THE FIRE SEASON IS HERE And it is More DESTRUCTIVE THAN EVER!

Transcription

1 THE FIRE SEASON IS HERE And it is More DESTRUCTIVE THAN EVER! Defensible space may be your Only chance for survival When the strong winds and hot dry days of summer lead to wildfires, don t expect a fire engine to park in front of your home to protect your family and possessions. There just aren t enough fire-fighting resources to protect every home in the state. In a matter of minutes, a prairie grass wildfire can travel up to 30 mph, jump from a burning hillside, race through your subdivision and destroy your home and your neighborhood. The most important person to protect your home from wildfire is not the firefighter, it is you. Homeowners must take responsibility to assure Firewise conditions and initial fire defense of their residences and property before and during wildland fires. The information in this brochure will demonstrate the action the property owner must take to create Defensible Space to protect their property from wildfires. 1

2 CREATING DEFENSIBLE SPACE The most important person in protecting your home from wildfire is not the firefighter, it is the property owner and the action the property owner takes before there is a fire. One of the key elements a fire needs is fuel. On your property, that fuel is grass, brush and your home. Research shows that a house prepared with a Defensible Space is 85% more likely to survive a wildfire than one that is not prepared. Defensible space is usually defined as a 30 foot area around the house (see Zone #1), the area between a house and an oncoming wildfire where the vegetation has been modified to reduce the threat, slow down and cool the approaching fire, provide an opportunity and space for firefighters to effectively defend the house. Effective Defensible Space doesn t mean bare ground. The following suggestions can create an attractive, well vegetated, yet defensible 30 foot area around your home: Replace native plants with ornamental landscaping plants, flower gardens or shrubs that are fire resistant, low-growing and free of resins, oils and waxes that burn easily. Space shrubs 15 feet apart and only18 inches high. See Firewise Landscaping pg. 5. Consider xeriscaping if you are affected by water-use restrictions, Clear vegetation 10 feet around propane tanks, and locate tank 50 feet from structures, Create a fire-free area within five feet of the home, using non-flammable landscaping materials and/or high-moisture-content low growing annuals and perennials, Remove flammables, 5 feet around structures, Stack firewood and scrap woodpiles 30 feet from any structure, Create fuel breaks like driveways, gravel walkways and lawns, Remove dead vegetation from under deck and within 10 feet of house, Keep driveways clear - Fire trucks need driveway clearance 14 feet wide and 14 feet high, Consider providing an emergency water supply of 1,500 to 10,000 gallons, with a gasoline powered pump in case electrical power is lost, If your water supply is a well, consider a gasoline powered electrical generator for the well pump in the event of power failure, Store vehicles, trailers and equipment 30 feet from structures. 2

3 CREATING DEFENSIBLE SPACE Zone 1: Defensible Space This is the most important 30 space around your home. It is your yard and should be landscaped for leisure and fun, but at the same time as a potential barrier to the spread of fire. A good place for grass lawn and stone or concrete patios. Ornamental shrubs should be fire resistant and no taller than 18. Use fire resistant broadleaf trees for shade. Isolate trees. Avoid using bark or wood chips for landscaping in this area. Cut grass to 3 inches tall, 30 feet around structures, keep well watered, Zone 2: The Mid Zone The next space around your home. This is an area for landscape trees and shrubs, orchards and gardens, but not for wild prairie grass and sagebrush. Maintain space between ornamental shrubs at least twice as wide as their diameter. Prune lower limbs of trees to 10 above ground level. Use only fire resistant trees and shrubs in this zone. Cut or mow grass to a maximum of 8 high. Keep area clean of dry grass, weeds, sage brush, leaves, dead shrubs and trash, Zone 3: The Outermost Zone The next space around your home. This is the open prairie area, but precautions are still in order. Prune lower limbs of trees up to at least 6-10 above ground level. Occasionally dead trees for wildlife are important, but accumulations of dead woody material or dead trees should be kept to a minimum or eliminated. Keep area clean of dry grass, weeds, sage brush, leaves, dead shrubs and trash, During a wildland-urban fire, a home ignites from three possible sources: directly from flames, radiant heating, and from firebrands accumulating directly on the structure (convection heating). Reducing home ignition potential then reinforces vegetation management - create Defensible Space around the structure to limit the amount of heat the structure will be exposed to, and to limit the time the structure is exposed to heat. Radiant heating Direct flame contact Firebrands transported by convective lifting 3

