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What is FireSmart and what is its purpose?
FireSmart Kootenai County is a proactive program of the Kootenai County Local Emergency
Planning Committee (LEPC). Funded in part by the Kootenai County Office of Emergency
Management, the Idaho Bureau of Disaster Services, Bureau of Land Management, and Idaho
Department of Lands, using National Fire Plan funding. Its purpose is to:
- Increase awareness of the risk of wildfire in the wildland urban interface areas of Kootenai County.
- Help homeowners learn how to protect their homes / businesses by creating a survivable space (see pictures below). This includes two activities:
- Where appropriate, provide a one-time service to reduce dangerous fuels from around homes, and
- Educate homeowners on to the things they can do in addition to fuel reduction to protect their home from wildfires now and in the future.
How do I know if my property qualifies?
Property within the forested wildland urban interface may qualify.
What do I have to do to participate in the program?
Call the FireSmart office (772-6704) and ask for a Request To Participate form. After this has been
completed and returned to the FireSmart office, an appointment will be set to visit your home and
develop a fuel reduction work plan. During the visit we will evaluate your property and make recommendations
on what can be done to create a survivable space around your home. Most likely this
will include both things you can do yourself such as cleaning pine needles from rain gutters and
placing screens around low decks and a plan developed specifically for your site to reduce dangerous
fuels within approximately 100 feet of your home, which the FireSmart program funds.
Who does the work and how do I know they are qualified?
All plans are reviewed and approved by the FireSmart project manager, Larry Isenberg. Mr.
Isenberg has over 33 years experience in forestry and fire management in North Idaho and is wellknown
for his attention to detail and care for the land he manages. All FireSmart contractors carry
the required insurance. Once the plan has been approved by both Larry and the homeowner and a
fair market price to do the work has been established the homeowner has three options for
completing the work, as outlined below:
- We contract with one of the FireSmart contractors to do the work (we pay them);
- The homeowner hires their o wn contractor to do the work (we reimburse the homeowner for the approved amount);
- The homeowner does the work and is paid the approved amount.
Payment will be made after an on-site evaluation has been conducted and FireSmart assures the
work has been completed as outlined in the plan.
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