Reality Check – Terminology

First, we need to rethink the way we look at wildfire risk. Let’s start with the terms we use in talking about fire protection.

• Prevention focuses on reducing the incidence of human-caused fires through public education, rules and regulations, and law enforcement.

• Mitigation work focuses on modifying the environment and human behavior to reduce potential adverse impacts from a natural hazard.

• Suppression of active fire is the least effective path toward community safety. Suppression must be considered the last resort.

Suppression is too late…Mitigation is the emergency!