40 Preparing for wildfires

Preparedness is all in resisting wildfires

Make your home ready for when flames threaten

BY RENA SHAWVER

Wildfires are a naturally occurring event in wildlands. They cleanse the forest and allow new growth. They also threaten private homes. So, what do you do to protect your family and property when you live in fire country like ours?

“Prepare,” says Craig Nelson, executive director of the Okanogan Conservation District, which provides free wildfire risk assessments for property owners living within the district boundaries.

Wildfire preparedness is a homeowner’s best strategy for saving private property during a wildfire.

“What you do ahead of a wildfire can change how the fire responds and help firefighters do their job,” says Nelson.

Okanogan County is considered “high risk” for wildfires, which will get bigger and hotter in the future due to high temperatures, drought and the accumulation of ground fuel in forested lands.

But, “Wildfire doesn’t have to burn everything in its path,” says Nelson. “Property owners can reduce their risk by planning and creating space that can be defended.”

PLANNING SAVED THEIR HOUSE

Teri Pieper and Ken Bevis learned firsthand the value of being prepared for wildfire when, in August 2014, sparks from a trailer’s flat tire ignited brush on the highway shoulder near Winthrop. The fire spread quickly toward homes on the Rising Eagle Road and Hootin’ Holler neighborhoods. When the fire cleared, 10 homes had burned to the ground.

“The firefighters saved our house,” says Twisp resident Ken Bevis. “My wife, Teri, and I had worked on our defensible space after the inspection by the Okanogan Conservation District. We trimmed brush, pulled flammable materials away from the house and kept the lawn green. We worked hardest in the area closest to the buildings.”

That work paid off. When the fire neared the area, a county sheriff’s deputy ordered area residents to evacuate. Despite all the wildfire preparation, Bevis said they were in shock at how quickly the fire engulfed their property.

Flames came right up to the perimeter of the home site, where firefighters extinguished embers that ignited brush, a woodpile, dead grasses and a hollow log that was “burning like a roman candle,” according to one of the firefighters.

Photo courtesy of the Okanogan County Conservation District

Ken Bevis and Teri Pieper with axe and shovel in hand, dazed after the Rising Eagle fire.

Preparing for direct flame protection is easier than guarding against ember showers. “Even though we thought we’d removed fuel from around the house, we missed a few things like that hollow log,” says Bevis. “It was a close call.”

Bevis credits firefighters for saving their home and the fact that they had created defensible spaces to give firefighters an advantage and access. He says, “Without this wide driveway that gives room for trucks to turn around, they would not have come up to our house.”

Bevis says living through wildfire is “a strange feeling that I never wish to repeat.” He warns others, “If you live in fire country, take steps to prepare now. It’s not if fire will burn near you, but when.”

10 WAYS TO PREPARE

Communities located in wildfire-prone areas like the Methow need to take extra measures to live safely. Whether building a new home, or caring for an existing one, here are some action steps to help with home hardening against wildfires:

• Create defensible spaces

— 0 to 5 feet from your home, create a zone of ember-resistant materials. Use gravel for landscaping including under and around decking. Keep woodpiles, mulch, flammable vegetation and propane tanks away from the house. — 5 to 30 feet from your home, group vegetation in discontinuous islands with treetops a minimum of 18 feet apart. Remove all dead vegetative materials and ladder fuels. Keep landscape green and irrigated if possible or mow vegetation to reduce fuel loads. — 30 to 60 feet from your home, make sure trees are thinned so that there is a minimum of 12 feet between treetops. — 60 to 100 feet from your home, trim tree branches up to 15 feet from the ground and other ladder fuels like shrubs and small trees to restrict fire movement. Treetops should be 6 feet or more apart. Locate outbuildings at least 30 feet or more from the house and create ember-resistant zones around all outbuildings and propane tanks.

• Roofs — Keep roofs clear of debris and install metal flashing at roof-to-wall intersections. Replace or repair loose or missing tiles to prevent ember penetration. Consider replacing wood shake or shingle roofs with fire-resistant roofing materials like metal, clay tiles or asphalt fiberglass composite shingles. • Gutters and eaves — Wood under the eaves and debris in gutters provide a point of entry for embers and flames. Routinely clean gutters and caulk gaps under the eaves where embers could pass through. Screen all vents with a minimum 1/8-inch noncombustible corrosion-resistant metal mesh screening.

• Siding, skylights, windows

and doors — All can be a point of vulnerability to flames and embers. Siding is often made of combustible materials so creating an ember-resistant zone around siding is important, or choose fire-resistant building materials like stucco, steel or fiber cement for siding. Clean debris from skylights. Tempered glass is three

“If you live in fire country, take steps to prepare now. It’s not if fire will burn near you, but when.”

–Ken Bevis

Firewise communities in the Methow

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to four times more resistant to heat and a better choice for windows in homes near wild areas, as are metal doors. • Decks — Most decking materials are combustible, although some materials like plastic composite decks are less vulnerable to flames and embers. Installing metal flashing between the ledger board and joists can minimize fire growth when a deck is ignited. Whatever is stored underneath or on top of a deck can be an ignition source and should be removed. • Garages — It’s normal to store combustible materials in a garage, so steps should be taken to reduce ignitability. Create defensible space around your garage by removing debris and other ground fuels. Make sure spaces between door frames are well-sealed from embers. Close garage doors when a wildfire is threatening. • Chimneys — Clean debris that accumulates on the roof adjacent to the chimney base. Use metal step flashing at roof-to-siding intersections. Cover chimney and stovepipe outlets with noncombustible screens with openings no smaller than 3/8 inch and no larger than ½ inch to minimize embers leaving the chimney. Close the fireplace flue during fire season when the chimney is not in use. • Fencing — Fences provide a direct path for fire to your home. Either separate the fence from your home or replace the last 5 feet of fencing to your house with a non-combustible material. Remove vegetative debris that can accumulate at the base of the fence and avoid trellises.

• Emergency response access

— Clearly mark street names and numbers with reflective signage and mark each junction in the road leading to your home for emergency crews. You can order signs from the Winthrop Firefighters Association. Driveways 12 feet wide with a vertical clearance of 15 feet allow emergency vehicle access.

• Emergency evacuation —

Create an emergency action plan with everyone in your household. Include how to handle pets and livestock. Identify two ways out of your neighborhood in case one is blocked by fire or smoke. Sign up for emergency alerts from the Okanogan County Department of Emergency Management. Fast-moving fire could mean you get little to no warning. If you feel unsafe, evacuate.

About 60-90% of homes lost in wildfire events are due to flying embers. Neighborhoods that prepare for wildfires together are more likely to survive. Firewise USA is a nationally recognized program that provides a collaborative framework to helps neighbors get organized and take action to reduce wildfire risks.

The Okanogan Conservation District offers free-of-charge wildfire home risk assessments and supports qualifying communities through the Firewise certification process. For more information, visit www.okanogancd.org/wildfire

Wildfire preparedness resources

Okanogan Conservation District: www.okanogancd.org/wildfire DNR Service Forester: jake.hardt@dnr.wa.gov Wildfire Ready Neighbors: www.wildfireready.com Fire Adapted Methow Valley: prepare@fireadaptedmethow.org Methow Ready: www.methowready.org Okanogan County Emergency Management: www.okanogandem. org Okanogan County Fire District 6: http://okanogancountyfd6.com Winthrop Firefighters Association: www.fireadaptedwashington. org Washington Fire Adapted Communities: www.fireadaptedwashington.org

Rena Shawver is the Marketing/ Communications Specialist for the Okanogan Conservation District.

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