Idaho Firewise Inc.

What Idaho Firewise Inc. does

Idaho Firewise, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (EIN 27-2535008) founded in 2017 and headquartered in Kooskia, Idaho, with an additional operations site in Boise at the College of Western Idaho Horticulture grounds adjacent to the Idaho Botanical Garden. The organization coordinates, supports, and promotes wildland fire education across Idaho's wildland-urban interface (WUI) communities, serving three primary constituencies: WUI residents and homeowners, Firewise USA-recognized communities, and green industry professionals. Its core programmatic offerings include the Idaho Firewise Demonstration Garden Network (the first firewise demonstration garden in Idaho), the Every Yard Counts professional certification course (delivered in partnership with Boise Fire Department and CWI Horticulture Technology), home evaluation services, and educational content libraries covering fire-resistant homes, fire-resistant landscapes, evacuation planning, fire prevention, and fire ecology and management.

The organization operates an event-driven, community-led go-to-market model with no commercial technology platform. All programs, workshops, certifications, and educational materials are provided free of charge to participants. Revenue is sourced from individual donations, grants from state and federal agencies (including BLM and Idaho Department of Lands), and corporate sponsorships. Distribution is multi-channel: direct community engagement by staff and project managers, demonstration garden tours, virtual Lunch n' Learn webinars, social media, partner channel distribution through fire departments and agencies statewide, and earned media coverage. Idaho Firewise maintains a strategic partner ecosystem spanning federal land management agencies (BLM, USDA Forest Service), state agencies (Idaho Department of Lands, Idaho Office of Emergency Services, Idaho Parks and Recreation), tribal forestry (Nez Perce Tribe), academic institutions (College of Western Idaho, University of Idaho Extension Forestry), fire service organizations (Boise Fire Department, Idaho Fire Chiefs Association), utilities (Idaho Power), and conservation organizations (Palouse Land Trust). Leadership transitioned in October 2025 with Mike Ward succeeding Ivy Dickinson as Executive Director, bringing U.S. Forest Service interagency fire management coordination experience to the role.

Name

Idaho Firewise Inc.

Legal name

Idaho Firewise, Inc.

Website

https://idahofirewise.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Idaho Firewise is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2017 that delivers statewide wildfire education across Idaho's wildland-urban interface, serving residents, Firewise USA communities, and green industry professionals through free demonstration gardens, community workshops, and the Every Yard Counts certification program.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wildfire Education and Community Preparedness

NAICS

Support Activities for Forestry (115310), Support Activities for Forestry (11531)

SIC

Forestry (800)

akta.pro primary industry

Integrated Forest Health & Fire Management Planning (AFAMAEAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Wildfire Fuel Reduction & Prescribed Burning (AFAMAAAF), Fire & Rescue Services (Fire Suppression, Rescue) (BPAIAGAB), Forestry, Land Use & REDD+ Programs (BPADALAF)

Keywords

• Wildfire education programs
• Firewise community outreach
• Defensible space training
• Wildland-urban interface safety
• Fire resistant landscaping

Headquarters

HQ city

Moscow

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations: Idaho Firewise accepts donations from individuals and organizations to support their wildfire education mission. The website includes a donate page for one-time or recurring contributions.
2. Grants and Funding: The organization administers grants to fire departments, communities, and organizations for educational projects. They also receive funding through state and federal programs for WUI risk reduction initiatives. Funding sources include Bureau of Land Management partnerships for media campaigns.
3. Sponsorships: The organization offers sponsorship opportunities for organizations wanting to support wildfire preparedness education.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Idaho Firewise is a nonprofit organization that coordinates, supports, and promotes statewide wildland fire education to help Idaho residents reduce loss from wildfire. Its core offerings include the Idaho Firewise Demonstration Gardens, the Every Yard Counts professional landscape certification course, support for the Firewise USA® community recognition program, on-site home evaluations, and structured educational programs on fire-resistant homes, fire-resistant landscapes, evacuation planning, fire prevention, and fire ecology and management. All programs are provided free of charge to participants and are funded through donations, sponsorships, and grants.

