do occur. Wildland fuels are also generally not continuous or of a type that promotes rapid spread or fires that are difficult to suppress. Some of the newer developments are located in areas that could be hazardous during periods of high to extreme fire danger. The following communities were assessed during the month of January 2009.

Community
Heritage Lake
Eagles Landing Fly In Community Rocky Creek Subdivision
Bledsoe Farm Road
Skyview Drive
Zebulon Pike County School System
Whitfield Subdivision

Location

jurisdiction

Hwy 19 North UTM 16S 0751535 N 3673806E UTM 16S 0745447N 3671258E Hutchinson Road .75 miles off of Hwy 362 West UTM 16S 0742145N 3674770E Bledsoe Farm Road and Hwy 362 UTM 16S0742936N 3673490E Skyview Dr. off Patton Rd. UTM 16S 0750267N 3673979E Hwy 19 South of Zebulon

Station 8 Station 6 Stations 6 and 2
Station 6
Station 8
Station 7

Old Meansville Road UTM 16S 0749691N 3662570E

Station 7

size and structural information 140 acres- 31 lots- 17 homes constructed
350 acres- 56 lots- 35 homes constructed 155 acres- 50 lots- 32 homes constructed
86 acres- 24 lots- 25 homes constructed
130 acres- 55 lots- 51 homes constructed
825 acres- 30 lots-6 homes constructed- 4 schools and 1 industry 232 acres- 94 lots- 87 homes constructed

Overall Wildfire Hazard Rating 88 moderate risk 64 low risk 66 low risk
79 moderate risk
58 low risk
85 moderate risk
66 low risk

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Hutchinson Farms

Patton Road

Station 8

300 acres- 56 lots- 55 homes constructed- 1 under construction

68 low risk

Chestnut Hill
Ashley Glen Subdivision
Mountainview Acres

Chestnut Hill Road and Shackleford Road UTM 16S 0753817N 3672681E Williamson Zebulon road and Reidsboro Road UTM 16S 0754703N 3675539E South Pike at Mountainview and Shortcut Road

Station 8 Station 6 Station 5

19 lots- 15 homes built

78 moderate risk

170 acres- 100 lots- 20 homes constructed- 1 under construction

73 moderate risk

1300 acres- 85 103 moderate lots- 75 homes risk constructed

No incorporated areas were assessed .These assessments were completed by Chief Ranger Jeff Kenerly in January 2009. The original copies of the assessments are located with the primary copy of this plan at the Lamar Pike Spalding Upson County Unit of the Georgia Forestry Commission. There are additional Communities within the County that could be at risk from wildland fire.

Prescribed burning of woodlands is the best management practice to reduce hazardous fuel accumulation. The Georgia Forestry Commission can provide a prescribed burning plan, establish fire breaks, and can also provide equipment standby and assist with burning when personnel are available.

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VIII. Prioritized Mitigation Recommendations
Executive Summary As Central Georgia continues to see increased growth from other areas seeking less crowded and warmer climes, new development will occur more frequently on forest and wildland areas. The County will have an opportunity to significantly influence the wildland fire safety of new developments. It is important that new development be planned and constructed to provide for public safety in the event of a wildland fire emergency.
Over the past 20 years, much has been learned about how and why homes burn during wildland fire emergencies. Perhaps most importantly, case histories and research have shown that even in the most severe circumstances, wildland fire disasters can be avoided. Homes can be designed, built and maintained to withstand a wildfire even in the absence of fire services on the scene. The National Firewise Communities program is a national awareness initiative to help people understand that they don't have to be victims in a wildfire emergency. The National Fire Protection Association has produced two standards for reference: NFPA 1144 Standard for Reducing Structure Ignition Hazards from Wildland Fire. 2008 Edition and NFPA 1141 Standard for Fire Protection Infrastructure for Land Development in Suburban and Rural Areas.
In 2014 Georgia approved and adopted the International Wildland-Urban Interface Code for use by Georgia Counties. This is a modern, up to date code addressing the mitigation of fire in the wildland-urban interface. The code establishes minimum regulations for land use and the built environment in interface areas. The 2012 IWUIC Code is available from the International Code Council and NFPA.
When new developments are built in the Wildland/Urban Interface, a number of public safety challenges may be created for the local fire services: (1) the water supply in the immediate areas may be inadequate for fire suppression; (2) if the Development is in an outlying area, there may be a longer response time for emergency services; (3) in a wildfire emergency, the access road(s) may need to simultaneously support evacuation of residents and the arrival of emergency vehicles; and (4) when wildland fire disasters strike, many structures may be involved simultaneously, quickly exceeding the capability of even the best equipped fire departments.
The following recommendations were developed by the Pike County CWPP Core team as a result of surveying and assessing fuels and structures and by conducting meetings and interviews with county and city officials. A priority order was determined based on which mitigation projects would best reduce the hazard of wildfire in the assessment area.

