Compilation of wildfire information provided by Firewise.org

Sunday, May 17, 2009
Interagency Declaration for the 2009 Wildland Fire Season

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM), U.S. Forest Service (USFS), Tule
River Reservation Fire Department and Kern County Fire Department (KCFD)
will announce an “Interagency Declaration for the 2009 Wildland Fire
Season” at 10:00 a.m. on Monday, May 18th.

Fire officials, representing all agencies, will make the announcement
at a press conference:
When: 10:00 a.m. on Monday, May 18th.
Where: Kern County Fire Station 62,
Where: Meadows Field Airport Station, located at 1652 Sunnyside Court in Bakersfield.
From Norris Road, drive north on Pegasus Drive to Sunnyside Court, then
turn east and drive to the end of the court. Access to the airport
station is through the sliding gate.

The declaration will cover all lands within the following jurisdictions:
1. Forest lands managed by the Sequoia National Forest located in
Fresno, Tulare, and Kern counties and will include the Giant Sequoia
National Monument.
2. Public lands managed by the BLM Bakersfield Field Office
throughout Tulare, Fresno, Kings, Kern, Madera, San Luis Obispo, Santa
Barbara and Ventura counties.
3. Public and private land under the direct protection of the Kern
County Fire Department.
4. Land within the boundaries of the Tule River Indian Reservation
located in Tulare County.

Fire season officially begins when seasonal firefighting
equipment and personnel are in place, prepared, and ready to respond.
Early high temperatures and low humidity has fire officials concerned
that the threat of wildland fires will significantly increase as
conditions continue to become drier in the low elevation foothills and
mountainous areas.

100' of defensible space:
Homeowners living in the Wildland Urban Interface are reminded to
complete their defensible space by clearing hazardous dry vegetation
away from their homes, outbuildings and property. State law requires
property owners to clear a minimum of 100 feet from any structure.
Property clearance for fuels reduction work must be completed by June
9th.

California campfire permits:
If you plan on visiting the Sequoia National Forest or BLM
lands, visitors must have a California campfire permit in their
possession for the use of wood fires, charcoal barbecues, and portable
gas stoves using gas, jellied petroleum, or pressurized liquid fuel.
These permits are free and can be obtained from any Forest Service, BLM
or California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection office.

“Be Fire Wise!!!”
With the potential for a hot and dry summer ahead, fire
officials urge the public to “Please Be Fire Safe,” when visiting
our forests and public lands. Communities need to be prepared!!
Wildfires can be damaging. It’s a clear choice, “Be Fire Wise!!!”

Schwarzenegger Issues Executive Order to Boost State's Wildfire Preparedness and Resources

Sacramento, California - As part of Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s ongoing commitment to emergency preparedness, today he issued Executive Order S-05-09, which mobilizes the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) to secure and deploy the additional resources and personnel that are necessary to save lives and protect homes statewide from wildfires.

“Last summer when California was engulfed by 2,000 fires, California’s brave and hard working firefighters beat back every one of those fires, but it was not without great sacrifice and great cost,” said Governor Schwarzenegger. “A third straight year of drought only heightens the danger we face this summer, and we need every firefighting tool on ready alert, so we can spring into action when disaster strikes. This Executive Order directs CAL FIRE to immediately mobilize more personnel and equipment, which means more crews, more engines, more helicopters and more planes to ensure our firefighters have the tools they need again this year to keep us safe.”

As part of the Executive Order, the Governor directed state agencies, including the California Emergency Management Agency, California National Guard, California Conservation Corps, and California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to coordinate their actions with federal and local agencies, prepositioning resources and maximizing California’s fire prevention and fighting capabilities.

Earlier this week, the Governor issued a proclamation declaring May 2-9, 2009 “Wildfire Awareness Week.”