4 MAINTENANCE & CLEANUP Fire fighters are trained to safely and efficiently suppress wildland fires, but their effectiveness is reduced when they must sweep decks, move wood piles and patio furniture while trying to fight a fire. Here s some weekend maintenance that you can do to improve your home s chances of surviving a wildland fire. Inspect your property this weekend, and complete these easy tasks. Remove dead vegetation, plants & flammables 5 feet around structures and underneath decks & porches, Clear twigs and leaves from roofs and gutters, porches and decks, Remove tree branches overhanging roofs or decks, Remove flammable materials within 30 feet of your home s foundation and outbuildings, including garages and sheds. If it can catch fire, don t let it touch your house, deck or porch, Store firewood, vehicles, trailers and equipment 30 feet from structures, Clear vegetation 10 feet around propane tanks and locate tank 50 feet away from structures, Cut grass to 3 inches 30 feet around structures - keep well watered. If it is brown, cut it down, Inspect shingles or roof tiles. Replace or repair those that are loose or missing to prevent ember penetration, Clean chimneys and stovepipes, and install wire mesh spark arresters, Cover exterior attic vents with metal wire mesh no larger than 1/8 inch to prevent sparks from entering, Keep a garden hose connected to an outside faucet, especially during the fire season. Post house numbers in reflective material clearly visible from road. Inspect power lines that cross your property. Ask the utility company to remove any tree limbs that are within 15 feet of the lines. Install smoke detectors.change the batteries every year. Have fire tools handy, such as shovel, rake and bucket for water. Provide at least one 10 pound fire extinguisher easily accessable in the home. BEFORE AFTER Screen or box-in areas below patios and decks with fire resistant material, or with wire mesh screening no larger than 1/8 inch mesh, to prevent combustible materials from accumulating. Clear driveways - Fire trucks need driveway and access road clearance 14 feet wide and 14 feet high For more information contact your local Fire Department, State Forestry Office or visit FirewiseWyoming.com 4

5 MAINTENANCE & CLEANUP Don t let your home look like this! As you take action to clean up around the homestead after a long winter, think about how you can create a Firewise home and landscape, not only focusing on the vegetation surrounding our home, but also the human treasure and collectables that you simply cannot seem to get rid of. You know someday you might need these items. Many of these treasures, such as vehicles, equipment, old tires, leftover wood, sofas and other furniture items and papers can contribute to debris piles often located in close proximity to the home. This creates a scenario where you have put kindling around the home that will make it easier to ignite if there is a wildfire. Make sure the items that you are storing do have value. Hoarding items outside can be just as hazardous as hoarding excess items inside. If you choose to keep these items, do not store them next to the home or under the deck, rather put them in the garage or in an enclosed shed. Make sure that your garbage cans have lids and are not located under the eaves of your home. FIREWISE LANDSCAPING The primary goal for Firewise landscaping is fuel reduction limiting the amount of flammable vegetation and materials surrounding the home and increasing the moisture content of remaining vegetation. All vegetation is potential fuel for fire. There are no truly fire proof plants. All will burn if the conditions are right. There are, however, plants that are FiRE-PROne, and those that are FiRE- ResisTAnt. FiRE-PROne Plants FiRE-ResisTAnt Plants Traits include: Traits include: needle-like or other fine leaves. resinous, oily or waxy foliage or wood. loose or papery bark. Examples: Most conifers Common Juniper Rocky Mountain Juniper little or no seasonal accumulation of dead leaves. non-resinous wood and leaves. high moisture content of leaves. Examples: Cottonwood Roses Ashes Lilacs Aspens Red-osier dogwood Littleleaf sumac Chokecherry Design your landscaping to include a combination of fire-resistant plants/trees and noncombustible hardscape materials, such as decorative stone/brick walls, patios, decorative stone borders around the foundation, stone or brick fences, or a stone or brick pillar in the fence separating the fence from the house. Any structures attached to the house, such as decks, porches, fences, outbuildings and sheds should be considered part of the house. These structures can act as fuses or fuel bridges, especially if constructed from flammable materials. 5