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Proposed Community Hazard and Structural Ignitability Reduction Priorities

Primary Protection for Community and Its Essential Infrastructure

Treatment Area

Treatment Types

Treatment Method(s)

1. All Structures 2. Applicable Structures

Create minimum of 30-feet of defensible space**
Reduce structural ignitability**

Trim shrubs and vines to 30 feet from structures, trim overhanging limbs, replace flammable plants near homes with less flammable varieties, remove vegetation around chimneys.
Clean flammable vegetative material from roofs and gutters, store firewood appropriately, install skirting around raised structures, store water hoses for ready access, and replace pine straw and mulch around plantings with less flammable landscaping materials.

3. Community Clean-up Day

Cutting, mowing, pruning**

Cut, prune, and mow vegetation in shared community spaces.

4. Driveway Access 5. Road Access

Culvert installation
Identify needed road improvements

See that adequate lengths of culverts are installed to allow emergency vehicle access.
As roads are upgraded, widen to minimum standards with at least 50 foot diameter cul de sacs or turn arounds.

Proposed Community Wildland Fuel Reduction Priorities

Treatment Area

Treatment Types

Treatment Method(s)

1. Adjacent WUI Lands

Reduce hazardous fuels

Encourage prescribed burning for private landowners and industrial timberlands particularly adjacent to residential areas.
County resolution to state recommending that the Ga. Forestry Commission not charge for prescribed burning in WUI areas.

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Seek grant for WUI mitigation team.

2. Railroad Corridors

Reduce hazardous fuels

Encourage railroads to better maintain their ROW eliminating brush and grass through herbicide and mowing. Maintain firebreaks along ROW adjacent to residential areas.

3. Existing Fire Lines

Reduce hazardous fuels

Clean and re-harrow existing lines

Proposed Improved Community Wildland Fire Response Priorities

1. Water Sources

Dry Hydrants

Inspect, maintain and improve access to existing dry hydrants. Add signage along road to mark the hydrants.
Locate additional dry hydrants as needed.

2. Fire Stations

Equipment

Wildland hand tools. Lightweight Wildland PPE Gear. Investigate need for "brush" trucks near communities at risk.

3. Water Sources

Drafting equipment Investigate need for additional drafting pumps.

4. Personnel

Training

Obtain wildfire training for fire personnel to include S130, S190, and S215. Ready Set Go training

**Actions to be taken by homeowners and community stakeholders

Proposed Education and Outreach Priorities

1. Conduct "How to Have a Firewise Home" Workshop for County Residents
Set up and conduct a workshop for homeowners that teach the principles of making homes and properties safe from wildfire. Topics for discussion include defensible space, landscaping, building construction, etc. Workshop will be scheduled for evenings or weekends when most homeowners are available and advertised through local media outlets.
Distribute materials promoting firewise practices and planning through local community and governmental meetings.

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2. Conduct "Firewise" Workshop for Community Leaders
Arrange for GFC Firewise Coordinator to work with local community leaders and governmental officials on the importance of "Firewise Planning" in developing ordinances and codes as the county as the need arises. Identified "communities-atrisk" including: Smokey Hollow and Fair Oaks, should be sought after for inclusion in the National Firewise Communities Program.
3. Spring Clean-up Event
Conduct clean-up event every spring involving the Georgia Forestry Commission, Pike County Fire Departments, and local residence of Pike County. Set up information table with educational materials and refreshments. Initiate the event with a morning briefing by GFC Firewise coordinator and local fire officials detailing plans for the day and safety precautions. Activities to include the following:
Clean flammable vegetative material from roofs and gutters Trim shrubs and vines to 30 feet away from structures Trim overhanging limbs Clean hazardous or flammable debris from adjacent properties
Celebrate the work with a community cookout, with Community officials, GFC and Pike County Fire Departments discussing and commending the work accomplished. NFPA sponsors National Wildfire Preparedness Day on the 1st Saturday of May each year, which is an excellent time to have this program.
4. Informational Packets
Develop and distribute informational packets to be distributed by realtors and insurance agents. Included in the packets are the following:
Be Firewise Around Your Home Firewise Guide to Landscape and Construction Firewise Communities USA Brochures, bookmarks, litter bags, etc. Fire Adapted Communities Ready Set Go materials
5. Wildfire Protection Display
Create and exhibit a display for the general public at the local events. Display can be independent or combined with the Georgia Forestry Commission display.
6. Press
Invite the local and regional news media to community "Firewise" functions for news coverage and regularly submit press releases documenting wildfire risk improvements in Upson County.

