Jack Piippo's property off Wagon Wheel Way in Phase 1 of Double Arrow Ranch. When he purchased the property in 1987 it was covered with dying lodgepole. After 25 years of mitigating fuels the trees are spaced far enough to reduce the threat of a crown fire and a nine-phase sprinkler system keeps the grass green.
DNRC public relations specialist Jordan Koppen, Office of Emergency Management Wildfire Preparedness Coordinator Max Rebholz, Clearwater Resource Council President Jon Haufler and outgoing DNRC Clearwater Unit Fire Management Officer Cory Calnan were impressed with all the work homeowner Jack Piippo has done to Firewise his home. They noted the gravel surrounding the home and the metal roof. Suggestions they made were removing or limbing up the Douglas fir growing on the corner of the house, cleaning out the needles from below the deck and removing planters and the broom from the deck during a wildfire. Piippo has installed a drip water system on the home to keep the planters well watered and blows out the needles from below the deck every spring.
Bird nests are a big watch out as well as needle accumulation on roofs, decks and in gutters. Nests and needles are fine fuels that will hold embers allowing it to smolder and possibly ignite. Piippo was aware of the issue and removes the nests below his deck after the chicks fledge – typically before the fire season.
Vents (like the one above the door) should be screened to ensure embers are not able to get into the attic of a structure. Squirrel cashes and needle accumulation under wooden walkways and decks are excellent fuel receptors to catch embers during a wildfire and ignite the wooden walkway or deck.
SEELEY LAKE – Around a dozen property owners participated in this year's Community Wildfire Preparedness Day, May 4. Local fire agency experts assessed properties for defensible space and structures for wildfire risk. They offered landowners suggestions on how they could improve the structures' chances of surviving the flaming front and ember shower produced by a wildfire. Volunteers with the Clearwater Resource Council also provided information regarding fuel mitigation grant opportunities through the Seeley-Swan Fuel Mitigations Task Force.
Jack Piippo has been mitigating fuels on his property for around 25 years. He had experience working alongside wildland fire crews running an infrared hand-held camera to find hot spots.
"Watching the behavior of the fire with the firemen, it made us think about what we wanted to do," said Piippo.
When he purchased his property off Wagon Wheel Way in Double Arrow Ranch Phase 1 in 1987 it was primarily a decadent lodgepole forest.
"The lodgepole were dying fast, up to 50 per year," said Piippo. "We had a little problem getting the [Double Arrow Landowners Association] Fire Safety Committee to let us cut them down. Finally they said sure, cut down the dead and dying."
The Piippo family built the bridge across the Clearwater River and started cutting trees in 1992. They built a pavilion in 1994 and started their home in 2003, finishing construction in 2005.
Piippo said when they built, they tried to mitigate the risks of wildfire whenever possible. They were conscience of creating defensible space around structures. They installed a nine-zone sprinkler system with two zones that can be turned on to protect the west side of the property – the most vulnerable side to wildfire. They also installed 1,500 feet of drip system that is hooked up to the house keeping their planters moist.
"This is just to make sure to dampen down the fire as much as we can," said Piippo. "Hopefully if there was a fire, we can get ahead of it a little bit."
Piippo insisted on metal roofs for all his structures. He also used non-combustible building material when possible. If there had been metal siding that looked like wood, they would have used that. However, they opted for vinyl siding on the house.
The Piippos have been evacuated twice. They have taken advantage of firewise assessment opportunities from fire professionals as often as possible and implement as many suggestions as they can. One of the things they changed based on their last assessment was adding a weight limit sign for the bridge across the Clearwater River. This lets firefighters know that the weight limit is 35 tons eliminating that question should they ever respond in an emergency.
"We've done whatever the Firewise people said," said Piippo. "This way we know what we should be doing."
Piippo said education is the biggest tool to help landowners become more prepared. He encourages everyone in the valley to call their local DNRC office or local fire department to take advantage of a home assessment.
"So do I get my green rock," asked Piippo joking with the assessors about how they are rating his property – green rock for defensible versus red rock for undefensible.
While they didn't have a green rock to give him, DNRC public relations specialist Jordan Koppen said, "It's looking really good, Jack. You have a premier property."
For more information call the DNRC Clearwater Unit, 406-244-5857 or the Seeley Lake Fire Department, 406-677-2400. Homeowners are also encouraged to view the Youtube video "Your Home Can Survive a Wildfire" featuring Fire Science Researcher Jack Cohen.
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