Boise Fire Department testing new wildfire risk reduction app

The Valley Fire burns in the Boise foothills on Oct. 4 in this file photo taken from Southeast Boise. (Courtesy of Robbie Johnson/Idaho Department of Lands)

Officials with the Boise Fire Department are asking local residents for help testing a free new app that fire officials hope can help reduce the risk of homes being damaged by wildfires.

Boise Fire partnered with Janus Research Group, the Western Fire Chiefs Association, Team DSGN and the National Alliance for Public Safety GIS Foundation to launch the Boise wildfire mitigation app , according to a news release from the Boise Fire Department.

The app uses artificial intelligence to develop recommendations to help create wildfire resistant homes. Boise Fire officials said this could be particularly valuable for residents who live in the wildland urban interface, where human development meets wild undeveloped land – such as the Boise foothills.

The beta phase of the app is available through Nov. 30, and Boise Fire officials would like the public to help test the app and share feedback.

"Creating a survivable space is an essential wildfire mitigation tool that creates a buffer between your property and the vegetation that surrounds it. These mitigation efforts not only help to slow the spread of wildfires, but also protect the firefighters defending your home," Boise Fire Chief Mark Niemeyer said in a written statement. "A fire cannot spread without a fuel source. This app aims to assist homeowners in eliminating those fuel sources around their homes and educating them about proper landscaping and fire-resistant plants and materials."

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The app uses photos of a resident's home and AI to develop recommendations to reduce fire risk, such as placing a spark arrestor on a chimney, clearing debris away from the home or porch, removing leaves and debris from roofs, or removing overhanging tree branches.

"We are dedicated to ensuring that communities in Ada County's (wildland urban interface), and beyond, remain safe places to live," Niemeyer said. "Our goal is to make this app a valuable resource for residents to help reduce wildfire risks in our community. To achieve this, we need your assistance – please sign up and help test the app."

Residents can sign up to test the app online at bit.ly/arsur

Users of the app will be asked if they would like to participate in a research study about wildfire preparedness and complete a survey. The app indicates the survey could take 30 minutes to two hours to complete and is not required to use the app.

Fueled by a hot dry summer, 2024 was one of the most active and intense wildfire seasons in a decade in Idaho. According to the Idaho Department of Lands, 954,967 total acres had burned in Idaho, through Oct. 15.

For comparison, just 86,942 total acres burned in Idaho by Oct. 10, 2023 – essentially the same time period in the previous year. In 2024, one large wildfire – the Wapiti Fire – burned more total acres (129,000-plus acres) than all of the fires in Idaho combined in 2023 (86,942 acres).