12. Emergency Preparedness - Fire-Prone Zones

Locate buildings out of fire-prone areas

Rationale: Locating facilities out of fire-prone zones and managing for potential fire risks decreases the immediate risk of mortality, injury, and PTSD from wildfires, and mitigates the longer-term risk of degraded indoor air quality from wildfires, which is linked to respiratory conditions such as bronchitis and can also aggravate existing chronic heart and lung disease.

For the most accurate strategy and documentation requirements, please refer to the digital scorecard made available on the Fitwel Platform.

Requirements

Demonstrate compliance with one of the options below:

Option 1 - Fire-Prone Areas (Full Credit):

To achieve full credit, demonstrate compliance with all the following requirements:

Multi-Tenant Whole Building (no on-site management), Multi-Tenant Whole Building (with on-site management)

1. Identify the wildfire likelihood, within the building(s) site.
2. Locate the building(s) outside of fire-prone areas*.

*USDA defines wildfire likelihood as the annual probability of wildfire burning in a specific location. The wildfire likelihood can be found at wildfirerisk.org/. Fitwel defines fire-prone areas as those identified as having a 90th percentile or higher for wildfire likelihood indicated by the USDA Forest Service Wildfire Likelihood Map.

Multi-Tenant Base Building

1. Identify the wildfire likelihood, within the building(s) site.
2. Locate the building(s) outside of fire-prone areas*.

*USDA defines wildfire likelihood as the annual probability of wildfire burning in a specific location. The wildfire likelihood can be found at wildfirerisk.org/. Fitwel defines fire-prone areas as those identified as having a 90th percentile or higher for wildfire likelihood indicated by the USDA Forest Service Wildfire Likelihood Map.

Single-Tenant

1. Identify the wildfire likelihood, within the building(s) site.
2. Locate the building(s) outside of fire-prone areas*.

*USDA defines wildfire likelihood as the annual probability of wildfire burning in a specific location. The wildfire likelihood can be found at wildfirerisk.org/. Fitwel defines fire-prone areas as those identified as having a 90th percentile or higher for wildfire likelihood indicated by the USDA Forest Service Wildfire Likelihood Map.

Option 2 - Fire-Risk Mitigation (Partial Credit):

The project may achieve partial credit if located in a fire-prone area by implementing fire-risk mitigation practices that meet the below requirements:

Multi-Tenant Whole Building (no on-site management), Multi-Tenant Whole Building (with on-site management)

1. Identify the wildfire likelihood, within the building(s) site.
2. Implement a minimum of two of the following qualifying fire-risk mitigation practices within the building(s) site:

• establish and implement a maintenance plan to ensure regular removal of combustible material such as dry leaves and grass from exteriors and roof gutters
• install class-A metal roofs
• cover vent openings with 1/8-inch mesh screening
• replace mulch with crushed stone or gravel instead in the immediate zone (0 to 5 feet around the building)
• ensure all siding material is fire-resistant, such as brick, fiber cement, plaster, stucco, or dual-pane tempered glass.

Wildfire likelihood may be defined using maps provided by third-party services or local or national jurisdictions such as the below:
- USDA: The wildfire likelihood can be found at wildfirerisk.org/. USDA idefines wildfire likelihood as the annual probability of wildfire burning in a specific location. Fitwel defines fire-prone areas as those identified as having a 90th percentile or higher for wildfire likelihood indicated by the USDA Forest Service Wildfire Likelihood Map.
- EU EFFIS Wildfire Risk Viewer: Fitwel defines fire-prone areas as those identified under the high risk classification

Multi-Tenant Base Building

1. Identify the wildfire likelihood, within the building(s) site.
2. Implement a minimum of two of the following qualifying fire-risk mitigation practices within the building(s) site:

• establish and implement a maintenance plan to ensure regular removal of combustible material such as dry leaves and grass from exteriors and roof gutters
• install class-A metal roofs
• cover vent openings with 1/8-inch mesh screening
• replace mulch with crushed stone or gravel instead in the immediate zone (0 to 5 feet around the building)
• ensure all siding material is fire-resistant, such as brick, fiber cement, plaster, stucco, or dual-pane tempered glass.

