COMMUNITY WILDFIRE PLANNING CENTER

What COMMUNITY WILDFIRE PLANNING CENTER does

Community Wildfire Planning Center (CWPC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2017 that helps communities in the wildland-urban interface (WUI) reduce wildfire risk through improved land use planning, building, and development practices. The organization serves three primary customer segments: government planning professionals (land use planners, fire marshals, fire chiefs, fire mitigation specialists, building officials), state and local government agencies seeking technical planning assistance, and property owners in fire-prone regions. Active across California, Colorado, Washington, and Oregon, CWPC delivers its impact through a portfolio of interconnected products and services.

The core technology stack includes the Land Use Planning Evaluation Tool (LUPETool), a web-based self-assessment platform that scores communities on WUI identification, hazard mapping, comprehensive plan policies, and regulatory development; the WUI Planning Hub, a curated resource library with an interactive state-by-state map; and REALFire, a property assessment program backed by a proprietary database, mobile application, and data collection/management infrastructure that has been extended into a Wildfire Prepared sub-brand. The organization also operates free, all-day in-person professional training programs (Land Use Planning for Wildfires) co-sponsored with CAL FIRE in California and now piloted in Washington, alongside fee-for-service technical assistance and research publications.

CWPC's revenue model is hybrid: training delivery is offered free to participants and underwritten by foundation and government grants (Argosy Foundation, Resources Legacy Fund's Wildfire Strategies program, California Climate Investments via CAL FIRE), while customized technical assistance to local governments (WUI planning assistance, regulatory reviews, planning document development) is delivered on a fee-for-service basis. The organization is governed by a board of directors and led by Executive Director Molly Mowery (AICP, MIT-trained, pioneer in WUI planning) and Operations Director Kelly Johnston (Registered Professional Forester, 34+ years of wildfire management). Strategic positioning is reinforced by the 2025 American Planning Association National Planning Award for Resiliency & Sustainability, co-development of authoritative guidance documents (WUI Planning Guide for California OPR, defensible space ordinance guidance), and participation in ULI advisory panels and APA governance.

Name

COMMUNITY WILDFIRE PLANNING CENTER

Legal name

Community Wildfire Planning Center

Website

https://communitywildfire.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Community Wildfire Planning Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, founded in 2017, that helps communities reduce wildfire risk through land use planning via its LUPETool assessment platform, WUI Planning Hub, REALFire property assessment technology, and free training programs serving government agencies, planning professionals, and property owners in California, Colorado, Washington, and Oregon.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wildfire Planning and Land Use Advisory Services

NAICS

Support Activities for Forestry (11531), Support Activities for Forestry (115310), Support Activities for Forestry (1153), Administration of Conservation Programs (92412), Administration of Conservation Programs (924120), Administration of Environmental Quality Programs (924), Fire Protection (92216), Administration of Housing Programs, Urban Planning, and Community Development (925), Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312)

SIC

Forestry (800)

akta.pro primary industry

Wildfire Risk Assessment, Prevention & Suppression Services (IMAMAJAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Fire Prevention, Inspection & Code Enforcement (Life Safety) (BPAIAGAL), Planning, Zoning, Permitting & Code Enforcement (BPAIACAE)

Keywords

• Wildland-urban interface planning
• Land use planning services
• Wildfire risk assessment
• Property ignition zone evaluation
• Community wildfire resilience

Headquarters

HQ city

Denver

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Grants and Contributions: CWPC is funded through a combination of grants and contributions from foundations and government programs. Notable funders include the Argosy Foundation, Resources Legacy Fund, and California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection as part of the California Climate Investments Program.
2. Fee-for-Service Technical Assistance: CWPC provides fee-for-service technical assistance to communities including WUI planning assistance, regulatory reviews, and planning document development.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

CWPC is a non-profit that helps communities reduce wildfire risk through land use planning, training, and property assessment. It delivers free in-person professional training on wildfire land use planning, provides fee-for-service technical assistance and regulatory review to state and local government agencies, and operates online planning tools (LUPETool, WUI Planning Hub) and the REALFire property assessment program to support both policy-level planning and individual property actions.

