Fire Break – Wildfire Safety Blog

Free California consortium webinar features fire operations in the WUI

Our friends at the California Fire Science Consortium hold great, FREE, one-hour webinars on all kinds of wildfire topics. Next on their list is "Fire Operations in the Wildland-Urban Interface", presented by CAL FIRE Battalion Chief Phill Veneris next Wednesday, May 22 at 12 pm Pacific Time.    

Chief Veneris is a CAL FIRE ICS Type 1 Incident Commander, Operations Section Chief, and Safety Officer. During this presentation, he’ll discuss Firefighting Operations in the Wildland Urban Interface from a California perspective, using information and products from both his department, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) as well as the latest publications from FIrefighting RESources of California Organized for Potential Emergencies (FIRESCOPE). This information is useful for both the company officer as well as the incident commander when faced with a fire in the wildland urban interface and evacuating residents in the fire’s path.  

You can register here: http://www.cafiresci.org/2013-webinars/. Be sure to also check out the long list of previous webinars, recorded for your listening and viewing pleasure! Topics range from fire behavior to Firewise to planning and community engagement. 

Whatever you call it, Firewise principles work!

A recent story about the fires in southern California documented one fire in Camarillo Springs that "moved through the...area without destroying a single home." While the opening paragraph credits "an army of firefighters" stationed in the area to protect homes, a closer read reveals that planning and preparation are credited with saving the day.

According to the Associated Press story picked up by Colorado's 9news.com, "The good fortune of the Camarillo Springs area wasn't the result of luck or clairvoyance by firefighters. It came after years of planning and knowing that sooner or later just such a conflagration was going to strike."

The area developed some 30 years ago with fire in mind. The story says that homes were built with fire-resistant materials, roads accommodate emergency vehicles, and residents are required to clear brush and other combustible materials near dwellings.

According to the AP interview with  Neal Blaney, a board member of The Springs Homeowners Association and a 15-year resident, "All of our rooftops are concrete tile and all of the exteriors are stucco. There's no wood, so there's almost no place for a flying ember to land and ignite something." In addition, Blaney told reporters that volunteer emergency officers in the neighborhood gave the first alert to residents. As a result, when the flames got close, residents were ready to get out of the way of firefighters.

There was no mention of national programs like "Ready, Set, Go!" or Firewise principles called out by name. But no matter what you call them, applying these principles and practices can work to save homes and lives from wildfire. 

Photo from Firewise Photo Gallery taken in California is not representative of Camarillo Springs but is a general illustration of some principles (fire-resistant roof and siding) that help homes resist ignition from wildfire.

Washington and four other states celebrate wildfire preparedness week

Wildfire Awareness Week is May 5 - 11

Know your role in wildfire safety

OLYMPIA – In recognition of Wildfire Awareness Week, May 5 – 11, the Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR) encourages everyone to learn their role in preparing for wildfire safety.

This year, DNR is encouraging homeowners, land managers, first responders, developers, business owners, and civic leaders to focus on “Knowing Your Role” when it comes to preparing communities for wildfire. Visit the Fire Adapted Communities website  to learn more about defensible space, fire-resilient building construction, community wildfire prevention planning, the Firewise Program and Ready, Set, Go!

Also, this is the first year that governors from Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Nevada, and California have joined together to proclaim Wildfire Awareness Week. It’s an important week to learn more about joining forces in local communities to become better prepared for wildfire safety.

If designing or updating a home’s landscape, think of ways to incorporate firebreaks (things that don’t burn) into the landscape design. Defensible space doesn’t have to be an eyesore. Some examples of firebreaks are: concrete, brick or gravel walkways, concrete flower box borders or planters, and water features, such as a pond. Even the backyard swimming pool can serve as a firebreak. Go to www.firewise.org  more specific tips on how to protect homes from wildfire.

Wildfire Awareness Week events around the state of Washington

Chipping Day at Lake Cushman

What:       Lake Cushman Firewise Council Chipping Day

                 Chipping your yard debris throughout the community

When:      May 4 — 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Where:     Lake Cushman Maintenance Company, 3740 N Lake Cushman Rd, Hoodsport

Contact:    Jane Potter at 360-802-7030 or email at jane.potter@dnr.wa.gov

Ready, Set, Go! Wildfire Prevention Education

What:       Roll out the new campaign Ready, Set, Go!

