‘Let’s Get Fire Ready’ Board Game

What is it? 

Let’s Get Fire Ready is a multi-player cooperative board game that helps players identify critical wildfire preparedness and mitigation actions around their home and community. The game deploys trauma-informed learning methods with real scenarios, the latest science, and industry best practices. Its empathic design transforms critical safety actions into a fun and engaging social learning experience with lasting resilience outcomes.

Why is it needed? 

Most people in the United States now have access to wildfire preparedness checklists but still need help prioritizing and implementing relevant mitigation actions. This relational game introduces immersive and collaborative role play to show how each player’s action contributes to achieving community and landscape scale wildfire resilience. The expected outcome is more neighborhoods implement timely actions in the home ignition zone which accounts for over 80% of wildfire losses.

Who is it for? 

This game is for everyone–schools, universities, community colleges, trade certificate programs, libraries, after-school programs, neighborhoods and communities grappling with wildfire and smoke risk each year, community engagement workshops run by City Councils, non-profits, insurance companies, utility companies, startups, and Federal, State, Local, and Tribal agency training initiatives and leadership courses. We’re excited to reimagine the future of workforce learning through play.

Just to be sure, do we really need another game?

Yes! We always need more ways to understand risk and resilience trade-offs, and if we can find a way to make it fun, why not? There are currently 6+ fire suppression and evacuation board games out there but nothing that gamifies wildfire risk mitigation and preparedness through collaborative role play. Building on existing agency and industry guidance, FireUp members (collectively 120+ years of fire and forestry industry experience) are addressing this gap by designing a modular wildfire mitigation and preparedness game that will be relevant to any community in the United States, and beyond.

What’s it based on?

Informed by current industry standards, decades of research findings, and policy recommendations, the game promises to transcend silos, promote cross-training across disciplines, and foster a deeper understanding of the trade-offs and collaboration required to protect lives, property, and ecosystems. The game is also based on social science findings, including from Wonder Labs’ Reimagining 2025: Living with Fire Design Challenge (2021-2023) and a wider body of social science research on wildfire resilience.

When will it be available? 

September 2025 onwards, the board game will be reviewed and piloted in a series of meetings and workshops with wildfire experts of all ages and diverse backgrounds. By May 2026, the board game will be available for schools, universities, and neighborhood associations to engage at community events and learning fairs all over the country.

Who is sponsoring its development? 

The game’s development is sponsored by the FireUp Platform (www.fire-up.net), an initiative of Wonder Labs (www.wonder-labs.org). FireUp is America's first career platform exclusively dedicated to enabling career and well-being outcomes for diverse fire and forestry professionals. 

Who created it? 

The game was conceptualized and developed by FireUp members and partners from across North America with decades of consulting, training, policy, operational, and academic experience in fire, forestry, and conservation work. Most of all, players of the game will continue to create future iterations through your engagement and feedback! Reach out to info@fire-up.net to learn more.

Want to review the game? Comment below or send an email to info@fire-up.net and we’ll reach out!