Fire Break – Wildfire Safety Blog

Protecting a hidden gem: northern Nevada town embraces wildfire safety practices

I was invited by Ryan S. Shane, a Resource Management officer with the Nevada Division of Forestry, to assist with a visit to the community of Jarbidge on May 8.  It’s located in a very remote area of Elko County, Nevada, on the Idaho border.  From Elko, it was a three-and-a-half-hour drive because the pass through the mountains was still closed because of the snow.  The community itself is like a time capsule of the Old West, with buildings that date to the late 1800s.  The last stage coach robbery in the United States occurred in Jarbidge in 1916.  The perpetrator was convicted by one of the first uses of CSI principles: his bloody handprint. 

Along with Ryan and I, state forester Pete Anderson made the drive up from Elko, which meandered
 through sage brush and unusual mountain formations. Antelope scampered in front of our SUV on the road and seemed to be checking the vehicle and occupants. I realized what a treasure this community is. The Jarbidge River is home to bull trout, a threatened species of fish. It was clear that the fire prevention efforts in this community would help to protect the beautiful ecosystem and water supply as well as the community.

The meeting was held in the Red Dog Saloon, the largest meeting place in the community with an interesting history of its own. Jarbidge, once a flourishing gold mining town in the 1920s, is now a small sleepy hamlet surrounded by wilderness areas including the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest. Nevada Forestry and US Forest Service staff joined me in explaining how residents and collaborators could work together to create a Firewise Community.  The Nevada State Division of Forestry and the US Forest Service are working on two small fuels projects around the community. Residents are interested in learning how they could make their community safer in the event of a wildfire. The residents realized the importance of protecting their watershed and homes.  Some recent improvements have been made in the community including a new fire station, water  distribution facility and hydrants.  Homeowners realized there were many things they could do to improve the community and home safety including moving firewood at least thirty feet away from homes during fire season.

As residents of Jarbidge work hard with their agency partners to become fire adapted, they are not only helping to protect their community from fire but also helping preserve and enhance the beautiful natural areas that surround their
 community.  For more information about how your community can become recognized as a Firewise Communities/USA site go to www.firewise.org/usa.  For information about how all the stakeholders in a community can collaborate together as a Fire Adapted Community go to www.fireadapted.org.

Photos by Faith Berry. Top left: A view on the outskirts of Jarbidge; top right: historic hotel in the center of town; center: Nevada State Forester Pete Anderson and Ryan S. Shane look at a site of a Nevada State fuels treatment area in close proximity to homes; bottom: members of the community met with collaborating partners including the Nevada Division of Forestry, the US Forest Service, the US Bureau of Land Management and NFPA's Firewise Communities program staff.

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  

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

NFPA’s pre-conference HIZ Workshop to be held at IAFC’s WUI 2013

Recent research has led to a greater understanding of how wildland fires ignite homes. By applying this new knowledge and using the latest approaches to address structure ignition concerns, we believe future WUI fire disasters can significantly be reduced.

Join NFPA at the International Association of Fire Chiefs’ (IAFC) Wildland Urban Interface Conference 2013 for a two-day workshop, Assessing Wildfire Hazards in the Home Ignition Zone (HIZ), which will help you identify hazards and reduce risks in the home ignition zone before a wildfire starts. 

Here’s what you’ll learn in the workshop:

• A basic understanding of fire behavior and structure ignition from wildfires
• An understanding and competency in WUI interface fire mitigation
• An understanding of the risk assessment methods based on NFPA 1144: Standard for Reducing Structure Ignition Hazards from Wildland Fire
• How to identify corrective mitigation measures for residents to implement, to reduce the risk of ignition
• Safety measures for new construction and community design based on NFPA 1141: Standard for Fire Protection Infrastructure for Land Development in Suburban and Rural Areas

Register now! Join Pat Durland, Principle of Stone Creek Fire, LLC who will lead this informative and interactive discussion.

The pre-conference workshop will be held March 18 – 19.

For more information about IAFC’s WUI 2013 conference, check out their website. Additional details about NFPA’s HIZ workshops can be found at firewise.org.

 

Wildfire education programs for youth: research findings

 
In yesterday's blog on NFPA's Wildland Fire Operations Division's report Engaging Youth in Reducing Wildfire Risk I provided a quick look at the virtually nonexistence of wildfire programs for youth that focus on prevention, preparedness, mitigation and the science of the home ignition zone.  In this segment we'll focus on the topic's existing research.

During the summer of 2010, FEMA published Bringing Youth Preparedness Education to the Forefront:  A LIterature Review and Recommendations.  Their report found children can play a special role in communicating preparedness information to friends and family members, and children are seen as a trusted source of information, as well as good messengers.

Prior to the reports below (published 2008-2012), there was basically no research available on wildfire education programs for youth.  Authors of the Evolution of Smokey Bear report published in 2012, found the majority of programs for older children don't include personal and home safety information; and fail to address the science of home ignition.  The topic of wildfire is often wrapped into other curriculm, and is frequently a subtopic to a larger theme; while programs created by agencies and brought into schools are very difficult to fund, sustain and replicate.  None of the youth programs reviewed addressed the issue of children's needs when wildfire has impacted their homes and community.

Research on youth and wildfire education programs reviewed for the Firewise Program report include those listed below.  I highly recommend you read these excellent studies:

• Linking Youth Wildfire Education to Fire-Adapted Human Communities in the U.S. (2010 – Jakes, Sturtevant, Monroe and Ballard)
• The Evolution of Smokey Bear:  Environmental Education About Wildfire for Youth (2012 - Ballard, Evans, Sturtevant, and Jakes)
• Minnesota and West Virginia Firewise in the Classroom: Youth Working with Communities to Adapt to Wildfire (2012 - Jakes)
• Addressing Student Trauma in the Wake of California Wildfires (2008-Pang, Madueno, Atlas, Stratton, Oliger and Page)

After finding a lack of information on what youth believe they want and need regarding wildfire safety, information and resources; Firewise Communities Program staff engaged teens and parents in six interactive conversational workshops on the topic. Tomorrow we'll share what we learned from those groups in part three of this series.

