Gutters filled with needles and other litter are a receptive bed for embers. These are a few things that homeowners can learn during the a free home assessment May 4.
QR code for the story about Bend, Ore and how they have resolved their wildfire problem within their community
In recent years, agencies and homeowners alike have raised the question "How can a fire adapted community benefit me?" It's not until we start asking around to other communities in the northwest do we actually have our eyes opened to the possibilities and the benefits we may reap if we could strive for a common goal.
When dealing with the impacts of a wildfire, the best way to get through a wildfire event is to stick together as a community and support each other. What if we prepared earlier before a wildfire event? What would that provide the community? Most importantly, how can you, yes you reading this article right now, how can you get involved in this strategy!?
Fire Adapted Communities are just one of three pillars of the National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy. The other two being "effective response" and "fuels mitigation." One of these pieces alone cannot work effectively without the other in order to be successful.
Seeley Lake and surrounding communities are no stranger to the effects of a wildfire. Fire is and always will be an inherent part of the landscape in which we live. Each one of us, from the resident living in a forested subdivision to the business owner downtown on Main Street have a part in making our community fire adapted. However, we can begin addressing these impacts by changing how our community receives fire and by becoming more fire adapted.
A Fire Adapted Community is one that can survive and remain viable when a wildfire moves through or near the community. Fire Adapted Communities are a product of an informed and prepared population who work collaboratively to address the risks that they face.
If people don't buy into fuel reduction proposals on state and federal lands that are adjacent to private lands or communities, then we can't take care of the overgrown forests issues around our communities that reside in and around the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI). This in turn creates the perfect opportunity for a wildfire event to tear through an unprepared community causing devastation. Effective response simply becomes ineffective from overwhelming fire intensity and the number of homes in the wildland interface quickly outnumbers fire engines/firefighters in your respective fire districts.
It comes down to the community and the homeowners. You simply can't rely on fire departments to keep your home from burning down in a wildfire! If people don't rally together and keep each other accountable for maintaining vegetation around their "HIZ" or home ignition zone, then we as communities have failed altogether.
A Fire Adapted Community can do so much more! Engaged homeowners can encourage their neighbors to connect and get on community wildfire committees and empower themselves! They can create community chip days, community debris burning days and community wildfire assessments.
Fire agencies can help communities obtain special cost share grants for communities to help with fuels reduction. Businesses can help promote community efforts and the buzz around town can be very positive. The major future goal for Fire Adapted Communities is when a wildfire does hit the next time around, that community is ready, prepared and that the impact of the fire will be minimal. Communities won't have to pick up the pieces after the wildfire event.
Below is a QR code to check out how Bend, Ore. has worked hard to resolve the wildfire problem within their communities. It's a great read and great inspiration!
Saturday, May 4 has been designated as Community Wildfire Preparedness Day across the nation. Locally here in the Seeley Lake area, area fire agencies, with the help of the Clearwater Resource Council, will be offering free wildfire home risk assessments. This is an excellent opportunity for homeowners to visit with a fire official on the things that can be done to make your home more resilient to the impacts of a wildfire.
Please give the DNRC Clearwater State Forest a call to schedule an appointment for May 4, 406-244-5857. Also visit http://dnrc.mt.gov/divisions/forestry/fire-and-aviation/fire-prevention-and-preparedness/home-fire-risk for more information on home wildfire risk.
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