Below is text of the Governor’s executive order:

WHEREAS changing climate has impacted California’s weather patterns and fuel conditions, resulting in an increased risk of wildfire; and

WHEREAS current below-normal precipitation, seasonally higher-than-normal temperatures, strong winds, and low relative humidity combined with dead, dying and diseased trees have contributed to heavy fuel loads and the early drying of wildland vegetation; and

WHEREAS these readily available fuel loads create an imminent threat of catastrophic fires; and

WHEREAS last year California experienced devastating wildfires that destroyed lives, property, businesses, critical infrastructure, and the environment and resulted in the largest deployment of firefighting resources in state history; and

WHEREAS this year, California once again finds itself facing an imminent threat of devastating wildfires and imminent peril to people and property; and

WHEREAS federal aviation assets continue to be limited; and

WHEREAS coordinated fire prevention, aggressive fuel reduction programs and strong initial attack resources are essential to protect people, property and the environment in California; and

WHEREAS the increased risk of catastrophic wildfires throughout California may result in harmful, secondary environmental effects, including increased emissions of air pollutants; diminished air and water quality; impacted watershed and soil stability; and compromised populations and habitats of sensitive and endangered fish and wildlife species; and

WHEREAS the increased risk of catastrophic wildfires could significantly impact state efforts to reduce greenhouse gases due to significant uncontrolled emissions of greenhouse gases caused by wildfire; and

WHEREAS immediate action is needed to respond to these conditions and to protect people, as well as the property, economy and environment throughout California, from the negative impacts of catastrophic wildfires.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER, Governor of the State of California, in accordance with the authority vested in me by the Constitution and statutes of the State of California, do hereby issue the following orders to become effective immediately:

IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) shall secure and deploy additional resources that are necessary, as determined by the Director, to protect the safety of persons and property from wildfires during periods of elevated fire risk as follows:

(a) Staff additional fire crews, fire engines, helitack crews, fire bulldozers, equipment and aviation resources as warranted based on fire threat conditions.

(b) Assign a crew of four firefighters to CAL FIRE fire engines as warranted based on fire threat conditions.

(c) Assign additional resources in the CAL FIRE Contract Counties as warranted based on fire threat conditions.

(d) Coordinate with the California Emergency Management Agency (CAL EMA) and the California National Guard for those military resources that may be available for assistance during emergencies in California.

(e) Assign additional fire safe inspectors where and when beneficial to reduce fire risk, assist with fire hazard reduction, conduct defensible space inspections, and promote fire safe practices, public education and prevention programs.

(f) Provide for supplemental detection, including staffing for fire lookouts, during peak fire conditions.

(g) Increase staffing for command and control functions at CAL FIRE Unit Emergency Command Centers, Northern and Southern Operations Centers and the CAL FIRE Sacramento Coordination Center when necessary to respond to significant fire events.

(h) Assign additional staff as necessary to provide emergency incident support and burn area emergency assessment and response activities.

IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that CAL FIRE utilize staff as necessary to support a heightened level of fire prevention public awareness and education utilizing CAL FIRE Volunteers in Prevention, Fire Safe Councils, and the Office of the State Fire Marshal.

IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that CAL FIRE continue, within its authority, to expedite the processing of contracts and grants of federal funds to communities, and continue to support local and regional wildfire hazard mitigation and community emergency planning efforts.

IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that CAL EMA shall, in consultation and coordination with CAL FIRE and as fire threat conditions warrant, (a) deploy CAL EMA fire engine strike teams to ensure a substantial response capability to any wildland fire situation in California, with the costs of the deployment to be reimbursed consistent with the California Fire Service and Rescue Emergency Mutual Aid Plan and the California Fire Assistance Agreement; and (b) augment personnel at CAL EMA operations centers and emergency incident support teams as necessary to respond to significant fire events.

IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that the California National Guard prepare to provide its aviation assets, identify personnel to train for hand crews and pre-position ground support equipment as appropriate for response to major wildfires, and report to CAL EMA on the status of all aircraft on a weekly basis.

IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, including the Division of Juvenile Justice, establish the highest priority for assignment of minimum custody or camp-approved inmates and wards to Conservation Camp Fire Crews.

IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that the California Conservation Corps (CCC) report to CAL FIRE daily on the readiness of all CCC support crews for response to wildfires.

IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that CAL EMA review the preparedness of state agencies and departments to assure readiness for response to wildfires.

IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that CAL FIRE and CAL EMA work closely with federal, state and local government agencies, bordering states, and the Mexico border states to maximize California’s fire prevention and firefighting capabilities and to provide appropriate reciprocal assistance when requested.

IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that, to the extent authorized by applicable law, the purchasing authority of CAL FIRE and CAL EMA (and other state agencies and departments as deemed necessary by the Secretary of CAL EMA) shall be raised to $100,000 to expedite the contracts necessary to prepare and respond to emergencies during this fire season.

IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that the Department of General Services (DGS), in coordination with CAL EMA, shall establish short and long-term procurement mechanisms to secure the unique goods and services that may be required to support communities in an emergency.

IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that CAL EMA, in consultation and coordination with the California Natural Resources Agency and the California Environmental Protection Agency, initiate necessary preparedness and training efforts for local governments to ensure that post-fire watershed assessments, emergency protective measures, effective debris removal efforts, post-fire burn area assessments, and mitigation efforts to evaluate potential hazards, are implemented to address needed remediation.

IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that the California Environmental Protection Agency and the California Natural Resources Agency shall oversee the Climate Action Team’s development of measures for wildfire fuels reduction and biomass utilization.

IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that CAL FIRE shall provide educational information to homeowners on defensible space and California Building and Fire Codes ignition-resistant building materials, and shall develop training for defensible space inspection and building ignitability in consultation with the Department of Insurance, CAL EMA, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that CAL FIRE shall conduct vigorous defensible space inspections pursuant to applicable authority.

IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that to assist landowners to meet their 100-foot defensible space requirements to reduce hazardous vegetation and landscaping, CALFIRE, in consultation with the California Biomass/Biofuel Collaborative, may enter into contracts, agreements, and arrangements for the chipping, hauling, burning, or other methods of disposal of hazardous vegetation removed by landowners as required by Public Resources Code section 4291 and Government Code section 51182.

IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that CAL EMA, in coordination with CAL FIRE, shall continue to support the development of fire hazard information and shall continue to make it available to the public.

IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that CAL EMA shall assist local communities to help ensure that federal hazard mitigation grants are focused on the areas of greatest vulnerability in the Wildland Urban Interface in California.

This Order is not intended to, and does not, create any rights or benefits, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity, against the State of California, its agencies, departments, entities, officers, employees, or any other person.

I FURTHER DIRECT that as soon as hereafter possible, this Order be filed in the Office of the Secretary of State and that widespread publicity and notice be given to this Order.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Great Seal of the State of California to be affixed this 5th day of May 2009.

ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER
Governor of California

ATTEST:
DEBRA BOWEN
Secretary of State

Experts disagree on methods for preventing catastrophic forest fires

By Dylan Darling
Posted April 26, 2009 at midnight

Flames from last year's Moon Fire almost burned down Mike Boswell's home on Rector Creek Road near Ono.

But ultimately the house was saved by brush thinning his family did on their 20 acres long before the blaze burned through in early July.

"We are like the poster children for clearing your property," Boswell said.

In the north state and around the West, the call for residents to clear vegetation around their homes has become the mantra of firefighting agencies.

While the strategy has proven successful for homes like Boswell's, the question remains of how to manage the thickly forested land abutting their properties, including vast acres of federal land that make up much of the north state landscape.

The forests are becoming overloaded with fuel, said Arlen Cravens, fire management officer for the Shasta-Trinity National Forest near Redding. He said increased thinning and prescribed burning programs are needed throughout the woods.

"What we want to do is return fire into its normal, annual cycle in the ecosystem," Cravens said.

Ready to burn
The north state's wildlands are primed for fire, as last summer's epic fire season proved. Thunderstorms on June 20 and 21 sparked thousands of wildfires that burned for months and fueled ongoing debates about how the wildland should be managed.

But as dramatic as last year's fire season was - 800,000 acres burned north of Sacramento - other years have been just as brutal.

Over the centuries, fires regularly burned hundreds of thousands of north state acres in a year, said James Agee, an ecology professor at the University of Washington in Seattle.

"It would have made last summer somewhat an average year," he said.

Scientists say natural history records show fire played a central role in shaping the north state wildlands.

"For the most part, fire was ubiquitous," Agee said. "It was everywhere."

But that changed in the past century as aggressive fire suppression came into vogue, he said.

Carl Skinner, a scientist studying fire at the U.S. Forest Service's Pacific Southwest Research Station in Redding, agrees. He said fire burned through the north state woods every six to 15 years.

Those frequent fires cleaned out low-growing plants and small trees, keeping down the amount of fuel - or vegetation - ready to burn, Skinner said.

The public perception that fires are not a natural phenomenon, but are damaging the forest, led to decades of aggressive battles that quickly quelled the blazes.

The result has been a forest "out of whack," Skinner said.

Now there is more vegetation on the ground, fueling fires that burn more intensely and leap to the treetops.

"By trying to remove fire from the environment, we've made it where fires burn hotter," Skinner said.

Reintroducing fire
Many foresters say the situation can be reversed by using fire to prevent fire.