                 Education for people to protect their homes

When:      May 7 – 4 p.m.

Where:     Kittitas Valley Fire and Rescue Station 2-1

                 2020 Vantage Highway, Ellensburg

Contact:    Deputy Chief Rich Elliot at 509-933-7231

Burn Barrel Exchange

What:       Exchange your burn barrel for a compost bin

When:      May 9, 10, and 11 — 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Where:     West Waste Landfill, Highway 110, Forks, WA

Contact:    Bryan Suslick at 360-374-2800 or email at bryan.suslick@dnr.wa.gov

Washington’s 100^th Firewise Community

What:       Hidden Valley Meadows/Vista Community receives Washington’s 100^th Firewise Award

When:      May 10 — 10 a.m.

Where:     140 Leo Lane, Cle Elum, WA  98922

Contact:    Suzanne Wade at 509-925-8585 or email at suzanne-wade@conservewa.net

Media Contact: Janet Pearce, Communications Manager, 360-902-1122, janet.pearce@dnr.wa.gov  

Napa County, CA selects Firewise theme for May

 

The Napa County, CA Firewise Foundation's monthly themes and artwork from their young artists showcase, highlights a piece for May from 9-year-old Haley Hutchins.  Miss Hutchins is a member of the Boys and Girls Club of Napa Valley.

The theme is Planting a Firewise and Waterwise Garden. Her artwork shows flames from a wildfire igniting a home and garden and stresses the importance of selecting the right waterwise and firewise choices for both your home and landscaping.   

Choosing the right plants and mulches are an important decision when building a Firewise landscape and deciding how and where they’re arranged deserves equal consideration. 

Incorporating hardscape elements (sidewalks, paths, patios, and retaining walls) is a good way to help break up contiguous fuels throughout your property.

Careful plant choices can help save water too!  A waterwise garden features many varieties and can be very compatible with Firewise concepts. Most cooperative extension offices can provide information – check with your local or state office to get more details.  

Our congratulations to Haley for being selected as May’s Artist of the Month!

Firewise of Napa County announces featured young artist for April

In their twelve-month series of featured wildfire artwork and themes from young artists, the Napa County, CA Firewise program’s April theme is “Conducting a Home Fire Drill.” 

Inspiration for this month’s theme came from 8-year-old Natalie Tedder, a student at Snow School and a member of the Boys and Girls Club of Napa Valley.  Her artwork of a fast moving wildfire and burning home captures the importance of ensuring you have a home fire escape plan and that it’s practiced at least twice a year by everyone in the home.  Practice both a primary and secondary way out, knowing the second way out is important in case the first one should be blocked.  For in-depth home fire escape planning tips visit NFPA.  Take your home fire drill one step further; after you’ve practiced the home drill load your family into one vehicle (if there's enough seat belts for everyone) and drive two different routes out of your neighborhood.  In a wildfire your primary egress route may be blocked by fire and you'd need to be familiar with a second way out.

Our congratulations to Natalie for being selected as April’s Artist of the Month!

Finding the 'sweet spot' amidst key elements of the National Cohesive Strategy

In response to requirements of the Federal Land Assistance, Management, and Enhancement (FLAME) Act of 2009, the Wildland Fire Leadership Council (WFLC) directed the development of the National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy (Cohesive Stategy).

As a part of this process and after public review, all three regions (west, southeast and northeast) have submitted their action plans to the WFLC for review. The Plans will be reviewed and considered for concurrence at the April 5, 2013, WFEC meeting. It is important to note Fire Adapted Communities is one of the main elements that is emphasized throughout the draft plans.  Wildfire mitigation strategies like Community Wildfire Protection Plans (CWPP), Firewise Communities/USA and Ready, Set, Go! programs feature prominently in support of this overarching approach.

Image:  Finding the 'sweet spot'; key elements of the National Cohesive Strategy

A snapshot look at wildland fire risk potential

Over the last several years the US Forest Service has developed a wildland fire risk potential map of the lower 48 states. The specific objective of the wildland fire risk potential map is to depict the potential for wildfire that would be difficult for suppression resources to contain, based on past fire occurrence and estimates of wildfire likelihood and intensity from sophisticated fire simulation models. Areas with higher wildland fire risk potential values, therefore, have a higher probability of experiencing high-intensity fire with torching, crowning, and other forms of extreme fire behavior.

