Wildridge Recognized as Firewise Community

The Wildridge neighborhood in Avon has been awarded national recognition as an accredited Firewise Community. In partnership with the Town, Avon Police Department, Eagle River Fire Protection District, Eagle Valley Wildland, and Eagle County Government, Wildridge has successfully completed the necessary steps to receive this award and show dedication to learning to live with the threat of Wildfire. 

Firewise USA® is a national program hosted by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). Firewise USA is a framework that helps neighbors work together to reduce wildfire risk through education and collaboration. Eagle Valley Wildland promotes the Firewise USA recognition process as a way for communities in the WUI (Wildland-Urban Interface) to reduce their wildfire risk. This includes educational pieces for helping neighbors to work together on defensible space, home hardening, evacuation planning, and more. The community efforts that Wildridge showed in 2023 and the pledge to continue in the coming years has provided this recognition. 

What are the benefits? 

• Participation is voluntary. 
• Community wildfire risk can be reduced by neighbors and organizations working together. 
• Increases goodwill with first responders, providing safer access. 
• Increases community communication, collaboration, and emergency preparedness. 
• Potential consideration by home insurance companies (USAA and Mercury). 
• Potential access to grant money. 
• Creating a community that is resilient to wildfire threat. 

Please direct any questions to Hugh Fairfield-Smith hfairfield-smith@eagleriverfire.org or visit https://www.eaglevalleywildland.org.