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Wildfire Prevention Program

The Cherokee Nation Wildfire Prevention Program is the tribe’s public outreach team. Prevention encompasses all aspects of mitigating wildfires on the tribe’s lands by developing or assisting in the development and implementation of Wildfire Prevention Plans, tracking and reporting accomplishments. The prevention program monitors fire danger, fire occurrence, and cause trends.

The Cherokee Nation Wildfire Prevention team requests assistance for large events or surges in human-caused wildfires and identifies "teachable moments" by delivering appropriate prevention messages.

In addition, the prevention program personnel conduct wildfire origin and cause investigations and coordinate large-scale investigations. Investigating fires allows the team to collect important information about the cause and origins of fires on our lands. This data helps the tribe target public education to prevent and reduce common wildfire causes.

Services include:

• Community Wildfire Protection Plans
• Provides homeowners with education on how to protect homes in the event of wildfires
• Arranges Smokey the Bear visits to schools
• Creates and administers adult fire education programs
• Assists with training courses for firefighters and cooperating agencies
• Provides fire safety awareness to citizens and neighbors through public outreach