Highlands County has a high occurrence and risk of wildfire, and its development patterns increase the vulnerability of its citizens and property. As a way to address this risk and help reduce the potential impact to homes, businesses, or public infrastructure from wildfire, Highlands County, the City of Avon Park, the Town of Lake Placid, the City of Sebring, and their residents collaborated to develop a Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP). This initiative began in the Summer of 2009 and was funded through a Fire Prevention and Safety Grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
A CWPP is a collaborative strategy for reducing wildfire vulnerability in a community. The plan includes an assessment of the community’s wildfire vulnerability, local organizations and resources available to assist with wildfire mitigation and response, and an action plan for implementing wildfire mitigation projects. Wildfire mitigation actions may include wildland fuel management, community outreach and education, Firewise building retrofit and landscaping, policy and regulation recommendations, and/or wildland fire response improvements. The Highlands County CWPP was approved by the Highlands County Board of County Commissioners in July 2010.
On this site, you will find more information about the Highlands County CWPP Initiative and an overview of why it’s so important that the Highlands communities develop and implement a CWPP.