NEWS ABOUT SAN JUAN COUNTY FIRE DISTRICT NO. 3
Related stories
Fire Danger Now High
posted 08/19/02
A burn ban is in effect for all of San Juan County due to the high fire danger. All open burning, including recreational fires is closed. The burn ban includes county parks and the San Juan Island National Historical Park. Fires are no longer allowed on Fourth of July Beach or on South Beach. Fires are not permitted in other areas of the park at any time.
Propane and charcoal grills are still allowed at private residences and at parks. Residents are asked to be extra cautious this season.
On August 16, 2002 San Juan County hit a record high level for fire danger, as temperatures hit 83 degrees and relative humidity dropped below 15%. Forecasts for August and September indicate continued warm and dry conditions.
Story from July 2000
Cady Mountain, Hannah Road and Mount Dallas Road
rate highest in fire danger
posted 07/00
Three neighborhoods on San Juan Island topped the list of neighborhoods most at risk of losing homes to wildfires in northwest Washington. Cady Mountain, Hannah Road, and Mount Dallas Road are among the most hazardous locations for wildfires in northwest Washington according to the Washington State Department of Natural Resources.
Cady Mountain and Hannah Road rated high and were the only two areas in northwest Washington to receive that rating.
Mount Dallas Road received a moderate rating and placed ahead of all other locations in northwest Washington. It missed a high rating by only two points.
The rating system assessed vegetation, defensible space, access, water supplies, utilities, construction and fire department response.
The primary factors that led to a high danger rating in the San Juan Island neighborhoods included poor access for fire engines, inadequate clearing of vegetation around homes, fire-prone construction and very flammable fuels.
Due to the findings of these surveys, the Department of Natural Resources has classified all of San Juan Island as high risk.
According to the DNR, many of the roads and driveways on the island are too narrow to allow fire engines access. Others may be wide enough, but would be easily blocked by cars or people trying to escape a fire. Many do not have pullouts to allow cars to pass, or places for fire engines to turn around. Last year, three fire engines were damaged driving on narrow roads to wildfires.
Many houses do not have defensible space. Homes should have a minimum of thirty feet of clearance from native vegetation. On steep slopes, the distance should be increased. Many homes on the island have no clearance at all.
Wooden shake roofs, wooden siding, wood decks, and overhanging eaves all increase the likelihood that wildfires will spread to houses. In some cases, homes well outside of the fire perimeter have been destroyed when windborne embers fell on shake roofs. Several buildings in San Juan County have been damaged or destroyed by wildfires in the past ten years.
The unique microclimate of the San Juan Islands contributes to the fire danger as well. Drier conditions than the remainder of western Washington mean lighter, faster burning fuels. The grasslands, shrubs and mixed conifers ignite more easily and spread faster than the mossy fir-cedar forests and hardwood forests of the mainland.
San Juan Fire District No. 3 Fire Chief Bill McLaughlin says the department has long recognized the unique dangers present here, and plans accordingly. The fire department has five brush fire engines, more than any other fire department in the region. Firefighters with the fire department are trained to the same high level that DNR and US Forest Service firefighters are.
In September, the department will be receiving two new Wildland-Urban Interface Fire Engines. These fire engines will be all-wheel drive fire engines designed to fight wildland or structure fires anywhere on the island. They will be equipped with a state of the art foam system. The foam can be sprayed onto houses to help protect them from approaching fires. The fire engines will replace the smaller brush trucks the department currently uses.
McLaughlin stresses homeowners themselves must take every precaution they can to minimize the risk of wildland fires on their property. Clearing vegetation away from houses, and maintaining good driveways are each homeowner.s responsibility.
For more information on protecting your property, stop by the San Juan Island Fire Department at 310 Carter St. or call 360.378.5334.
Sharon Kivisto
and
Matt Pranger
can be reached:
phone:
360.378.3748
fax:
360.378.9748
by e-mail:
news@sanjuanislander.com
by mail:
San Juan Islander
PO Box 1118
Friday Harbor, WA 98250 USA