Product overview

The Community Wildfire Planning Center (CWPC) offers a portfolio of interconnected products and services focused on helping communities reduce wildfire risk through improved land use planning. The core offerings include the Land Use Planning Evaluation Tool (an online self-assessment platform), the WUI Planning Hub (a comprehensive resource library with interactive mapping), and REALFire (a technology-powered property assessment program with mobile application capabilities). CWPC also delivers professional training programs (Land Use Planning for Wildfires Training), provides technical assistance services, and produces research publications. The products work together to provide communities with assessment tools, educational resources, and hands-on planning support for wildfire risk reduction.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• REALFire: A property assessment program based on home ignition zone science that empowers residents to take direct action on their properties. Implemented in Eagle County, Colorado through the Eagle County Sustainability Communities Department.

Products and services

• Land Use Planning Evaluation Tool (LUPETool) An online planning tool that allows communities to assess whether they are effectively integrating wildfire into the local land use planning process. The tool evaluates WUI identification, hazard mapping, comprehensive plan policies, CWPP integration, regulatory development, and community engagement dimensions for land use planners, fire mitigation specialists, and other practitioners.
• WUI Planning Hub A comprehensive online resource hub providing national and state WUI planning resources, planning tools, and community guidance for land use planners, fire mitigation specialists, and other practitioners engaged in wildland-urban interface planning activities. Includes an interactive map of state and national WUI planning resources.
• REALFire Property Assessment Program A signature property assessment program based on home ignition zone science that empowers residents to take direct action on their properties. CWPC developed the technology powering the program, including the database, mobile application, and data collection and management tools. Implemented in Eagle County through the Eagle County Sustainability Communities Department with support from the Vail Board of REALTORS.
• Wildfire Prepared A property assessment program powered by REALFire technology, implemented in regions of Jefferson County, Colorado by the Elk Creek Fire Protection District and Inter-Canyon Fire Department.
• Land Use Planning for Wildfires Training Program Free, all-day, in-person professional training sessions for land use planners, fire marshals, fire chiefs, fire mitigation specialists, building officials, and other professionals, covering wildfire planning concepts, state minimum requirements, resources, and best practices for reducing risk in the wildland-urban interface. Approved for AICP Certification Maintenance credits.
• Technical Assistance Services Customized planning assistance helping communities understand wildfire risk and leverage planning-related tools, requirements, and resources to address pre- and post-fire impacts. Includes WUI planning assistance, regulatory review, and identification of policy and regulatory opportunities.
• Research and Planning Resources Research publications, guidance documents, and planning resources focused on land use planning tools to reduce wildfire impacts and post-fire recovery, including reports such as the Land Use Planning Approaches in the Wildland-Urban Interface report analyzing California, Colorado, Montana, and Washington.

