Safe From The Storm Rural Residence Combines Aesthetics With Fire Prevention

Pam and Brad Wolfrum’s residence north of Spokane is proof that function can be beautiful.

The Wolfrums spent the last five years transforming their 5-acre lot and stately log home from wildfire trap to fire-resistant suburban home.

The results are not only practical - making it easier for firefighters to defend the Wolfrums’ house from wildfires - but attractive.

A lush green lawn now flanks the house, replacing a carpet of pine needles that could have provided a raceway for flames.

Trees were cut down and limbs were trimmed from others, producing an airy, almost park-like setting in the timbered areas of their property and further reducing fire danger.

The Wolfrums’ efforts are just what the state has pushed since Firestorm ‘91, a series of 93 fires that destroyed more than 100 homes in the Inland Northwest in October 1991.

Fire officials have asked homeowners in rural areas like the Wolfrums’ Little Spokane River neighborhood to clear trees and make other improvements that prevent wildfires from running unchecked.

“This is what we want to see being done,” said Guy Gifford, a DNR forester who gave a tour of the Wolfrums’ home Monday.

One of the Firestorm blazes burned to within about 200 feet of the Wolfrums’ home, prompting them to improve their land, Pam Wolfrum said.

In addition to planting the grass and thinning the trees, the Wolfrums dug a firebreak around their lawn, put a sprinkler system in the yard and attached a permanent sprinkler on their roof.

They also bought a generator to power their water supply, Pam Wolfrum said.

“I’m on a private well, so if you lose electricity - like we did in Firestorm - you lose your water,” she said.

They also made simple changes, like putting their address number in big letters on their mailbox to help firefighters find the house.

Wolfrum said she would have been overwhelmed by the project if she hadn’t picked up a “Wildfire Safety Kit” put out by DNR.

“You kind of need a plan,” she said. “Otherwise, you’re kind of shooting in the dark.”

Gifford said the Wolfrums’ work isn’t finished. They need to take out some more trees and do some other things, he said.

“But this is a good first step,” Gifford said. “It makes our (firefighting) job a lot easier. We lose homes like this all the time.”

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Color photo

MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: FOR INFORMATION People interested in getting a copy of the Department of Natural Resources’ “Wildfire Safety Kit” can call 1-800-527-3305. When the line picks up, press “0,” then leave your name and address.