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.
