Complacency Won't Win Against Wildfires
Release Date: May 30, 2003
Release Number: R10-03-Wildfires
By DHS FEMA Regional Director John Pennington
In post-9/11 America, we are all in the disaster preparedness business, and when disasters strike, we are all potential first-responders. It is once again fire season here in the Pacific Northwest, and while no one expects a repeat of last year's devastating wildfires, in the disaster preparedness business, complacency can be deadly. Those of us who choose to live in wildland/urban interface communities and woodland settings have enlisted as first line defenders in the seasonal struggle against wildfire. And that goes for both sides of the mountains!
Many of us tend to think of wildfires as a "wilderness," or an "east of the mountains" thing. Wildfires have already been reported in western Washington and Oregon - and while fires west of the cascades may be "fewer and farther between," when these woods go up, they really go up, placing a lot more homes at risk.
An aggressive, well-rehearsed family disaster plan, current stocks of emergency food, water and medical supplies and emergency cash on hand will go a long way towards reducing the pain of unexpected services or infrastructure disruption - come what may. But wildfires demand specific precautions - once wildfire is advancing towards a home or community, it is often too late to do anything but evacuate. Talk to your local fire department or forestry office, and stay apprised of local burning bans and changing weather conditions.
Talk with your neighbors (a community is only as safe as its least prepared member). Evaluate your exposure. Consider the fire resistance of your home, the typography of your property and surrounding vegetation; identify and maintain an adequate supply of emergency water; assemble a disaster supply kit and develop and rehearse your family disaster plan; and inspect your house and property on a regular basis.
If you live in a fire-prone area and have not visited the Firewise Homepage at www.firewise.org, or our own website at: www.usfa.fema.gov - I urge you to do so - now. Sometimes balancing conventional landscaping techniques with sound wildfire mitigation practices seems counterintuitive - these websites help bring the two concepts together.
But by all means, take positive steps NOW to safeguard your loved ones, property and cherished possessions by creating a Safety Zone or Defensible Perimeter:
- Clear flammable debris well away from structures and phone or power poles.
- Cut back flammable weeds and brush, and remove branches within 15 feet of the ground.
- Mow regularly and rake leaves, limbs and twigs.
- Remove vines from the walls of your home and prune tree branches and shrubs within 15 feet of stovepipes and chimneys.
- Keep roofs, chimneys and gutters clean.
- Install smoke detectors on every floor, and near sleeping areas.
- Stack firewood away from your home and store combustible materials only in approved containers.
- Keep fire tools (shovel, rake, water bucket and ladders) handy.
Don't overlook adequate insurance coverage. Sit down with your insurance agent and make sure that coverage is still adequate and up to date for the hazards you face. Wildfires increase the chance of flooding as weather cycles change, so flood insurance should be part of your all-hazards insurance arsenal.
Sit down with local fire department or forestry responders to make sure that you "are on the map," and that your driveways are accessible to fire response vehicles. Be sure to talk exit strategies and evacuation routes just in case worst does come to worst.
If wildfire forces you into the role of first responder, you want that first response to be your best response, and if you act now, it can be.
Last Modified: Tuesday, 10-Jun-2003 08:51:22