For more than a decade, the small, wooded town of Grizzly Flats, California has participated in Firewise USA, an NFPA program where residents voluntarily work together on community projects to lessen their risks from wildfire. In August 2021, however, the Caldor Fire tore through Grizzly Flats, putting its mitigation efforts through a major test.

Today on the podcast, we talk to Megan Fitzgerald-McGowan, the manager of the Firewise USA program, about what she discovered on her recent visit to the fire-ravaged community, and what lessons Grizzly Flats' experience could provide to residents in other fire prone areas.

Links:

Read Fitzgerald-McGowan's essay in NFPA Journal about her trip to Grizzly Flats

Read more about the Firewise program and see a map of Firewise communities

If you have questions, feedback, suggestions, or just want to say hello, you can reach The NFPA Podcast at [email protected].