Called prescribed burns - because they are set by prescription of a forester - these human-lit fires are aimed at lowering the amount of fuel in the forest. They are ignited before fire season starts, often during the transition from winter to spring when fuel moisture levels keep the flames small and low to the ground.

Among those who advocate more prescribed fires is Richard Fairbanks, fire program associate with The Wilderness Society. Before going to work for the nationwide conservation group, Fairbanks worked for the U.S. Forest Service for 32 years. There he worked his way up from firefighter to fire recovery planner.

During that work he said fire managers often ordered him and his crews to snuff fires that he believed would have been better left to burn.

"There are lot of reasons why a fire could be beneficial," Fairbanks said.

Fire crews often have the most success putting out smaller, low-intensity fires, he said. But those fires do nature's housekeeping, clearing away debris.

Meanwhile, firefighters struggle to corral high-intensity fires that can alter a landscape and kill timber stands when they flare into the treetops, or crowns. Fairbanks said prescribed burns would prevent those catastrophic fires.

"If you burn the understory when conditions are right, you don't get these ripping crown fires," Fairbanks said.

He disagrees with those who say that more thinning and logging are the best way to reduce fuel in the woods. The demand for timber has evaporated and the thinnings leave too much fuel still on the ground, he said.

"Chain saws are not going to be the answer," Fairbanks said.

Cutting fire danger
Ed Murphy, a forester with Sierra Pacific Industries in Anderson, agrees with Fairbanks that an effort must be made to prevent crown fires.

"When the fire is up in the tree crowns, you can't fight it," Murphy said.

But he disagrees with Fairbanks' solution.

He advocates thinning and timber harvests that create "moats and castles" - fuel breaks around and through the forests that would keep flames from spreading over vast acreage. That approach eventually could use prescribed fire, he said, but first the level of fuel in the forest needs to be eliminated through thinning.

"A huge amount of work needs to be done," Murphy said.

That work includes logging some big trees to create breaks in the canopy that would stop the spread of a crown fire, he said.

That's a point of controversy that often has stalled thinning projects in the north state.

Murphy said environmental groups want to allow cutting only trees 12 inches in diameter or smaller. That, he said, endangers larger trees because the thinning and fuel breaks aren't adequate to protect them from flames.

"It's a fundamental difference of opinion," Murphy said.

The lawsuits driven by such clashing opinions crippled the timber industry, Murphy said, forcing closure of mills that would have processed the material thinned from the forests. He said the demand for lumber is still there, but the companies need access to some of the bigger trees to meet that demand.

There also is a market for electricity produced by burning the wood that is too small to mill, or biomass, Murphy said. But attempts to clear biomass from federal land often run into the same legal snares as proposed timber sales.

An issue of scale
Both sides agree that, no matter what the approach, decades of work lie ahead.

"The problem is growing and we are not treating it at a rate that is fast enough," Murphy said.

For eight Northern California counties - including Shasta and Tehama - the amount of fuels could be brought into check in about 40 years, Murphy said. Once the fuel load is lowered, patches of those forests should then be treated about every 200 years, he said. At the current pace, those same forests are treated about every 2,000 years.

"The rate of treatment is so very, very small that it's almost unresponsive to the problem," Murphy said.

The number of acres burned each year in prescribed fires also is inadequate, Fairbanks said.

He said regional Forest Service fire managers have said they should be burning four to 10 times the number of acres now burned annually in prescribed fires.

On the 2.1 million acre Shasta-Trinity National Forest near Redding, fire crews burn about 3,500 acres with prescribed fire each year, said Cravens, the Shasta-Trinity fire management officer. He'd prefer to be burning as many as 50,000 acres each year, but that can't happen unless the budget, crew availability and weather are in alignment, he said.

Weather is especially crucial, with moisture levels, temperatures, and wind speed and direction all factored into the equation.

"It might be that we only have six days in a year that are appropriate for that," he said.

Murphy and Fairbanks agree that changes are urgently needed in fuel management and fire prevention because the situation is becoming worse each year.

April 27, 2009

Fire destroys hundreds of homes each year. It poses an even greater threat in many areas experiencing extreme drought conditions. Dry trees, grass and shrubs are more apt to catch fire quickly and they also increase the speed and intensity of a fire, making it harder to control and contain. The drought will also impact local water sources such as lakes and rivers, reducing the sources of available water that can be used to put out the fire.

