Firewise Community
Enjoyable as it is living in a mountainous, wooded setting here at Saddle Ridge, this same setting is prone to wildfire on a scale that could pose a danger to our lives, our homes, and our possessions.
The Firewise USA program and the Tennessee Firewise Communities partnership provide simple, effective steps to help communities reduce the risk of destruction from wildfire. These include:
Consult this handy checklist if you’d like to conduct a self-assessment of how well your property is protected against wildfire. Or, contact us if you’d like assistance from a member of the Saddle Ridge Firewise committee in performing this voluntary assessment.
Be sure also to:
Saddle Ridge first became a Firewise USA community in Fall 2017, achieving re-certification in the program every year since then. It is one of 28 such communities in the state of Tennessee.
Below is an example of a house in Shag Bark that survived the 2022 Hatcher Mountain fire. The owner had cleared pine trees and debris from around the house. Shag Bark is about 11 miles east of Saddle Ridge. (Click on the pictures to see the impact of clearing flammable vegetation around your house.)
Enjoyable as it is living in a mountainous, wooded setting here at Saddle Ridge, this same setting is prone to wildfire on a scale that could pose a danger to our lives, our homes, and our possessions.
The Firewise USA program and the Tennessee Firewise Communities partnership provide simple, effective steps to help communities reduce the risk of destruction from wildfire. These include:
- Recommendations for fire-resistant home construction materials and practices
- Practical suggestions for reducing combustible vegetation near your home
- Tips for protecting your home and other structures from ignition by airborne embers from wildfires
- Ideas for developing an emergency evacuation plan for your family in the event of a wildfire. (See the available evacuation routes in the map below.)
Consult this handy checklist if you’d like to conduct a self-assessment of how well your property is protected against wildfire. Or, contact us if you’d like assistance from a member of the Saddle Ridge Firewise committee in performing this voluntary assessment.
Be sure also to:
- Post a blue house number sign on a metal post to identify your property for emergency responders. The signs are $25 from the Blount County Fire Protection District.
- Respond to the Saddle Ridge Firewise Activities survey. This questionnaire gives owners the opportunity to report your time and money spent on Firewise activities each year. Such information is required for our annual re-certification as a Firewise USA community.
- Attend Saddle Ridge Firewise clean-up days in the spring and fall. Removal of flammable vegetation and other fire mitigation measures figure prominently in the work undertaken on these days.
- Consult the 2026 Saddle Ridge Community Wildfire Protection Plan for further information about wildfire mitigation efforts underway in Saddle Ridge and their impact on you.
Saddle Ridge first became a Firewise USA community in Fall 2017, achieving re-certification in the program every year since then. It is one of 28 such communities in the state of Tennessee.
Below is an example of a house in Shag Bark that survived the 2022 Hatcher Mountain fire. The owner had cleared pine trees and debris from around the house. Shag Bark is about 11 miles east of Saddle Ridge. (Click on the pictures to see the impact of clearing flammable vegetation around your house.)
