Boise Encourages Foothill Residents Prepare For Fire

BOISE, ID — It’s wildfire season and with multiple fires burning in Idaho and across neighboring states, the Boise Fire Department encourages residents who live in or near the Boise Foothills to prepare for a wildland fire.

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“Firewise is all about neighbors helping neighbors,” says Boise Fire Department Wildfire Mitigation Specialist Captain Jerry McAdams. “We rely on homeowners to be the first line of defense for wildfire mitigation. In many cases, properly preparing your property can make a huge difference in preventing the spread of wildfire.”

The Boise Fire Department works with the City of Boise, the Boise Parks and Recreation Department, and the Ada Fire Adapted Community Partnership to give homeowners the tools they need to take ownership of their own fire preparedness.

For example, thanks to grant funding from the Idaho Department of Lands, the City of Boise offers free chipping services to neighborhoods in the Wildland Urban Interface along the Boise Foothills throughout the summer. You can watch our video on this program here.

“In addition to preparing outside your home, we also encourage community members to think about how you and your family would respond in the event of a wildfire,” said Boise Fire Department Division Chief Tony Piscopo. “One of the tools we recommend is the Ready, Set, Go plan.”

Elements of Ready, Set, Go planning include:

• Get Ready – Prepare yourself, your family and your property well in advance of a wildfire.
• Get Set – Be aware of what is happening around you during periods of high fire danger and be prepared to evacuate.
• Go Early – Leave early when there is a fire, or as directed by public safety officials.

Local solutions and individual responsibility are the cornerstones of a Fire Adapted Community. For more details on how to prepare visit here.

The City of Boise and emergency management partners also encourage community members to sign up for the Ada County Code Red notification system which may be used to alert the community in the event of a wildfire or other emergency. To sign up visit here.

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