Wildfire Risk Assessment

Highlands County has some of the highest occurrences and percentage for risk of wildfire in the State of Florida.  In the past 10 years, there have been a total of 1,124 wildfires of varying sizes that have burned 21,266 acres in Highlands County.  The County’s current infrastructure and population development pattern of moving into undeveloped land increases the vulnerability of its residents and building infrastructure to wildfire.  Highlands County, with a rapidly growing population of nearly 98,000, consists of small communities and scattered neighborhoods nestled among fire-adapted ecosystems.  Due to the County’s rapid growth, the amount of people and property in wildland/urban interface (WUI) zones has increased proportionally. It has been estimated that 67.2% of the population is living in medium- to high-risk wildfire zones.  Approximately 46% of those at risk are disabled and/or over 65 years old, making a quick evacuation difficult.

Wildfires differ from other fires by their extensive size and the speed at which they spread from the original source.  The ability to change direction unexpectedly and jump gaps, such as roads, rivers, and fire breaks, make wildfires that much more hazardous.  Wildfires generally do not involve properties; however, with extensive urbanization of wilderness, they can cause extensive destruction of homes and other property located in the wildland urban interface, which is the transitional zone between developed areas and undeveloped wilderness.  Ideal weather conditions – high temperatures and low relative humidity along with atmospheric instability and strong winds – create optimal conditions for an extreme wildfire.  Vegetative fuel loads are also important when determining fire behavior.  Unfortunately, this type of fuel load is abnormally high in a majority of the ecosystems prevalent in the Highlands County region due to wildfire suppression and the cessation of using prescribed fire as a management tool in many conservation areas in response to safety concerns.

Much of the countywide development in Highlands County is not fire resistant.  There are 29,008 structures within medium- to high-risk wildfire zones, 23,782 of which are residential structures.  Of the undeveloped land located in medium- to high-risk wildfire zones, half is designated for agriculture by the County; however, another 24.6% is slated for residential development and 19.5% is reserved for large multi-use developments.  Currently, there are no enforceable development regulations in the County to ensure that this future development in high-risk areas includes mitigation measures.

The increased vulnerability of the County to wildfire would be best addressed through strategic mitigation measures.  The countywide CWPP will help reduce the potential for injury or loss of life and/or impact to homes, businesses, or public infrastructure from wildfire in Highlands County and address mitigation through regulation, fuel maintenance, and public education.

Duiring the development of the Highlands County CWPP, a series of Risk Assessment Maps were created that show the County surface fuels and Wildland Fire Susceptibility Index (WFSI).  The WFSI models wildfire threat or the probability that a wildfire will occur based on historical fire occurance, weather, topography, and fuels.