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IX. ACTION PLAN
Timetables: For each project (list highest priority projects first), provide an estimated duration, start date and targeted completion date.

Project

Responsible Agency

Prescribed Burn Pine stands near Heritage Lake, Hutchinson Farms, Skyview Dr., Plantation Rd, and Whitfield Subdivision
Conduct Individual Home Assessments in all Moderate Risk Communities specifically Heritage Lake Bledsoe Farm, Chestnut Hill and Mountainview Acres
Identify or install natural and man made firebreaks near Communities at Risk

Georgia Forestry Commission and Pike County Fire
Georgia Forestry Commission and Pike County Fire
Georgia Forestry Commission and Pike County Fire

Estimated Duration
Start Late Winter 2010 repeat every 3rd year

Effective Dates
February through March of effective years

Targeted Completion Date(s)
Same

3 years

July 2009 through June 2012

July 2012

3 years

July 2009 through June 2012

July 2012

Note: Additional Communities should be identified and receive treatment(s) identified beyond the timetables outlined by this plan. Home assessment should be on a continuous schedule. Any man made firebreaks that are constructed should be maintained on a continuous basis. Locations of firebreaks should be mapped and their location(s) made known to all wildland response agencies. In Communities where burning is not allowed an alternate means of disposing of vegetative material should be provided by Pike County waste disposal authorities.

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Public Education Priorities and Opportunities
Plan for and conduct a Firewise meeting for each response station in conjunction with a scheduled fire department meeting. This meeting would involve communities at risk in each jurisdiction. Obtain a Firewise Display to be retained by the Georgia Forestry Commission. This display would be used by the Commission and loaned to local emergency services or fire departments should they conduct Firewise workshops. This project should begin in July of 2009 and extend over the next three years. It would be most effective if the meetings took place concurrent to the individual home assessments in communities at risk.
During the next year (start date July 1, 2009), make individual contact with development companies who work in Pike County by letter. Provide them with information about Firewise community design and how to obtain additional information at the Firewise website.
Provide firewise materials to the County Building permit office. These materials could be provided whenever a building permit is issued. This should take place on a continuous basis.
Assessment:
Describe the strategy used to assess the plans progress and effectiveness.

1. Progress and effectiveness of prescribed burning would be measured by the number of acres burned
2. Effectiveness would be measured by the number of waste disposal problems identified and resolved
3. Effectiveness would be measured by the number of individual home assessments conducted
4. Effectiveness would be measured by the number of workshops conducted and the number of homeowners in attendance.
5. Effectiveness would be measured by the number of miles of fuel breaks identified or installed.
6. Effectiveness would be measured annually by the number of development companies contacted and responses generated.
7. Effectiveness of contact through the building permit office of Pike County would be measured by the number of contacts made.

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IX. Grant Funding and Mitigation Assistance
Community Protection Grant: US Forest Service sponsored prescribed fire program. Communities with "at-risk" properties that lie within ten miles of a National Forest, National Park Service or Bureau of Land Management tracts may apply with the Georgia Forestry Commission to have their land prescribe burned free-of-charge. Forest mastication, where it is practical with Georgia Forestry Commission equipment, is also available under this grant program.
FEMA Mitigation Policy MRR-2-08-01: through GEMA Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) and Pre-Disaster Mitigation Program (PDM).
1. To provide technical and financial assistance to local governments to assist in the implementation of long term, cost effective hazard mitigation accomplishments.
2. This policy addresses wildfire mitigation for the purpose of reducing the threat to all-risk structures through creating defensible space, structural protection through the application of ignition resistant construction and limited hazardous fuel reduction to protect life and property.
3. With a completed registered plan (addendum to the State Plan) counties can apply for pre-mitigation funding. They will also be eligible for HMGP funding if the county is declared under a wildfire disaster.
Georgia Forestry Commission: Plowing and prescribed burning assistance, as well as forest mastication, can be obtained from the GFC as a low-cost option for mitigation efforts.
The Georgia Forestry Commission Firewise Community Mitigation Assistance Grants Nationally recognized Firewise Communities can receive up to $5000 grants to help address potential wildfire risk reduction projects. Grant submission can be made through local Georgia Forestry Commission offices or your Regional Wildfire Prevention Specialist.
The International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) and American International Group, Inc. (AIG) offer grants to assist local fire departments in establishing or enhancing their community fuels mitigation programs while educating members of the community about community wildfire readiness and encouraging personal action.

