Rathdrum Prairie News : Protect your property, family from wildfires
Last summer I was in northern California awaiting the birth of a grandchild, and my husband was working out of town when I got a phone call that Rathdrum Mountain, near our home, was on fire. A couple of friends and one of my sons realized the danger to our home and called to offer help. But what could they do?
We were both out of town and it was way too late to implement many of the suggestions foresters offer for protection from wildfires, so the best we could hope for was that we had done a good job of protecting our home from fire danger – and ask them to save a few items before the fire destroyed our home.
Luckily for us the fire was quickly contained and the call came that all was well. But the fear of wildfire has remained. And, with another hot, dry summer season upon us, the worry has grown – a worry, experts say, we should all anticipate happening, rather than think “It won’t happen to me.”
In a University of Idaho Extension Forestry Information Series, Yvonne Barkley, an associate extension forester, says, “People don’t landscape for fire prevention because they don’t think it will happen to them. But we need to think about fire like people in Oklahoma think about tornadoes and people in Louisiana think about hurricanes. The thought should be not if, but when. Preparation is something done well in advance of the yearly fire season – it’s too late when the firetruck is driving down the road to your house.”
The national statistics are alarming. Last year, 38,972 wildfires burned nearly 10 million acres – the most acreage ever lost in one year. Historically, the number of fires in the U.S. has been decreasing since the 1980s, but the number of acres burned has been increasing, and nearly 1,000 structures are lost each year to wildfires.
In Idaho, records show 2,170 fires caused by lightning and 2,666 caused by humans combined to burn 956,000 acres last year – and the 2007 fire season has already begun. Officials are predicting a long fire season and reminding those of us living in wildfire-prone areas to take precautions.
According to Barkley, “Anticipating wildfire is the first step to making your property as fire-safe as possible.” The following steps may help save your home and property from wildfire:
“Know your local fire protection agency.
“Create two ways to access your property – both for fire equipment access and escape routes.
“Mark roads clearly, and make sure they will support two-way traffic.
“Remove flammable vegetation, brush, grass and other combustible materials from the immediate vicinity of your home and outbuildings on a yearly basis.
“Thin trees to 10 feet or more between crowns.
“Prune dead branches out of trees and remove lower branches to a height of 6 to 15 feet.
“Stack and store firewood away from the house.
“Treat or replace shake or wood-shingled roofs.
“Clean roof and gutters regularly.
“Keep firefighting tools such as rakes, hoes, axes, shovels and a fire extinguisher handy.
Chris Schnepf, a University of Idaho Cooperative Extension educator and forester in Coeur d’Alene, is quoted in the same series as saying, “The best defense against the wildfire threat faced by homeowners who live in forested areas is common sense landscaping.” He says creating a 100- to 150-foot defensible zone around the home is the key to protecting it from fire danger.
Schnepf offers a class to help forest homeowners learn the steps they can take to protect their homes. “Landscaping for Fire Prevention” participants will view videos, discuss their wildfire experiences, and assess their homes’ fire risk. Sessions of this program can be scheduled for interested groups of 10 or more. Contact Schnepf at 446-1680 to make arrangements.