GIS and Wildfire ManagementDNR / Wood County Partnership

Wisconsin Land Information AssociationFall Regional Meeting

October 20, 2009 – Eau Claire, Wisconsin

Preparing for Emergency Response

• The period from 1976 to 1980 saw some of the most destructive fires in recent Wisconsin history

Saratoga Fire (1976)—90 structures lost

Oak Lake Fire (1980)--159 structures lost

Incorporating GIS Technology into Wildland Fire Management in Wisconsin

• The concept of structural “zones” and the creation of “zone maps” grew out of the need to address the lessons learned in these disasters

• The first zone maps were hand-drawn on DOT maps and tediously colorized.

• The development of GIS technology provided a tool to vastly improve the quality and usability of these maps

Incorporating GIS Technology into Wildland Fire Management in Wisconsin

The creation of these zone map atlases requires close cooperation and data sharing between DNR and

County Governments

DNR wildland fire staff worked together with Wood County Planning and Zoning and Emergency

Management staff to create an “Emergency Response Atlas” for the County

The creation of these zone map atlases requires close cooperation and data sharing between DNR and

County Governments

DNR wildland fire staff worked together with Wood County Planning and Zoning and Emergency

Management staff to create an “Emergency Response Atlas” for the County

The Atlas was completed in April, 2007, and distributed to police, LE, and fire agencies in the County

The Atlas was a Finalist for the 2008 Engineering Excellence Award from the Wisconsin Chapter of the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC)

Working together on the Atlas projects has led to County GIS staff participation in DNR Wildland Fire Incident

Management Teams throughout the State

Working together on the Atlas projects has led to County GIS staff participation in DNR Wildland Fire Incident

Management Teams throughout the State

Atlas Uses and IMT Responses

Wildland FireIncident Response

Training

Tornadoes

Flood Response

An “Up-to-the-Minute” Example of DNR/County GIS Cooperation

Using the 1994 level of data availability yields a

very general map

The data shared by the Counties this fall has

yielded a far more accurate representation of the level of development across the

state

Questions?