Homes in California have been built in natural fire zones. Coupled with predicted climate change, many areas of California and our country are expected to get hotter and drier increasing the threat of fire. It has been proven that fire safe landscaping can help save your home. Now, more than ever, it is important to re-examine your fire danger and how you can help protect your family and property. The California Landscape Contractors Association (CLCA) is pleased to offer some recommendations. This advice can help protect your property during fire season and help you prepare for predicted water shortages and climate change.

Create a Defensible Space
Remove all dead plants, trees and shrubs. Keep your lawn well mowed and healthy and all plants pruned and well maintained.

With much drier conditions, increase the recommended defensible space around your home from 30 to 50 feet or as recommended by your local fire department, especially if your area is prone to wildfires. Be sure to include at least 100-150 feet around your home in your fire management plan. Any flammable solvents, liquids and other materials need to be safely stored in approved fire safe storage areas and containers. Thin trees and brush within this space and eliminate flammable grasses and plants growing under trees. As conditions get drier and hotter, the speed of fires will increase. Allowing a larger defensible space gives you more time to get out safely and the fire department more time to save your home.

Space trees at least 30 feet apart and prune lower limbs to a height of at least 10 feet. Make sure there are no branches that hang over structures, which could allow flames to jump to your home. Highly flammable trees such as eucalyptus and pine should be avoided or removed if located close to structures.

Contact your local fire department or go to http://www.madera-county.com/firemarshal/pdf/Flammable-plants.pdf for a list of high fuel plants that should be removed. If you are in a high fire danger area, fire agencies will often send an inspector at your request to help determine plants and trees that pose a threat to structures.

Use fire resistant plants and do not plant in large masses. This helps prevent the fire from having the continuous fuel needed to carry the fire to your home. Close to your home use decorative rock, gravel, stepping stones, cement or stone garden art, stone walls or other items which can help modify, slow or break the path of a fire on your property. Your local fire department or nursery will have a list of fire resistant plants native to your area.

In many areas due to reduced water allocations, it may not be possible to keep a well-watered landscape or to use supplemental irrigation. Consider using fire resistant plants that are also drought tolerant, along with water saving irrigation technology or a drip system that could help you maximize your water allowance.

Plant beds should be filled with low flammable plants or decorative rock. All flowerbeds should be mulched. Mulch helps keep water in the soil and helps keep plants healthy. Be careful not to use pine bark, thick layers of pine needles or flammable mulches.

Make sure water sources needed to fight the fire are working and easy to find. Plastic irrigation lines and parts are flammable and should be installed underground. Also consider some type of rain harvesting or other water storage system. As water becomes more scarce, it is even more important to conserve. The more resources available to help fight fire the better.

Consider your entrance and exit defensible space. If it is lined with trees or other burning materials you may not be able to escape and/or the fire department may not be able to access your property and save your home.

Preventing Soil Erosion from Wind, Rain or Flood After A Fire
When protective plants are removed, soil becomes vulnerable to erosion. Soil erosion can happen slowly or it can happen very quickly in a heavy rain. Defensive measures need to be taken immediately to prevent the soil from blowing away, washing away or collapsing into a mudslide. The exact measures needed for your property are based on your soil type, slope grade, home location, weather, water availability etc.

In the case of wind erosion on flat ground, putting something over an area of flat soil to keep it from blowing away is effective until plant life resumes. In some areas tackified straw pellets, mulch or other erosion control materials may need to be applied.

The steeper the slope, the harder it is to successfully introduce plants and other items that will keep the ground from eroding. Erosion control blankets, straw wattles, hydraulic mulch and other erosion control materials can be used to help hold slopes in place. Depending upon the slope, retaining walls, interlocking concrete blocks or terraces may be necessary. Consider temporary erosion control measures to keep the ground from washing away until the plants recover. Native plants in burned areas will return on their own.

Water flow is an important factor of any erosion plan. Never underestimate the power of storm water and debris. Evaluating the area and planning for storm events is a critical first step to protecting your property. You'll want to protect your home and your neighbors' as well.

If you need help with erosion control or fire prevention landscaping, be sure to hire a licensed professional who specializes in that area of expertise. Ask for references, insurance certificates and request to see their license.

How Can I Prepare for a Drier and Hotter Future?
Less water, higher temperatures, and lower rainfall are in our future, increasing our fire risk. It's time to start preparing now to protect homes and natural resources. Here's what you can do to begin:

Consider water conservation and reuse programs such as rainwater harvesting, greywater recycling, advanced irrigation technology and water storage.

When considering home repairs or upgrades, incorporate water efficient technology and fire resistant materials.

Examine your landscaping and the long-term availability of water in your area. Consider reducing or replacing lawns with fire retardant, drought resistant plants.

Start a FireWise Community in your neighborhood. The FireWise Communities Program is a federally funded, nonprofit program that involves communities, homeowners, developers and others to reduce the loss of lives and property. As a community, members work together to consider escape routes, vegetation removal, establishing defensible areas, water supplies, building materials and more. Their website is http://www.firewise.org.

Fire Safe Council questions intent of new wildfire ordinance

By Dale Andreasen
Daily News
Yreka, Calif.

Dale and Giselle Nova, joint coordinators of the Fire Safe Council of Siskiyou County, appeared at the April 7 board of supervisors meeting to voice their concerns about the recently passed county ordinance regarding community wildfire protection planning.

Several members of local fire safe councils also voiced concerns to the board about the new ordinance.
The ordinance was developed at the urging of District 5 Supervisor Marcia Armstrong and received a first reading on March 3, a second reading and hearing on March 17, and was passed by the board 5-0.
Armstrong noted that federal and state legislation has been “giving increasing empowerment” to local fire safe councils, and that, “since the county bears considerable responsibility for public health,” she felt an ordinance to “better coordinate the various fire safe councils within the county” was appropriate.
The ordinance states that it was “enacted to protect public health and safety and to fulfill the County of Siskiyou’s role as the designated local government agency under the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 and to ensure that Community Wildfire Protection Plans for lands within Siskiyou County are agreed to and approved by the County … and that such plans are consistent with … County-wide collaborative efforts and priorities to reduce wildfire risks through fuel reduction projects.”

The ordinance creates the Siskiyou County Wildfire Protection Council. Membership includes the county’s natural resource policy specialist, representatives from CAL FIRE and the U.S. Forest Service, and “other members as deemed appropriate” by the board. The actual membership, terms of office and functions are to be established by a future resolution.

One function that is established is the creation of a countywide Wildfire Protection Plan.
The ordinance also states, “Any and all community wildfire protection plans affecting lands in Siskiyou County are of no force and effect unless and until they are approved by the County Board of Supervisors.”
Dale Nova presented a letter to the board stating the Fire Safe Council of Siskiyou County is “worried about this ordinance placing an additional layer of bureaucracy” on the county’s fire safe councils and that it “restricts or impedes” their efforts.

“It is probably not a good ordinance,” asserted Nova.

“I was a little hurt,” said Duane Ambruster of the Happy Camp Fire Safe Council, “We’re concerned that there may be no spot for the fire safe councils [on the Wildfire Protection Commission]. We were not even aware of the fact that a new ordinance was coming.”

“We already have a countywide fire safe council,” he continued, “Our plans are approved by the Forest Service.”

Giselle Nova gave a video presentation that outlined the overall concept of the Fire Safe Council of Siskiyou County, which is a coalition, she said, of public and private organizations that helps coordinate the efforts and provides support for the 20 local fire safe councils throughout the county.

She demonstrated how the non-profit FSCOSC has been providing outreach programs, fire education, fuel reduction programs and other activities over the past years, including assisting with the defensible space rebate program, which assisted 79 homeowners last year with grant money.

Will Harling, an FSCOSC board member who also serves as director of the Orleans/Somes Bar Fire Safe Council, spoke of the lack of coordination by the supervisors with the various local fire safe councils.
“We believe the local communities should have the final say on these fire plans,” he said, and questioned whether the supervisors need to be involved to the extent the new ordinance outlines.

“I thought Siskiyou County was a champion of bottom-up government,” he concluded. Jim Villeponteaux, another joint coordinator of FSCOSC who also represents the Salmon River Fire Safe Council, pointed out that Salmon River’s Community Wildfire Protection Plan is very detailed and that they coordinate their efforts with the Forest Service.

“We’re also working with South Yreka right now to help form a fire safe council for that area,” he said.
In response to what he referred to as “rumors that our fire safe councils are composed of amateurs,” Dale Nova said that 50 percent of the volunteers have “strong backgrounds in fire protection, wildlife management and natural resources.”

“What was the intent of the ordinance?” he asked, “How does the FSCOSC fit into the plan? Will the FSCOSC be a member [of the new Wildfire Protection Council] and will the local fire safe councils be part of the new group?”