Product overview

Idaho Firewise is a nonprofit organization offering a portfolio of wildfire education and preparedness programs rather than a technology product platform. The core offerings center on the Idaho Firewise Demonstration Gardens (the first firewise demonstration garden in Idaho), the Firewise USA® Program for community recognition, and the Every Yard Counts professional certification course developed with Boise Fire Department and CWI Horticulture Technology. Supporting educational programs include home evaluations, fire resistant homes and landscapes education, evacuation planning resources, fire prevention programs, and fire ecology education. The organization also operates community engagement initiatives including garden open houses, preparedness fairs, and the Community Ambassador Partnership program. All offerings are non-technical, educational/community-service focused without any AI, API, or software product components.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Idaho Firewise Demonstration Gardens Physical demonstration gardens that educate Idaho residents about fire-resilient landscaping, defensible space, and firewise plant selection through hands-on exhibits and self-guided or group tours; the Boise garden serves as the anchor site of the network.
• Firewise USA® Program Support Statewide coordination and support for the national Firewise USA® recognition program, helping Idaho neighborhoods organize and take action to reduce wildfire risk through accepted principles and practices for wildfire preparedness and safety.
• Every Yard Counts Landscape Certification Course Professional certificate-of-completion course for green industry professionals covering fire science, home hardening best practices, firewise landscaping, and fire-adapted community practices; offered at the College of Western Idaho in partnership with Boise Fire Department and CWI Horticulture Technology.
• Home Evaluations Site assessments conducted by Idaho Firewise staff or local fire mitigation offices to help homeowners understand their wildfire exposure and identify vulnerabilities across roof, vents, siding, vegetation, and outdoor storage areas.
• Fire Resistant Homes Education Educational resources covering home hardening techniques, building materials for fire resistance, vent screening, deck and fence materials, and accessibility and signage requirements for wildfire preparedness.
• Fire Resistant Landscapes Education Programs covering landscape design principles, firewise plant materials, and landscape maintenance practices to reduce wildfire ignition risk around homes and properties.
• Evacuation Planning Resources Resources including guidance for evacuation during wildfire events, evacuating pets and large animals, procedures if trapped, and returning home safely after a wildfire.
• Fire Prevention Programs Education on burn safety, common causes of wildfires, and fire restriction information to help prevent wildfire ignitions.
• Fire Ecology & Management Education Resources covering wildfire ignition, behavior and effects, firefighting techniques, and fire management strategies and tactics.
• Community Ambassador Partnership Volunteer and community engagement initiative that empowers Idaho residents to become wildfire preparedness advocates within their communities.

Quantifiable outcome

• Six Firewise USA Communities and approximately 200 residents participated in single 2024 Wildfire Awareness Month kickoff event
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major, moderate and minor.

