Greenville County Emergency Management and Forestry Commission Partner for Wildfire Preparedness Workshop

As dry autumn conditions settle across the Upstate and the region heads toward winter fire season, Greenville County Emergency Management and the South Carolina Forestry Commission are teaming up to help local property owners protect their homes and neighborhoods from wildfire threats.

The joint informational workshop, titled “Make Your Home Safer from Wildfire,” will take place on Tuesday, November 17, 2026, at 6:00 p.m. at the Greenville County Emergency Management offices, located at 225 S. Pleasantburg Drive in Greenville. The meeting space is situated on the far side of McAlister Square, adjacent to Publix and Truist Bank.

The session is open to the public and specifically geared toward homeowners, renters, neighborhood groups, and Homeowners Association (HOA) board leaders seeking actionable strategies to safeguard residential communities.

Understanding the “Home Ignition Zone”

Wildfires in the Southeast frequently spread not through walls of towering flames, but via wind-driven embers that travel miles ahead of a fire front, igniting dry pine straw, gutter debris, or combustible landscaping abutting residential structures.

Officials from the South Carolina Forestry Commission and county emergency personnel will instruct attendees on the national Firewise USA principles, highlighting how simple property modifications can dramatically reduce structure loss:

• Creating Defensible Space: Practical methods to establish 0-to-5-foot non-combustible zones immediately around home perimeters, including substituting stone or hardwood mulch for flammable pine needles.

• Hardening Structures: Identifying vulnerable ignition points, such as open soffit vents, unscreened roof eaves, and dry leaf litter trapped in gutters or under wooden decks.

• Neighborhood-Scale Defense: How coordinated action across property lines, common open spaces, and subdivision buffer zones lowers the fire risk for an entire subdivision.

Event Details & Attendance

• What: Make Your Home Safer from Wildfires and Other Disasters Community Workshop

• When: Tuesday, November 17, 2026, at 6:00 p.m.

• Where: Greenville County Emergency Management, 225 S. Pleasantburg Dr., Greenville, SC (McAlister Square)

• Target Audience: Homeowners, renters, HOA board members, and community leaders

• Admission: Free and open to the public; attendees can find additional details and registration through Greenville County Emergency Management at gceoc.com.