What is Mastication?

 

When I first heard about mastication the first thing that came to mind was chewing something yummy.  In the fire prevention arena mastication is the process of “chewing up” vegetation with machinery.  This is just another means of utilizing a tool to reduce fuels in communities.  I have learned about a variety of types of equipment utilized by communities and agencies to get the job completed.  For those of you who did not get the shiny piece of equipment that you were looking for under your tree, I am including some YouTube™ examples of this type of heavy equipment hard at work.

Image 1: A masticator hard at work. (source: Fire Science Brief, Issue 47, May 2009)

Video 1: Masticator with reticulating arm working in Virginia City Highlands outside of Reno Nevada.  This type of masticator can be manipulated easily to only chew up certain clumps of vegetation and works well in areas where communities only want to select certain clumps of bushes to be removed and others to remain.

Video 2: A masticator with rubber tracks working in Lake Tahoe California.

Key points of the masticating fuels study were:

• Mastication combined with prescribed burning results in favorable outcomes in terms of burning goals, including fuel reduction.

• All mastication treatments added fuel load to the forest floor, but the amounts varied by fuel size class and treatment.

• Mastication equipment used in this study was successful at thinning non-merchantable trees and there was minimal damage to residual over story trees.

• Burning after mastication reduced fuel across treatments. Burning after mastication also significantly decreased fuel bed, litter, and duff depth.

• Mastication treatments lowered fire intensity potential because the likelihood of a forest crown or canopy fire is reduced.

• Soil heating was relatively low within all mastication treatment units that were burned.

• Fire following mastication generally supported forest management goals.

• Average cost was comparable to other fuel treatment methods, and may be more efficient.

Image 2: Mastication: coarse fuels treatment (Left) fine fuels treatment (Right). (Source: Fire Science Brief, Issue 47, May 2009).

If your community is considering utilizing this type of heavy equipment for a fuels reduction project,  first contact your local land management agency regarding environmental compliance requirements.  Some types of heavy equipment may not be utilized close to streams and rivers or in other sensitive plant community areas.  Your state forester can also help you with information about these requirements.  For information vist the National Association of State Foresters website.  For information about Firewise Communities/USA® successes visit this weblink.

Living with - and learning about - wildfire in Nevada

It was with great pleasure that I attended the recent Living With Wildfire (University of Nevada) conference in Reno, Nevada.  Firewise Communities office staff ensured that one of our Firewise Communities books was donated as a door prize.  Firewise Communities was acknowleged in the program as a donor.  There were also Firewise materials available at a table in the expo area for attendees.

Jake Tibbitts with the Nevada Dept of Natural Resources in Eureka County oversees the two recognized Firewise Communities/USA sites in Nevada.  He presented inforamtion at the conference about the compatibility of Firewise Communities and Firesafe Councils. He also shared some of their sucess stories with the audience.  The Nevada State Forester Pete Anderson also presented at the conference. 

If you would like more information about how your community or a neighboring community can become a nationally recognized Firewise Community check out our website http://www.firewise.org/.  For information about Fire Adapted Communities go to http://www.fireadapted.org/. 

The age of western wildfires

Climate Central a non-profit organization that conducts scientific research on climate change and informs the public of key findings recently published a report on September 19, titled ‘The Age of Western Wildfires’.   According to the report the 2012 wildfire season isn’t over yet and the year is shaping up to be one of the worst on record in the western United States.

Among the report’s findings are:

1. The number of large and very large fires on Forest Service land is increasingly dramatically. Compared to the average year in the 1970s, in the past decade there were: seven times more fires greater than 10,000 acres each year, nearly five times more fires larger than 25,000 acres each year, and twice as many fires over 1,000 acres each year, with an average of more than 100 per year from 2002 through 2011, compared with less than 50 during the 1970s.
2. In some states the increase in wildfires is even more dramatic. Since the 1970s the average number of fires over 1,000 acres each year has nearly quadrupled in Arizona and Idaho, and has doubled in California, Colorado, Montana, New Mexico, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, and Wyoming.
3. On average, wildfires burn twice as much land area each year as they did 40 years ago. In the past decade, the average annual burn area on Forest Service land in the West has exceeded 2 million acres - more than all of Yellowstone National Park.

IAFC Asks for your help to shape the 2013 WUI conference

The 2013 International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) Conference will be held next year March 19-21at a new location - The Peppermill Resort and Casino in Reno Nevada. Information about details of the conference and updates are available on the website hosted by the IAFC. They are soliciting your input in shaping this year’s conference. The Ready, Set, Go! Program and the Firewise Program are both Fire Adapted Communities coalition members. To learn more about the what your community can do to become more fire adapted visit this www.fireadapted.org

Las Vegas TV station helps get the Firewise message out

I had the opportunity yesterday for a live interview with KTNV's Tina Patel about wildfire safety. NFPA's 2012 Conference & Expo is going on now in Las Vegas. The local ABC affiliate has been reporting on some important fire and life safety initiatives covered at the conference, including wildland fire.

Firewise and NFPA's Wildland Fire Operations Division have a presence at this large and multi-disciplined conference, including booths on the Expo floor, presentations covering various aspects of wildfire safety, and networking on public education initiatives. It was wonderful to have the added opportunity to get the word out to Nevada residents and visitors about the importance of wildfire safety in this period of high fire danger in many areas of the Western U.S.

--Michele Steinberg