• Every Yard Counts Program Partners (Boise Fire Department, CWI Horticulture Technology)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 February 2024Joint program offering certificate of completion courses for green industry professionals covering fire science, home hardening, firewise landscaping, and fire-adapted community practices. Course offered approximately twice yearly.
• Palouse Land TrustmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Joint AmeriCorps partnership for community outreach and engagement. Collaborate on interpretive signs for community green spaces, volunteer events at Idler's Rest Nature Preserve, and mutual wildfire education and conservation efforts in north Idaho.
• Bureau of Land Management (BLM)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing partner supporting Idaho Firewise education programs. BLM and Idaho Firewise partnered on developing animated videos for wildfire prevention education and distributing 'Don't Dump Idaho' public service announcements. BLM provides technical guidance and fire management expertise.
• Idaho Department of LandscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState agency partner for fire management programs. Collaborates on fire restrictions information, burn permit education, and community preparedness efforts including fuel mitigation and chipping events.
• Boise Fire DepartmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey partner in Every Yard Counts professional certification program. Collaborates on garden events, open houses, and provides fire department expertise for community education.
• College of Western Idaho (CWI) Horticulture TechnologycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHosts the Idaho Firewise demonstration garden on CWI Horticulture grounds adjacent to Idaho Botanical Garden. Partnership enables professional certification courses and horticultural education.
• University of Idaho Extension ForestrycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner providing extension education and forestry expertise. Collaborates on fire ecology and management education and was a supporter of the Era of Megafires presentation tour.
• USDA Forest ServicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederal land management agency partner supporting wildfire education efforts and programs across Idaho's wildland-urban interface areas.
• Idaho Fire Chiefs AssociationmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorState association of fire chiefs that helps distribute wildfire preparedness information and programs to fire departments and communities throughout Idaho.
• Idaho Office of Emergency ServicesmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerState emergency management agency partner for coordinated wildfire preparedness and response education across Idaho communities.
• Idaho Parks and RecreationmoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerState parks partner for wildfire education at recreational areas and support for community events at state parks.
• Nez Perce Tribe Forestry & FiremoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerTribal forestry and fire management partner supporting wildfire education efforts within tribal lands and communities.
• Idaho PowermajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUtility company partner for wildfire preparedness events and education. Provides support for community events including hosting Preparedness Fairs and garden open houses.
• National Weather ServicemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederal weather agency partner providing fire weather forecasts, red flag warning information, and expert speakers for wildfire preparedness education events.
• Ada County Emergency ManagementmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCounty emergency management agency partner for community preparedness events and education about wildfire evacuation and emergency response.
• 811 DiglineminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUtility safety partner for community events, educating about safe digging practices to prevent utility line damage during fire season.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• National Fire Protection Association (NFPA): NFPA runs the national Firewise USA® recognition program that Idaho Firewise coordinates locally. Direct strategic linkage via shared program brand, training standards, and recognition awards; NFPA is the broad incumbent setting curriculum and policy that Idaho Firewise operationalizes at the state level.
• USDA Forest Service - Fire & Aviation Management: Federal agency partner of Idaho Firewise that shapes national fire management policy, fuels reduction, and WUI programs. Comparable as a producer of wildfire education content and funder of state-level mitigation work that Idaho Firewise delivers.
• Smokey Bear / Ad Council Wildfire Prevention Campaign: The national wildfire prevention public education campaign, partnered with the U.S. Forest Service and Ad Council. Overlaps with Idaho Firewise on prevention messaging and public awareness, at a much larger national scale.

Regional players

• Colorado State Forest Service: A state-level forestry agency that provides wildfire mitigation, forest management, and community education services analogous to Idaho Firewise but delivered as a state agency program in Colorado. Useful functional comparator for grant-funded wildfire education delivery.
• Oregon State University Extension Fire Program: Regional university extension delivering fire ecology, WUI preparedness, and fuels reduction programming — directly comparable to Idaho Firewise's role, but hosted inside a land-grant university and serving Oregon.

Direct peers

• University of Idaho Extension Forestry: Idaho Firewise's academic partner for fire ecology, extension education, and fire management programming. Comparable mission in delivering wildfire science and education to Idaho residents, with deeper technical/research capacity.
• Fire Adapted Communities Learning Network: A national peer network of community wildfire resilience organizations with overlapping mission, programming, and partner ecosystem to Idaho Firewise. Operates in similar WUI education, home hardening, and community preparedness spaces at a national convener level.
• California Fire Safe Council: A statewide nonprofit coordinating wildfire education, Firewise USA community support, fuel reduction grants, and homeowner preparedness — directly comparable to Idaho Firewise in mission, programs, and funder model, but operating in California.
• Firewise USA® Program: The national community recognition program that Idaho Firewise directly administers at the state level. Core overlap on community wildfire preparedness frameworks, evaluation standards, and educational content that Idaho Firewise delivers locally.

Emerging players

• Headwaters Economics: A research and policy nonprofit focused on wildfire risk, WUI development, and community resilience with strong overlap to Idaho Firewise's mission. Differs in being policy/research-led rather than community-program-led.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks2 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/idaho-firewise

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Idaho Firewise Inc.