6 EMERGENCY PLAN CHECKLIST Wildfires and other disasters - flood, tornado, earthquake, hazardous material spill, winter storm - can strike quickly and without warning. Start with this checklist to help you PREPARE in ADVAncE! Post emergency phone numbers by every phone in your home, and program them on your cell phones: 911, fire department, police department, sheriff s office, highway patrol, etc. Hold a Family Meeting. Explain how to prepare and respond to disasters, discuss where to go and what to bring if you are advised to evacuate. Pick two meeting places if you have to evacuate Plan at least two escape routes from your home - two by car and two by foot. Chose a friend or family member as a check-in contact for all family members to call, and let them know about your emergency plans Plan how your family will stay in contact if separated Show family members how to shut off water, gas and electricity at their main connections Make plans to take care of children who may be on their own, if parents can t get home. Make plans to care for your pets in case you have to evacuate. Make plans to care for domestic livestock: horses, cattle, etc. Make a list of valuable items you would take if you have to evacuate: important personal documents, insurance policies, birth certificates property titles, valuables, photo albums, passports, money, checkbooks, phone numbers, medications, family and emergency contact information - consider storing them in safety deposit boxes. Review your insurance coverage - homeowners and personal property. Store an easily accessible cache of first aid supplies, portable radio (with extra batteries), emergency cooking equipment, portable lanterns, dust masks to filter contaminated air, personal hygiene supplies, emergency blankets, cell phones with chargers, necessities for infants, elderly, disabled, & pets Prepare an easily accessible cache of fire tools (ladder, shovel, rake, bucket, garden hose). Store a 3 day supply of drinking water, and food that does not require refrigeration or cooking. Review this Checklist and the WhAT TO Do... (Next Page), with family members. Keep them in an easily accessible place. 6

7 WHAT TO DO WHEN a FIRE OCCURS Wildfires will occur in plains, urban, rural and mountain areas. Every year families lose their homes and possessions to the ravages of wildfire. These losses can be minimized if homeowners take the time to become aware of safety measures to help protect their families, homes and property. When a wildfire DOES threaten... Report the fire to emergency dispatch 911, your local fire department, or your local police department, Review your EMERGENCY PLAN CHECKLIST Back your car into the garage, or park it in an open space facing the direction of escape. Shut doors and roll up windows. Leave keys in the ignition. Disconnect automatic garage door openers, Confine your pets to one room in your house, Close windows and doors to the house and close all inside doors. Take down drapes and curtains or move them away from windows, If time permits, move any remaining flammable materials 30 feet away from the house, Turn off gas or propane supply at the meter or tank. Turn off pilot lights inside the house, Open fireplace damper(s). Close fireplace screens, Turn on a light in each room of the house, Place a ladder against the front of the house so firefighters have easy access to your roof. Connect a garden hose to outside faucets, If you have a combustible roof, wet it down or turn on roof sprinklers, Tune into a local radio station and listen for instructions, Don t PanIC! Prepare to evacuate in the event you must. H REMEMBER H SAFETY FIRST! H THIngs CAn be replaced... you CAnnoT! For more information, visit: 7

8 contacts & RESOURCES U.S. Government Bureau of Land Management NOAA - Weather Service Office - Riverton Poison Control Center Natural Resources Conservation Service State of Wyoming - Cheyenne Department of Transportation (WyDOT) Game & Fish State Fire Marshall State Forestry Division - Cheyenne Wyoming Highway Patrol Natrona County Natrona County Fire Protection District Casper Mountain Fire Department County Clerk Emergency Management Fire (Non-Emergency) Fire Inspector Natrona County Conservation District Park-Road & Bridge Sheriff (Non-Emergency) Weed Control District City of Casper Building Inspection City Manager Code Enforcement Fire (Non-Emergency) Metro Animal Control Police (Non-Emergency) Public Services Water - Emergency Water - Non-Emergency Sewer - Emergency Sewer - Non-Emergency Firewise Wyoming Casper Mountain Fire Department Barnyards & Backyards - UWYO Natural Resources Conservation Service wy/home/ FEMA FIREWISE (has many other links) National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) National Fire Protection Association U.S. Bureau of Land Management - BLM USDA Forest Service USFS Rocky Mountain Region Wyoming Association of Conservation Districts Wyoming State Forestry Division Wyoming State Forestry Division District #2 - Casper Bryan Anderson - District Forester Office: Fax: Wildfire Mitigation Coordinator Natrona County Sam Weaver natronafirewise@gmail.com Copyright August 2015 Designed and Developed by Business Resource Group, Casper WY for Firewise Wyoming, Natrona County Project 8