Wildfire likelihood may be defined using maps provided by third-party services or local or national jurisdictions such as the below:
- USDA: The wildfire likelihood can be found at wildfirerisk.org/. USDA idefines wildfire likelihood as the annual probability of wildfire burning in a specific location. Fitwel defines fire-prone areas as those identified as having a 90th percentile or higher for wildfire likelihood indicated by the USDA Forest Service Wildfire Likelihood Map.
- EU EFFIS Wildfire Risk Viewer: Fitwel defines fire-prone areas as those identified under the high risk classification

Single Tenant

1. Identify the wildfire likelihood, within the building(s) site.
2. Implement a minimum of two of the following qualifying fire-risk mitigation practices within the building(s) site:

• establish and implement a maintenance plan to ensure regular removal of combustible material such as dry leaves and grass from exteriors and roof gutters
• install class-A metal roofs
• cover vent openings with 1/8-inch mesh screening
• replace mulch with crushed stone or gravel instead in the immediate zone (0 to 5 feet around the building)
• ensure all siding material is fire-resistant, such as brick, fiber cement, plaster, stucco, or dual-pane tempered glass.

Wildfire likelihood may be defined using maps provided by third-party services or local or national jurisdictions such as the below:
- USDA: The wildfire likelihood can be found at wildfirerisk.org/. USDA idefines wildfire likelihood as the annual probability of wildfire burning in a specific location. Fitwel defines fire-prone areas as those identified as having a 90th percentile or higher for wildfire likelihood indicated by the USDA Forest Service Wildfire Likelihood Map.
- EU EFFIS Wildfire Risk Viewer: Fitwel defines fire-prone areas as those identified under the high risk classification

Compliance Documentation

Design Pathway

Option 1 

MTWB, MTWB+

• Upload an annotated site plan or map identifying the fire risk of the building(s) site
• Upload an annotated site plan or map identifying the planned location of the building(s)

MTBB

• Upload an annotated site plan or map identifying the fire risk of the building(s) site
• Upload an annotated site plan or map identifying the planned location of the building(s)

ST

• Upload an annotated site plan or map identifying the fire risk of the building(s) site
• Upload an annotated site plan or map identifying the planned location of the building(s)

Option 2 

MTWB, MTWB+

• Upload an annotated site plan or map identifying the fire risk of the building(s) site
• Checkbox to certify that the below fire-risk mitigation practices will be implemented:
  • establish and implement a maintenance plan to ensure regular removal of combustible material such as dry leaves and grass from exteriors and roof gutters
  • install class-A metal roofs
  • cover vent openings with 1/8-inch mesh screening
  • replace mulch with crushed stone or gravel instead in the immediate zone (0 to 5 feet around the building)
  • ensure all siding material is fire-resistant, such as brick, fiber cement, plaster, stucco, or dual-pane tempered glass.
• Upload an annotated design drawing(s) or product specification sheet(s) of each unique planned fire-risk mitigation practices that will be implemented within the building(s) site.
• Upload annotated design drawings or plans showing the location of each unique planned fire-risk mitigation practices that will be implemented within the building(s) site.

MTBB

• Upload an annotated site plan or map identifying the fire risk of the building(s) site
• Checkbox to certify that the below fire-risk mitigation practices will be implemented:
  • establish and implement a maintenance plan to ensure regular removal of combustible material such as dry leaves and grass from exteriors and roof gutters
  • install class-A metal roofs
  • cover vent openings with 1/8-inch mesh screening
  • replace mulch with crushed stone or gravel instead in the immediate zone (0 to 5 feet around the building)
  • ensure all siding material is fire-resistant, such as brick, fiber cement, plaster, stucco, or dual-pane tempered glass.
• Upload an annotated design drawing(s) or product specification sheet(s) of each unique planned fire-risk mitigation practices that will be implemented within the building(s) site.
• Upload annotated design drawings or plans showing the location of each unique planned fire-risk mitigation practices that will be implemented within the building(s) site.