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X. Glossary
Community-At-Risk A group of two or more structures whose proximity to forested or wildland areas places homes and residents at some degree of risk.
Critical Facilities Buildings, structures or other parts of the community infrastructure that require special protection from an approaching wildfire.
CWPP The Community Wildfire Protection Plan.
Defensible Space The immediate landscaped area around a structure (usually a minimum of 30 ft.) kept "lean, clean and green" to prevent an approaching wildfire from igniting the structure.
Dry Hydrant - A non-pressurized pipe system permanently installed in existing lakes, ponds and streams that provides a suction supply of water to a fire department tank truck.
FEMA The Federal Emergency Management Agency whose mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards.
Fire Adapted Community A community fully prepared for its wildfire risk by taking actions to address safety, homes, neighborhoods, businesses and infrastructure, forest, parks, open spaces, and other community assets.
Firewise Program A national initiative with a purpose to reduce structural losses from wildland fires.
Firewise Community/USA A National recognition program for communities that take action to protect themselves from wildland fire. To qualify a community must have a wildfire risk assessment, mitigation action plan, have an annual firewise education event, have firewise leadership, and complete a certification application.
Fuels All combustible materials within the wildland/urban interface or intermix including, but not limited to, vegetation and structures.
Fuel Modification Any manipulation or removal of fuels to reduce the likelihood of ignition or the resistance to fire control.
Healthy Forests Initiative - Launched in August 2002 by President Bush (following passage of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act by Congress) with the intent to reduce the risks severe wildfires pose to people, communities, and the environment.

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Hazard & Wildfire Risk Assessment An evaluation to determine an area's (community's) potential to be impacted by an approaching wildland fire Home Ignition Zone (Structure Ignition Zone) - Treatment area for wildfire protection. The "zone" includes the structure(s) and their immediate surroundings from 0-200 ft. Mitigation An action that moderates the severity of a fire hazard or risk.
International Wildland Urban Interface Code (IWUIC) Adopted in Georgia in 2014 and is a model code intended to be adopted and used supplemental to the adopted building and fire codes of a jurisdiction. Its objective is the minimum special regulations for the safeguarding of life and property from the intrusion of wildfire.
National Fire Plan National initiative, passed by Congress in the year 2000, following a landmark wildland fire season, with the intent of actively responding to severe wildland fires and their impacts to communities while ensuring sufficient firefighting capacity for the future.
National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) - An international nonprofit organization established in 1896, whose mission is to reduce the worldwide burden of fire and other hazards on the quality of life by providing and advocating consensus codes and standards, research, training, and education.
National Wildfire Preparedness Day Started in 2014 by the National Fire Protection Association as a day for communities to work together to prepare for the fire season. It is held annually on the first Saturday in May.
Prescribed Burning (prescribed fire) The use of planned fire that is deliberately set under specific fuel and weather condition to accomplish a variety of management objectives and is under control until it burns out or is extinguished.
Ready, Set, Go - A program fire services use to help homeowners understand wildfire preparedness, awareness, and planning procedures for evacuation.
Southern Group of State Foresters Organization of agency heads of the forestry agencies of the 13 southern states, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.
Stakeholders Individuals, groups, organizations, businesses or others who have an interest in wildland fire protection and may wish to review and/or contribute to the CWPP content.
Wildfire or Wildland Fire An unplanned and uncontrolled fire spreading through vegetative fuels.
Wildland/Urban Interface - The presence of structures in locations in which the authority having jurisdiction (AHJ) determines that topographical features, vegetation, fuel types, local weather conditions and prevailing winds result in the potential for ignition of the structures within the area from flames and firebrands from a wildland fire.

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XI. Sources of Information

Publications/Brochures/Websites:
FIREWISE materials can be ordered for no cost at www.firewise.org
Georgia Forestry Commission www.georgiafirewise.org
Examples of successful wildfire mitigation programs can be viewed at the website for National Database of State and Local wildfire Hazard Mitigation Programs sponsored by the U.S. Forest Service and the Southern Group of State Foresters www.wildfireprograms.com
Information about a variety of interface issues (including wildfire) can be found at the USFS website for Interface South: www.interfacesouth.org
Information on codes and standards for emergency services including wildfire can be found at www.nfpa.org
Information on FEMA Assistance to Firefighters Grants (AFG) can be found at www.firegrantsupport.com
Information on National Fire Plan grants can be found at http://www.federalgrantswire.com/national-fire-plan--rural-fire-assistance.html
Southern Wildfire Risk Assessment website SouthWRAP www.SouthernWildfireRisk.com
Fire Adapted Communities www.fireadapted.org
Ready, Set, Go www.wildlandfirersg.org
National Wildfire Preparedness Day www.wildfireprepday.org

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P. O. Box 819 Macon, GA 31202 1-800-GA-TREES GaTrees.org
The Georgia Forestry Commission provides leadership, service, and education in the protection and conservation of Georgia's forest resources. An Equal Opportunity Employer and Service Provider
All files that make up this plan are available in electronic format from the Georgia Forestry Commission.