Since 1986, the Team has overseen the activities of the interagency cooperative National Wildland/Urban Interface Fire Program, which included development of numerous videos and print publications directed at firefighters, homeowners and landscapers. In 1996 the program developed a project that became known as the Firewise Communities Program.  Activities in the early stages of this project included the launch of the Firewise home page (www.firewise.org), the organization of a group of national Firewise stakeholders, and the design, testing and delivery of a Firewise Communities Workshop series.

More than 3,000 individuals have participated in more than 30 national Firewise Communities workshops since the program began in 1999, including representatives from more than 1,080 communities in 47 states, Canada, Australia, and US Trust Territories. An estimated 7,000 individuals have participated in regional and local workshops. While the national series concluded in late 2003, the Firewise Communities program continues to support regional and local organizations interested in hosting Firewise workshops by supplying materials and facilitator training.

As a practical follow-up to the workshop series, the national Firewise Communities/USA recognition program was developed to facilitate local solutions to wildfire preparedness goals and to recognize communities for working together to protect residents and property from fire in the wildland/urban interface. To be recognized as a Firewise Communities/USA site, local communities must create and implement a local plan with cooperative assistance from state forestry agencies and local fire staff. In addition, communities are required to continue regular maintenance and education to retain recognition status.

At the end of 2004, state foresters from 39 states have assigned Firewise Communities Liaisons to implement the Firewise Communities/USA Recognition Program in their states. More than 90 communities in 26 states have received recognition to date.

The WUI Working Team has overseen the development of a number of informational materials in the past few years, including the Fighter Safety in the Wildland/Urban Interface Series – a multipart instructional package developed for community fire departments to address the problems faced by structural and wildland firefighters when fighting fires in the wildland/urban interface. Firewise Home Improvement, an video for homeowners, builders, and landscapers that documents and illustrates each stage of the landscaping and construction renovations in one home’s journey to become Firewise, won two national awards. In 2004, the program published American Perspectives on the Wildland/Urban Interface, a compendium of essays from individuals in a diverse array of disciplines, and released a new video for fire departments, Using Water Effectively in the Wildland/Urban Interface.

The Team sponsored the first National Wildland/Urban Interface Fire Education Conference in November 2004. It brought together nearly 500 community leaders, fire professionals, planners, and individuals from other disciplines to discuss wildland/urban interface fire issues and learn about effective mitigation techniques. It introduced interface, land use, and mitigation planning to new audiences, recognized outstanding community programs and accomplishments, and provided continuing education for already involved community leaders and fire professionals.

In 2004, the WUI Working Team members participated in a facilitated strategic planning process to develop guidelines for activity through 2009. The WUI Working Team strategic plan documents are available on this web page.