Being 'Firewise' keeps homeowners fire safe

While Washington's wildfire season officially started April 15, fire crews around the state have already been busy - including crews in Spokane County Fire District 3.

District Division Chief Debby Dodson said crews for the district headquartered in Cheney responded to a 150-acre wildfire in February near Harris Road southwest of Amber Lake, not far from the swath of land blackened by last summer's 11,000-acre Watermelon Hill fire. Firefighters have also responded to smaller fires ranging from 2 – 15 acres resulting from people not monitoring the burning of slash piles.

Statewide, the Department of Natural Resources said in an April 15 news release it had already responded to more than 60 forest fires reported on lands protected by the agency.

"This year, we have ominous predictions for a hot, dry summer," Commissioner of Public Lands, Peter Goldmark, said in the release. "While we work hard to prepare for what could be a challenging season, there are some things property owners can and should do to prepare."

Dodson agrees, and the fire district is encouraging homeowners, particularly those living in rural areas out among the pine trees, to make their property "Firewise." The district is trying to get property owners to focus on these measures as part of national Wildfire Community Preparedness Day, May 2.

The top priority for homeowners should be creating a clear, defensible space around their home. Dodson said there are two zones in this configuration, Zone 1 which extends out from the home 30 feet should be clear of trees and vegetation that might become a fuel load, and should be a good, green space with well-watered lawns.

Zone 2 should be cleared of what Dodson called "ladder fuels" that can take a fire up into the tree canopy where it can spread quickly. Trees should have all branches removed from the ground to 10 feet up the trunk, and homeowners should contact utility companies where trees are close to power lines to have branches trimmed.

Dodson said embers create problems, working ahead of the actual blaze. Measures like moving woodpiles, boats and trailers away from homes can reduce fuel loads. Roof gutters should be cleared of debris, propane tanks should be stored 30 feet way from homes and cleared of vegetation up to 10 feet around the tank. Potentially flammable items shouldn't be stored under wood decks - where winds can sometimes push embers.

In the case of a wildfire, mutual aid agreements help combine area resources so no jurisdiction is overtaxed in combating a blaze, Dodson said. But if a fire expands, and a larger mobilization is required, firefighters have to look at the conditions around homes to determine if they can be defended in the first place.

One of the criteria is whether or not firefighters can get their apparatus onto the homeowner's property. Dodson said they evaluate whether or not the access road is wide enough to be able to turn vehicles around, recommending access roads be at least 10 feet wide and any overhanging vegetation be no lower than 16 feet.

"That's one of the first things we look at in deciding to defend a house is if we can get the trucks in and out," Dodson said.

The Spokane region, including the West Plains, has had its share of wildfires in the past. Besides last year's Watermelon Hill blaze, drivers taking the Cheney-Spokane Road can still see charred remains of the 365-acre Marshall Fire in 2007, and another roughly 1,000 acres was blackened in 2003 along Watts Road south of State Route 904 between Cheney and Tyler.

With the mountain snow pack at 22 percent of normal, unseasonable warm temperatures this spring and a hot, dry forecast for the summer, Dodson said they're gearing up for a busy fire season.

"We keep saying, 'it's not a matter of if, but when," she said.

John McCallum can be reached at jmac@cheneyfreepress.com.