Within the past decade Florida has become the nation’s 4th most populous state, primarily through the continuing migration of new residents who are attracted by the climate and living conditions. Existing communities are bulging and new communities are developing rapidly in many areas, particularly along the coast lines. Along the east coast this has created long narrow band of developed communities, with wooded rural areas to the west and the Atlantic Ocean to the east.
The fire problem in Florida has become much more difficult to manage as this rapid development has occurred in areas that were previously very rural. Many new communities have been carved out of the state’s abundant forests, creating hundreds ofsquare miles of urban-wildland interface zones. It is not unusual for homes in these communities to be surrounded by trees and thick underbrush to within a few feet of the structures. Large developments have been built within heavily wooded areas where the homes and other structures are almost completely surrounded by natural vegetation. Many of these developments have no hydrants or public water systems that can be used for fire suppression.
It is also common in the more rural areas of Florida for individual structures to be built in small clearings, accessible only by single lane roads cut through the woods. Since the fire risk is relatively low in most years, the vulnerability of these structures is often overlooked. When the woods are dried out, the risk level in these areas is extremely high.
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