2023 SAG Award Winners

City of Ashland

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Project Goal

The City of Ashland Fire Department’s Wildfire Division is tasked with identifying and mitigating wildfire risk in and around Ashland and its municipal watershed. The team used GIS to better understand landscape and built environments, highlight regions in the city with elevated risk, and put together programs in support of specific actions that mitigate wildfire potential. Please see ESRI blog for a detailed story on our work:
https://www.esri.com/about/newsroom/blog/maps-guide-ashland-home-hardening/
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Learn more about our application: Site 1 | Site 2

Business Problem Solved

Using GIS modeling, staff were able synthesize fire risk on a per-parcel scale based on a variety of environmental factors related to slope, aspect, vegetation, proximity to other structures, and exposure to wildland fuels. Individual home risk scores were calculated and disseminated to homeowners via a web portal, which details parcel-specific hazards and how to mitigate them. GIS staff have since deployed a webapp that trained volunteers are using to talk with homeowners about actions they can take to further mitigate their risk. Outreach is ongoing.

Technology Implemented

ESRI ArcGIS Spatial analyst, hazard tracking, vegetation modeling, ESRI partner Intterra, Survey123, ESRI ArcGIS Pro, ESRI ArcGIS Online webmaps, ESRI Storymaps

Development Team Biography

Chris Chambers, Wildfire Division Chief
Rickey Fite, GIS Analyst
Brian Hendrix, Fire Adapted Communities Coordinator
Jason Wegner, GISP, Director of Innovation and Technology.
Lea Richards, GISP, GIS Manager