Alachua homeowners to be surveyed on fire risks

About 1,500 Alachua County homeowners will soon be getting a letter from a company hired to determine view wildfire risks.

The Alachua County Department of Public Safety and International Association of Fire Chiefs have contracted with Cornerstone Strategies, Inc. to conduct the study of residents' opinions and responses to the risk posed by wildfires. The Alachua County Department of Public Safety and International Association of Fire Chiefs are studying homeowner perceptions of wildfire protection.

In a news release about the survey, Chief Will May, Director of the Alachua County Department of Public Safety, said they survey will give his agency a better understanding of how residents view fire risk.

"This survey is an efficient way to involve many local residents in our efforts to develop public education programs that are both informative and effective." May said in the release.

U.S. Forest Service social scientist Sarah McCaffrey, an advisor on the project, said it is important for everyone who receives the survey to complete it.

"The more people who respond, the more accurately this survey will reflect the views of the whole community," McCaffrey said in the news release.

The 1,500 randomly selected homeowners should expect to spend 15 to 20 minutes completing the survey.