At Firebrand Resiliency Collective (FRC), we are proud to be a certified regional coordinator for the nationally recognized Firewise USA® Program, a role that enables us to support communities in Southern Oregon to become more resilient in the face of wildfire. The Firewise USA Program encourages neighbors to work together to reduce wildfire risks, helping communities become better prepared and more resilient.
What Is Firewise?
Firewise USA® is a nationally recognized program that helps communities prepare for and become more resilient to wildfire. At its core, Firewise is about people organizing at the community level to understand their local wildfire risk and take practical, achievable steps to reduce it—together.
Firewise recognizes that wildfire doesn’t stop at property lines. Homes, access roads, shared open space, and evacuation routes are all connected. Firewise helps communities move from individual concern to collective action, building safer neighborhoods and stronger relationships along the way.
By working together, residents assess wildfire risks and implement solutions like:
- Creating defensible space around homes by clearing flammable materials.
- Hardening structures with fire-resistant materials.
- Improving access for emergency responders.
- Promoting fire-resistant landscaping and property retrofits.
By following these guidelines, Firewise Communities not only reduce the risk of property damage during a wildfire but also improve overall community safety and resilience.
How we help
At FRC, Firewise is not a checklist or a one-time certification. It is a relationship-based, community-led process that builds capacity over time.
When we work with a community, our role includes:
- Community Engagement & Organizing (Community Listening Session)
- Wildfire Risk Education
- Risk & Resource Mapping
- Developing a Community Action Plan
- Supporting Implementation
- Home Wildfire Risk Assessments
Our goal is not just Firewise recognition—but durable, community-held wildfire readiness.
Email us at to get started on your Firewise USA® journey today!
Mountain View Estates in Talent Oregon was the first manufactured home park to become Firewise USA® certified within the Almeda fire scar.
This video from the NFPA does a great job of explaining some of the ignition hazards around homes and highlights some of the focal points of the mitigation work we promote through the Firewise USA® program.
Firewise Work Tracking System
Firewise Community Residents, use this form to report work completed on your personal property, including work on your home and landscaping.
You can submit this form as many times as needed throughout the reporting year.
Firewise Community Leaders, use this form to report work completed in shared community spaces, such as clubhouses, common areas, and community landscaping.
You can submit this form as many times as needed throughout the reporting year.
Firewise Leaders can access a reporting folder for their community. This folder contains resident and leader submissions collected throughout the reporting year, along with a summary that organizes your community’s reporting information for easy transfer into the NFPA annual recertification portal.
Only Firewise Leaders can access their community’s folder. To receive access, your community must be included in our reporting system and your email address must match the Firewise Leader information we have on file.
If your community would like to join the reporting system, you can’t find your community, or your leader information needs to be updated, please email .