About

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 recently 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