Grant will address Cape Cod wildfire risk

2016 brush fire in Truro.

SOUTH YARMOUTH – A new federal grant will help to update Cape Cod’s Community Wildfire Preparedness Plan.

The Cape Cod Cooperative Extension says the update will provide the Cape’s 15 towns with new wildfire risk maps, town-specific strategies, and an online hub of resources designed to keep forests healthy and communities safe.

The Extension says Cape Cod’s pitch pine barrens and scrub oak landscapes are naturally fire-prone, and more than 100,000 acres of open space lie where forests and neighborhoods meet.

The last wildfire preparedness plan was completed in 2012. Since then, drought conditions, brush buildup, and new development have increased wildfire risks across the region. The Extension says in 2022 alone, Cape Cod experienced over 100 wildfires.

“Cape Cod’s forests are some of the most fire-prone in the state,” said Dave Celino, Chief Fire Warden for the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation . “This grant will give firefighters and communities the most current science and strategies to help reduce risk. DCR is proud to partner with Barnstable County, the Cape Cod towns, and the U.S. Forest Service on this important work.”

The updated plan will pay special attention to wildfire-prone areas like the pine barrens of Truro and Wellfleet, the wooded fire corridors of Eastham and Provincetown, and densely settled zones in Bourne, Sandwich, and Harwich Port. It will also address wildfire risk in key federal lands, including Monomoy and Mashpee National Wildlife Refuges and Joint Base Cape Cod, where natural landscapes and infrastructure face increasing fire challenges.

The Community Wildfire Defense Grant totaling over $143,000 from the U.S. Forest Service will help fund a website for the public to access maps, tips, and wildfire resources.