Firewise Tips for Fire Mitigation
Spanish Peaks Alliance for Wildfire Protection
P.O. Box 421
La Veta, CO 81055
(432) 238-1157
Email:
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Spanish Peaks Alliance for Wildfire Protection
P.O. Box 421
La Veta, CO 81055
(432) 238-1157
Email:
Facebook:
Dr. Jack Cohen, Fire Science Researcher with the USDA Forest Service, explains current research about how homes ignite during wildfires, and the actions that homeowners can take to help their home survive the impacts of flames and embers.
NFPA's Firewise program teaches how to adapt to living with a wildfire and promotes knowledge about wildfire safety. It is important that members of our community also know how to prepare and protect their families and their homes from wildfire concerns.
Rain keeps our fire danger low for a while, but it also helps the grasses grow tall. When tall grass dries out, it becomes light, flashy fuel where fires start easily and travel quickly. In the area within 50 to 100 feet of your structures, cut grass down to four to six inches in height. This will help protect your structures by reducing the size and intensity of fires. Also cut the grass under any trees or bushes with low-hanging branches, in an area extending three to five feet from the tree's drip line. This will reduce the chance that tall grasses will become "ladder fuel" that carries a small ground fire into the crowns of the trees. By keeping grasses short, you'll help wildfires stay small and on the ground, where firefighters have a better chance of managing them.
Firewood stacked close to your house, or under your deck, is like a time bomb. When wildfire embers settle into your wood pile, they will slowly build a fire that can destroy your home. Fortunately, you can reduce this risk by moving your wood pile at least 30 feet away from your house. Wood should be stacked level with the house or uphill, and at least 15 feet away from overhanging tree limbs. For convenience on cold nights, keep a small wood supply indoors, in a utility room, enclosed shed, or garage.
We call these overcrowded, spindly saplings "dog-hair" because they're thick as the hair on a dog's back. But we should really call them just what they are: Dangerous fuel that makes wildfires more intense. Dog-hair acts as kindling that turns small ground fires into raging crown fires that are almost impossible to control. In a wild, uninhabited forest, nature removes these excess saplings with frequent, low-intensity fires. When we choose to live in the forest, we must clear out the dog-hair ourselves. Fortunately, you can remove this dangerous fuel with a simple bow saw or a pair of branch loppers.
We call those low-hanging branches "ladder fuel" because they can easily carry a tame ground fire into the crowns of the pines. Once the fire is in the treetops, it becomes a huge fire that's extremely hard to control. But you can help a fire stay on the ground by taking its ladder away: Simply cut off those low-hanging limbs. For tall, mature trees, remove all limbs at least ten feet off the ground. A bow saw on the end of a pole (shown here) is a good tool for that job, because it lets you work safely from the ground. When limbing smaller trees that you want to keep, trim the lower 1/3 of the tree's height.
As soon as spring arrives, we all reach for our saws to resume the work of caring for our piece of the forest. Keeping your forest management tools sharp and ready is a good project for a winter day: