NEWS ABOUT SAN JUAN COUNTY FIRE DISTRICT NO. 3
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Safeguard Your Home
Against Wildland Fires
Living in a house surrounded by nature can be peaceful and beautiful, but it can also be risky. Each year across the country, wildfires destroy thousands of homes in the areas where homes intermix with wild lands. This zone has come to be called the "wildland-urban interface." As in the rest of the country, new homes in San Juan County are being built where there were just trees before, and the risk of losing homes is increasing.
With the increase in population comes an increase in the number of wildfires that start each year. In the past three years, there have been more than 40 wildfires in the county. Those fires cost thousands of dollars to suppress and destroyed three buildings. Many other threatened buildings were saved by the actions of homeowners and the county’s fire departments.
Many of the characteristics that make a home attractive unfortunately also increase the likelihood of losing the home to a wildfire. Buildings with wooden siding and decks, wood shake roofs, long, narrow driveways and limited access are those most at risk. This is particularly true if grasses, shrubs and trees grow close to the building.
The good news for people living in wildland settings is that you can do many things to protect your home even before a wildfire gets started. If you are building a new home, use firesafe materials. Metal or composite shingle roofs are safer than wooden shake roofs. Fires can spread to buildings when sparks from the fire land on the wooden roof. Wooden decks and lattice are also particularly susceptible. Consider putting in a stone or brick patio instead of a wooden deck. They are easier to maintain, and will serve as a firebreak instead of serving as kindling for the fire.
Make sure that the fire department can get to your house if a wildfire threatens it. If your access road is too narrow, poorly maintained or inadequately marked, fire apparatus may not be able to do any good. Most homes that are lost to wildfires are lost before the fire department can get to them. The best way to protect your home is to have a defensible space around your home.
A defensible space is a firebreak where flammable vegetation has been removed from around a structure. In most areas, a safety zone should be cleared away from your home for a distance of not less than 30 feet. As the slope of the lot increases, additional clearance as far as 100 feet out may be necessary.
There are several methods of creating the firebreak. Roads, cleared driveways, lakes and ponds will stop many fires. Lawns that are kept irrigated and mowed work well also. Irrigated flower gardens and vegetable gardens can also slow or stop the spread of a fire, if they are kept clear of dead material. Native vegetation can be used, if properly managed and maintained.
Deciduous trees are generally safe. Rake dead leaves out of the defensible space, and prune any dead limbs that are near the ground. Madrona limbs are particularly likely to ignite and throw sparks.
Conifers, such as lodgepole pine and Douglas fir are fire prone. Ground fires will often "torch" pines or firs, creating tremendous heat. The key to preventing conifers from torching is to keep ground fires from getting into the branches. Limb all branches up to six feet off the ground, and clear away any shrubs or tall grasses, which can serve as "ladder fuels", allowing the fire to climb up into the canopy.
Thick stands of conifers can allow the fire to jump from tree to tree. Keep stands of conifers thinned to a spacing of 10 feet or more between trees. Remove any dead trees. Trees that are too close to chimneys or hang over roofs should be trimmed back as well.
Certain native and introduced shrubs tend to burn easily and burn hot. Silal, oceanspray (or hardhack), and Scotch broom are all risky plants to have near a structure. Four-foot tall Scotch broom can burn with flame lengths of 20 feet or more. It is best to keep all native shrubs cut back from the defensible space.
Moss, needles, dead branches, and other ground fuels should be kept cleared out of the defensible space. Fires will often creep through these ground fuels, breaking through to cause a fire hours or days later. Needles and other debris should be cleaned from gutters, eaves and roofs each spring.
It is important to keep combustibles stored away from structures as well. Keep firewood at least 10 feet away from buildings. Store flammable liquids in storage sheds away from your home or garage.
Whether you are building a new home or just maintaining your grounds before the fire season starts, call the San Juan Island Fire Department if you have any questions at 378-5334.
As long as we choose to live in the wildland urban interface, we put our homes and ourselves at risk. It is up to each of us to take the steps necessary to protect our homes from wildfire.
