Firewise by Ed Brown

TGO FIREWISE INFORMATION

RESIDENTS REDUCING WILDFIRE RISKS Visit tgocsa.org to view Firewise video and brochure or TGO Firewise on Facebook

Remember, you must have written permission to remove any living shrubs or trees beyond your property line. Contact CSA if you have questions about removal and consult the Architectural Review Board before making landscape changes.

Wildfire Season Has Begun by Ed Brown

On the afternoon of May 22 a column of black smoke spiraled skyward from a trailer park in Cocoa. The EVENING NEWS, CH 7, claimed that a resident of the trailer park, attempting to reduce the fire load behind the the park, had set a “controlled” burn” which had “gotten out of hand.” The burn was obviously not very “controlled.” It set fire to 28 acres of wild land and mobile home sites, destroying five homes and their contents completely and heavily damaging five others and requiring evacuation of fifty additional houses. Brevard County Fire Rescue brought the blaze under control.

What serious lessons can we all learn from this:

First of all, there is no such thing as a “controlled burn” in modern Fire Science! The correct term is now: “PRESCRIBED BURN.” A strict list of pre-burn conditions must be met before the first match is struck by the agency in charge. This enlightened procedure reduces the possibility of burning down the neighborhood and fixes responsibility and liability for such an unpleasant result. The list of conditions that make up the “prescription” for the burn include: boundaries of the intended area, weather conditions anticipated, wind direction and velocity, dryness of the fire load, dryness of the soil, nearness and direction to exposures that could burn, and resources for extinguishment. These include: fire trucks, helicopters with water buckets, aircraft with fire retardants, bombardiers (all-terrain vehicles with pump, hoses and water), firefighters on foot with backpack water, pump, nozzle, fire brooms and shovels and “Backfire Pots” to destroy the fuel load ahead of the fire.

Second, do not attempt your own burn to kill weeds, control insects or endear yourself to your community!

We, in TGO, have had a long period of dry weather. The water flow in the Addison Canal has dwindled to a series of pools with little current and few wading birds. Without our sprinkler system our lawns would be parched and brown. Our many lakes and ponds are low as well. Afternoon and evening thunderstorms have been localized and generally rain deficient. Do not despair, my fellow residents. Hurricane Season is just around the corner!

In case of an emergency - like a wildfire, It’s always good to become familiar with our TGO Evacuation Traffic Plan. Take a few minutes to study the map to the right and make sure you know the correct way to depart the park. Remember, during an emergency evacuation do NOT use your RV as an evacuation vehicle.

Firewise Committee - Contact Information

Tim Graham Chairman 561-262-8833 Donald Payne 407-222-0583 Ed Brown 321-383-8253 Mike Lavery 585-472-1538 Ron Peoples 407-509-0486 Betty Salter 321-223-8073 Ed Olefirowicz 919-360-3174 Karri Olefirowicz 919-265-4315 Christopher Miller 407-375-8310 O.M. Butch Jones 804-514-4458 Albert McGuire 810 338 5646 Sharon Maloney 770-294-6362