USFA Mapping Apps Connect Responders With Fire-Prone Areas

The U.S. Fire Administration (USFA), part of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), has launched new wildland fire response solutions to better respond to the approximately one-third of U.S. homeowners who live in “wildland-urban interface” (WUI) areas prone to wildfire.

First responders now have access to Wildland-Urban Interface applications, including the WUI Fire Property Awareness Explorer and the WUI Fire Community Awareness Explorer from Esri. The applications connect them to geographic intelligence built on Esri’s ArcGIS software to geotag locations, pinpoint the most vulnerable areas and respond proactively during a fire. The data set is produced using Esri’s Big Data Toolkit to provide detailed maps of areas where wildland vegetation connects with human activity to produce more potential for fire damage.

A publicly available site also allows homeowners to enter their own address to get a comprehensive view of the factors that make them most vulnerable to wildfires.

The one-third of U.S. homeowners who live in this wildland-urban interface are farther from fire resources, leading to longer response times and hotter, faster-burning fires, according to Lori Moore-Merrell, U.S. fire administrator with FEMA.

“One-third of the U.S. population currently lives within the expanding WUI environment, and many do not know the threat they face if there is a fire ignition nearby,” Moore-Merrell said in a press release. “The USFA awareness tools created using Esri’s data and mapping technology will help communities and fire service organizations to understand these unique geographic vulnerabilities so they can better prepare and respond.”