Map 1: Wildfire risk potential version 2013, data origin & source: USDA Forest Service [Click on map to get a better view]

Graph 1: 2013 wildland fire risk potential classes as a percentage of total conterminous land area of the lower 48 states. [Click on graphs to get a better view]

Table 1: Area breakout of the 2013 wildland fire risk potential data  [Click on graphs to get a better view]

After discussing this new map with the a US Forest Service Spatial Fire Analyst, Greg Dillon, it became apparent that trying to compare this map with previous versions, namely the 2007 version is not appropriate as the modelling and methodology has evolved considerably since then.  Moving forward, baseline comparisons with future wildland fire risk potential map versions is anticipated because a standard approach has been defined.

In southern California it is never too early to prepare!

In Riverside County a wildfire (Jurupa Fire), February 28 - March 3 included voluntary evacuations in the areas of Greenbrier Trail and Grassy Trail in the City of Riverside. At one point 1,846 residents of Riverside were without power.  Some of the cooperating agencies that assisted were: CAL FIRE/Riverside, Corona FD, Department of Fish and Wildlife, Morongo Fire Department, Murrieta Fire Protection District, Orange County Fire Authority, Pechanga FD, Riverside City FD, Riverside City PD, Riverside County Fire Department, Orange County Fire, Riverside County Roads, Riverside County
Sheriff’s Office, Southern California Edison.

Residents here in Southern California can take preventive steps to protect probably one of the biggest investment of their lives, their home. 

There are many simple things that can be done now to make your property safer, these include:

1. Cleaning leaves and other flammable materials from your gutter
2. Removing vegetation from underneath your decks
3. Keeping the area 5 feet from your home free of flammable materials is especially helpful.   Use non-combustible mulch like river rock for this area in particular
4. Make sure that you have vents that meet the current fire code.
5. Limb trees at least 6 feet up and 10 feet away from your home
6. Remove dead material such as accumulated leaves and sticks after the winter from at least 30 feet around your home
7. Make sure that plants around your home are healthy and well cared for
8. Remove the winter’s accumulation of flammable materials or trash from around your home
9. Make sure that wood piles are located at least 30 feet from your home

For more information and tips to make your home safer during wildfire events go to the Firewise website at www.firewise.org.  There are free online classes and handout materials that you can order to help you.  Find out how your community can become a nationally recognized Firewise Communities/USA® site.  Too learn more about what you can do to prepare for an evacuation visit Ready, Set, Go!

 

NFPA's wildfire division visits Firehouse World San Diego 2013

NFPA's Wildland Fire Operations Division sponsored a booth at the Firehouse World Expo in San Diego last month to share its resources with various fire agencies looking for tools to help them succeed in their efforts to reduce wildfire risk in their communities. It was exciting to be located next to some of the brand new fire trucks that the departments were looking at to help them with fire suppression efforts! 

The fire departments attending the expo took home our Firewise product catalog and other materials to learn more about Firewise and how their departments can use the program in their prevention efforts.  Did you know that Firewise has some great free tools available for you to use on their website?  These materials include the Firewise Toolkit, on-line learning classes, DVD’s and brochures. You can also check out our Fire Break blog and learn how your community can participate in our 2013 Firewise Challenge! 

Check out the Firewise website for more information about these materials and events at www.firewise.org. 

Separation anxiety....not really, but it may help

This past week both Faith Berry (Southwest 1 Firewise Advisor) and I visited the Orange County Fire Authority (California) where we met Sonja Powell (Assistant Fire Marshal) and Nick Pivaroff (Senior Fire Inspector) to discuss the Firewise Communities/USA recognition program.

During the course of the conversation Sonja directed us to their wonderful Ready, Set, Go! website. One of the more interesting sections that is complimentary to Firewise can be found in the Ready section under vegetation management. The video on plant separation is particularly helpful as it provides great explanations on vertical and horizontal plant separation.  The application of these principles can really affect the vertical and horizontal continuity of vegetation in one's yard.  Following these recommendations can significantly reduce home and surrounding landscape ignitability.