In response to increasing demand for more accurate and up-to-date wildfire risk information across the South, the SGSF embarked on a wildfire risk assessment for the entire South, originally completing the project in 2005. The goal of the Southern Wildfire Risk Assessment (SWRA) project was to provide a consistent, comparable set of scientific results to be used as a foundation for wildfire mitigation and prevention planning in the Southern states. The SWRA data has been in use since and continues to be updated and enhanced over time to reflect landscape changes since the original SWRA completion. In May 2024, the latest update to SWRA data was completed to reflect recent changes in the landscape and incorporate enhancements in wildfire hazard modeling.
Needing a way to deliver the information quickly and seamlessly to stakeholders, SGSF has developed the Southern Wildfire Risk Assessment Portal (SouthWRAP), built upon the success of the Texas Wildfire Risk Assessment Portal (TxWRAP). SouthWRAP is the primary mechanism by which SGSF is creating awareness among the public and arming state and local government planners with information to support mitigation and prevention efforts. SouthWRAP contains data for 13 Southern states, excluding Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands that did not participate in the initial SWRA project. Future updates hope to include all SGSF members.
Results of the SWRA can be used to help prioritize areas in the state where tactical analyses, community interaction and education, or mitigation treatments might be necessary to reduce risk from wildfires. In addition, the information provided in the assessment can be used to support the following key priorities:
- Identify areas prone to large wildfire
- Inform strategic placement of mitigation activities and support land use planning, specifically related to community wildfire planning and risk reduction
- Support resource, budget, and funding requests with consistent data Regionwide
- Support collaboration across jurisdictional boundaries to better define priorities and improve emergency response
- Increase communication with local residents and the public to address community priorities and needs
- Plan and prioritize wildfire response, hazardous fuel treatment programs, and placement of suppression resource needs
- Support community wildfire resilience initiatives like ignition-resistant building material investments, evacuation planning, smoke readiness, and equitable risk reduction for vulnerable populations
With the update of SWRA, the Southern states remain at the forefront of nationwide wildfire protection planning. The SouthWRAP web site positively influences the safety of citizens across the Southern Region by providing easy access to the latest SWRA information for fuel and fire professionals, government and community leaders, and the public alike.
Project Participants
SGSF would like to thank the following agencies for participating and helping to make the SWRA and SouthWRAP projects a success.
- The thirteen Southern state forestry agencies
- US Forest Service, Southern Region (Region 8)
- US Fish and Wildlife Service Southeast Region
- Bureau of Indian Affairs (Eastern Region & Southern Plains Region)
- National Park Service
- LANDFIRE
- SE Regional Strategy Committee – Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy
Support
A variety of resources are available to help make the most use of the Southern Wildfire Risk Assessment results and the SouthWRAP web application. Support documentation and reference information is available from several sources. These are provided below.
Resources
Resources include user manuals, a statewide data package, layer symbology, and guidance on using map layers from the recent TxWRAP update. Additional tools are in development and will be added here as they become available. Resources can be viewed here.
Help Desk
Support for use of the SWRA data and the Public and Professional Viewer applications within SouthWRAP is available by sending an email to the SGSF at southernwildfirerisk@tfs.tamu.edu. The Professional Viewer application is intended for use by fire planners and land managers. For general inquiries, especially regarding the Public Viewer or the SWRA data, please use the Contact page. This will allow you to pose questions, make suggestions and provide feedback. We welcome and encourage your comments so we can continue to improve SouthWRAP to better meet your needs.
More Information
To aid users in developing a fire protection plan, a few additional resources are provided. This includes guidelines for protecting your home and property from wildfire through mitigation, minimum standards for developing a Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP), requirements for a community to receive the FireWise Communities USA™ designation, and templates for developing a CWPP and related plans. Use the links below to access these resources. We also encourage you to check out the information available on the individual SGSF state websites. Some reference links are provided below.
- Protecting Your Community and Home in the Wildland Urban Interface
- Community Guide to Preparing and Implementing a CWPP
- Southern Forests and Wildfire Publications
Risk Summary Report Sample
Planning is essential for the long-term success of wildfire mitigation efforts. CWPPs have become the planning standard, as defined in the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003. The risk summary report capability within the SouthWRAP Professional Viewer application has been specifically designed to support Step 5 in CWPP development, the Community Risk Assessment component. The risk report is generated in a Microsoft WORD format to facilitate easy copy-paste of content directly into a plan.