While we lack the immense stretches of land, what we do have is numerous homes intermixed with forested areas and grassland, known as Wildland Urban Interface.

Monday night Chief Renshaw was kind enough to present on data collected that represents a real risk throughout our region.
Over a decade of drought damage coupled with insect infections and storm damage have left our forest in need of repair, with dead or dying fuels building to pre-settlement levels.
Damage mapping with overlays showing the expansion of residential and commercial building provide a clear picture into the need to prepare for more of the events in the region that we witnessed last fall.
The latter half of the presention was spent discussing structure protection tactics and strategies employed by the wildland fire service.
With more active wildfire seasons seemingly imminent there is a real need for the fire service in the Northeast to embrace training, equipment, and PPE more common to wildland firefighting.

Chief Renshaw is a 26 year wildland firefighter, CT Interstate Fire Crew Member, and Chief of the Uconn Fire Department.
Chief Renshaw acted as the Operations Supervisor during the inital days of the Hawthorne Fire last october and was an incredible resource in the command structure.

Being prepared as a fire service, embracing forest management and prescribed burns both on public and private land, and public education that encourages property owners to engage in fire safe practices ensures our communities a better level of lasting protection.

Many thanks Chief, great presention!🔥🫡