May is National Wildfire Awareness Month and the Missoula County Fire Protection Association is encouraging property owners to begin preparing now for this year’s upcoming wildfire season. With some simple steps, you can prepare your home and protect your neighborhood for the 2021 fire season. Here are four takeaways to get you started.
1. Sign-Up For Emergency Alerts. Start by signing up all family members for Smart911 to receive emergency alerts on your cell phone via text, email and/or phone call. Smart911 will be one of the primary ways you will be notified during an evacuation warning or order. By sharing your information with local emergency management officials, we can plan for people that may need extra help when disaster strikes. Smart911 is safe, secure and is free for all to sign up. For more information and to sign up for Smart911 visit https://www.missoulacounty.us/government/public-safety/office-of-emergency-management/smart911
2. Prepare your Home Ignition Zone. Embers and burning debris from wildfires can travel up to one mile away from the fire and land on or near the home and can cause it to ignite. Experiments, observations and post-fire studies have shown that homes ignite due to the condition of the home and everything around it, up to 200 feet away from the home. This is called the Home Ignition Zone and it is divided into three zones.
The first zone is the home and the first five feet around the home. The second zone is five feet to 30 feet from the home and the third zone is 30 feet to 100 feet or more (depending on slope) from the home.
To prevent home destruction from wildfires, it is imperative that homeowners prepare their Home Ignition Zone before fire season. For information on how to prepare your Home Ignition Zone visit https://www.nfpa.org/Public-Education/Fire-causes-and-risks/Wildfire/Preparing-homes-for-wildfire or http://www.wildfirepartnersmissoula.org. You can also visit with a local fire professional to receive specific guidance on preparing your home by signing up for a Home Wildfire Risk Assessment at http://dnrc.mt.gov/divisions/forestry/fire-and-aviation/fire-prevention-and-preparedness/home-fire-risk/request-a-site-visit
3. Perform Fuel Reduction and Ensure Emergency Responder Access. Fuel reduction is the act of removing some vegetation that is susceptible to causing high intensity wildland fire. This can be removing ‘ladder fuels,’ smaller trees/shrubs that are growing beneath larger trees. You can also create more horizontal spacing between your trees which will reduce the risk of high intensity wildfire.
Be sure emergency responders can safely access your property by incorporating reflective address signs at the entrance to your property and removing fuels around your access routes. It is recommended to establish 13 feet of vertical clearance and 16 feet of horizontal clearance along your driveway/access route. For assistance on performing fuel reduction in the Seeley area, be sure to visit and inquire with Clearwater Resources Council, The Blackfoot Challenge and Swan Valley Connections.
4. Prepare a “Go bag”. Wildfire evacuees often lament that as they raced out the door, they forgot to take irreplaceable items and grabbed whatever was closest. Evacuations can occur quickly, and even small fires can necessitate evacuations. Be sure you are prepared by assembling a Go Bag before fire season as if you are going on a three-day camping trip. Also add priceless items, important papers, N95 masks and other essentials. Visit wildfirepartnersmissoula.org under the “Be Prepared” tab for a kit checklist
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