ST

• Upload an annotated site plan or map identifying the fire risk of the building(s) site
• Checkbox to certify that the below fire-risk mitigation practices will be implemented:
  • establish and implement a maintenance plan to ensure regular removal of combustible material such as dry leaves and grass from exteriors and roof gutters
  • install class-A metal roofs
  • cover vent openings with 1/8-inch mesh screening
  • replace mulch with crushed stone or gravel instead in the immediate zone (0 to 5 feet around the building)
  • ensure all siding material is fire-resistant, such as brick, fiber cement, plaster, stucco, or dual-pane tempered glass.
• Upload an annotated design drawing(s) or product specification sheet(s) of each unique planned fire-risk mitigation practices that will be implemented within the building(s) site.
• Upload annotated design drawings or plans showing the location of each unique planned fire-risk mitigation practices that will be implemented within the building(s) site.

Built Pathway

Option 1 

MTWB, MTWB+

• Upload an annotated site plan or map identifying the fire risk of the building(s) site
• Upload an annotated site plan or map identifying the location of the building(s)

MTBB

• Upload an annotated site plan or map identifying the fire risk of the building(s) site
• Upload an annotated site plan or map identifying the location of the building(s)

ST

• Upload an annotated site plan or map identifying the fire risk of the building(s) site
• Upload an annotated site plan or map identifying the location of the building(s)

Option 2 

MTWB, MTWB+

• Upload an annotated site plan or map identifying the fire risk of the building site
• Checkbox to certify that the below fire-risk mitigation practices are implemented:
  • establish and implement a maintenance plan to ensure regular removal of combustible material such as dry leaves and grass from exteriors and roof gutters
  • install class-A metal roofs
  • cover vent openings with 1/8-inch mesh screening
  • replace mulch with crushed stone or gravel instead in the immediate zone (0 to 5 feet around the building)
  • ensure all siding material is fire-resistant, such as brick, fiber cement, plaster, stucco, or dual-pane tempered glass.
• Upload an annotated photograph(s) or product specification sheet of each unique fire-risk mitigation practices implemented within the building(s) site.
• Upload an annotated plan(s) showing the location of each unique fire-risk mitigation practice implemented within the building(s) site.

MTBB

• Upload an annotated site plan or map identifying the fire risk of the building site
• Checkbox to certify that the below fire-risk mitigation practices are implemented:
  • establish and implement a maintenance plan to ensure regular removal of combustible material such as dry leaves and grass from exteriors and roof gutters
  • install class-A metal roofs
  • cover vent openings with 1/8-inch mesh screening
  • replace mulch with crushed stone or gravel instead in the immediate zone (0 to 5 feet around the building)
  • ensure all siding material is fire-resistant, such as brick, fiber cement, plaster, stucco, or dual-pane tempered glass.
• Upload an annotated photograph(s) or product specification sheet of each unique fire-risk mitigation practices implemented within the building(s) site.
• Upload an annotated plan(s) showing the location of each unique fire-risk mitigation practice implemented within the building(s) site.

ST

• Upload an annotated site plan or map identifying the fire risk of the building site
• Checkbox to certify that the below fire-risk mitigation practices are implemented:
  • establish and implement a maintenance plan to ensure regular removal of combustible material such as dry leaves and grass from exteriors and roof gutters
  • install class-A metal roofs
  • cover vent openings with 1/8-inch mesh screening
  • replace mulch with crushed stone or gravel instead in the immediate zone (0 to 5 feet around the building)
  • ensure all siding material is fire-resistant, such as brick, fiber cement, plaster, stucco, or dual-pane tempered glass.
• Upload an annotated photograph(s) or product specification sheet of each unique fire-risk mitigation practices implemented within the building(s) site.
• Upload an annotated plan(s) showing the location of each unique fire-risk mitigation practice implemented within the building(s) site.