Quantifiable outcome

• Land Use Planning for Wildfires training program has been delivered to hundreds of planning and fire professionals across California and Washington
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• CAL FIRE / Office of the State Fire MarshalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 January 2023Partnership with CAL FIRE to develop and deliver Land Use Planning for Wildfires training program in California. Trainings are funded by California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection as part of California Climate Investments Program. CWPC works with CAL FIRE's Land Use Planning Program staff including Matt Damon, Shane Vargas, Kevin Merkh, and Bryan Carter as instructors.
• American Planning Association (APA) / APA California ChaptercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAPA co-sponsors the Land Use Planning for Wildfires training program and provides AICP Certification Maintenance (CM) credits for attending planners. APA recognized the training program with the 2025 National Planning Award for Resiliency & Sustainability.
• Eagle County / Vail Board of REALTORScoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to implement the REALFire property assessment program in Eagle County, Colorado through the Eagle County Sustainability Communities Department.
• Washington State Organizations (WA DNR, WA APA, WRCD, WA Commerce)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partnerships with Washington Department of Natural Resources, Washington APA Chapter, Washington Resource Conservation and Development Council, and Washington State Department of Commerce to deliver pilot Land Use Planning for Wildfires trainings.
• Urban Land Institute (ULI)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCWPC participated in ULI's Urban Resilience Program Advisory Services Panel for the Marshall Fire Recovery, contributing expertise on wildland-urban interface planning for the recovery of Superior and Louisville, Colorado communities.
• The Nature Conservancy / University of California Cooperative ExtensionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-hosted a series of four virtual wildfire convenings in California, bringing together land managers, urban planners, fire professionals, and researchers to explore innovative land use planning approaches.
• FireSmart CanadaminorOthersCWPC staff have connections to FireSmart Canada through previous work experience; the organization co-developed FireSmart Home Partners program which parallels the REALFire program.
• USDA Forest ServicemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborating with USDA Forest Service, Portland State University, and other research organizations on the Fueling Adaptation project examining federal investments through the Wildfire Crisis Strategy in ten initial WCS landscapes, funded through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
• Sustainable Development Code / Albany Law SchoolminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration to develop guidance for adopting defensible space ordinances, published as part of the Sustainable Development Code with funding support from Argosy Foundation.
• California Governor's Office of Planning and Research (OPR)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCWPC developed the Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) Planning Guide for OPR in partnership with CAL FIRE, funded by California Climate Investments. The guide complements OPR's Fire Hazard Planning Technical Advisory.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• FireSmart Canada: FireSmart Canada runs the national Home Ignition Zone program (FireSmart Home Partners) that REALFire parallels in the U.S. Both organizations deliver property-level wildfire assessments, training, and community programs targeting homeowners and local governments — making them direct transborder counterparts.
• Headwaters Economics: Headwaters Economics produces widely cited research, data tools, and policy guidance on WUI development, fire economics, and community resilience. It is a fellow nonprofit working at the intersection of land-use planning data and wildfire policy, serving overlapping government and planning audiences.
• California Fire Safe Council: California Fire Safe Council coordinates California's 250+ Fire Safe Councils and delivers CWPP and community wildfire preparedness programs state-wide. It is a direct functional peer for grassroots community wildfire education and CWPP implementation in California.

Broad incumbents

• Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS): IBHS operates the Wildfire Prepared and IBHS Wildfire Defense program, conducts building-science research, and certifies communities (Wildfire Prepared designation). It overlaps directly with REALFire's homeowner assessment and WUI community planning offerings, though at much larger scale.
• National Fire Protection Association (NFPA): NFPA publishes the foundational NFPA 1141/1144 standards for wildland fire protection and trains fire marshals and building officials on WUI codes. CWPC's training program complements NFPA standards, and Kelly Johnston serves on NFPA committees — making NFPA a broader-incumbent in the same education-and-standards space.
• The Nature Conservancy (TNC) Wildfire Program: TNC's wildfire program works on forest and community resilience, including collaborative prescribed fire and WUI work in California and the West. CWPC partners with TNC on convenings and adjacent program areas — TNC is a broader-incumbent in landscape-scale wildfire mitigation.

Others

• Wildfire Planning International: Founded by Molly Mowery (CWPC's Executive Director), Wildfire Planning International provides consulting and FEMA WUI course delivery internationally. It is an adjacent practitioner firm sharing leadership with CWPC.

Emerging players

• International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC): IAFC trains fire chiefs on community risk reduction and WUI through the Fire-Adapted Communities initiative. It complements CWPC's training-of-officials work and competes for the same fire-marshal and chief audience, but is broader (all-hazards).
• Pyrologix (now part of Anchor QEA): Pyrologix specializes in wildfire risk modeling, fuel treatment analysis, and WUI planning support for utilities and agencies. It overlaps with CWPC's WUI planning technical assistance on the analytics/consulting side, though from a more quantitative risk-modeling angle.

Regional players

• Resource Conservation District (RCD) / Sustainable Conservation network: Local RCDs (e.g., Washington Resource Conservation and Development Council partnering with CWPC) and Sustainable Conservation in California deliver on-the-ground wildfire mitigation, fuels reduction, and community planning support in specific regions. They operate as parallel regional delivery partners for WUI programs.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/CWPC_Wildfire
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/community-wildfire-planning-center

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about COMMUNITY WILDFIRE PLANNING CENTER