Ric Costales, county natural resource policy specialist, said the county needs to approve the various wildfire protection plans for consistency and accuracy.

“The key thing here is to achieve consistency,” Costales said, “We have no problem with these fire safe councils. The county is not going to be nit-picking priorities; the county just has certain priorities of its own. The FSCOSC needs to hear this from the board.”

“These plans often put policy into effect,” said Armstrong, “The county needs to be involved.
“These are larger criterion issues. You’re a non-profit, you’re not a government entity,” she said to Nova, “A non-profit doesn’t make policy, the board of supervisors makes policy.”

“It needs to be a formal process,” added district 4 supervisor Grace Bennett.

“I have to agree with supervisor Armstrong,” said District 1 Supervisor Jim Cook, “However, I believe in supporting the local fire safe councils.”

“I support the fire safe councils; I support my volunteer fire departments,” said District 2 Supervisor Ed Valenzuela, “The meat and potatoes of this ordinance is that, through the resolution that will be enacted, the fire safe councils will be involved.”

“My understanding is that we will be reaching out to the fire safe councils,” said board chair Michael Kobseff of District 3, “to harness the horsepower that you guys have created. That was our goal, and we want to be even more supportive than we’ve been in the past.”

By a vote of 5-0 the board passed a motion calling for the natural resource policy specialist to begin working with each area fire safe council to help determine the membership roster of the Wildfire Protection Council.

DHS/FEMA ANNOUNCES NEW POLICY FOR FUNDING WILDFIRE MITIGATION

On September 8, FEMA Mitigation Chief David Maurstad issued a policy that describes how the post-disaster Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) and the Pre-Disaster Mitigation grant program (PDM) can be used for wildfire mitigation activities by eligible grant applicants. Activities eligible for funding under these grants include creation of defensible space through removing or reducing vegetation; the application of non-combustible building envelope assemblies, use of ignition-resistant materials, and proper retrofit techniques for structures; and hazardous fuels reduction vegetation management or thinning within two miles of at-risk structures. Check with your state Emergency Management Office or FEMA Regional Mitigation staff (http://www.fema.gov/about/regions/index.shtm) for more information about HMGP and PDM grants.

View the Wildfire Mitigation Policy Memorandum

View the Wildfire Mitigation Policy for the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) and Pre-Disaster Mitigation (PDM) Grant Program

Wildfire Prevention Assistance Act of 2008 signed into law

At the request of the Butte County Fire Safe Council, Keene authored the bill to streamline the process by which local fire safe councils may contract for inmate fire crews to engage in vegetation management projects designed to reduce fire hazards on both public and private property.

Previously, under state law, inmate fire crews could only contract with public agencies for services. As a semi-public entity, fire safe councils were forced to subcontract with local fire agencies to acquire the services of inmate fire crews. For example, in the past the Butte County Fire Safe Council has had to subcontract with the Butte County Fire Department to get the assistance of local fire crews. This cumbersome arrangement has often proven difficult for fire safe councils due to staff changes, differing policies of local fire agencies, changing budgets, etc.

Keene’s bill would cut out this unnecessary middleman in contract negotiations, allowing fire safe councils to negotiate directly with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection for the services of local inmate fire crews.

Keene noted, “This bill will help provide local fire safe councils an important tool they will need to reduce fire hazards in their communities in preparation for next year’s wildfire season. Fire safe councils have proven to be an invaluable resource in educating citizens on fire safety and promoting prevention as the best weapon to fight wildfires. I am proud to be able to assist them accomplish their mission.

The bill had the active support of multiple fire safe councils throughout Keene’s district and received broad bipartisan support in Sacramento, having received unanimous support while moving through the Legislature.

County fire agencies seeking new ordinance
Proposed 'Fire Hazard Abatement Ordinance' to be topic of upcoming meetings

Aug 7 2008
By Craig Purcell/Staff Writer

In an effort to minimize potential damage from wildland fires, fire agencies from Tehama County will present a draft "Fire Hazard Abatement" ordinance at a pair of town meetings.

The meetings will be held at 6 p.m. Aug. 12 at Wetter Hall, 1840 Walnut St. in Red Bluff, and at 6 p.m. Aug. 13 in the Corning City Council Chambers, 794 Third St. The public is strongly encouraged to attend.

Cal Fire, the Tehama County Fire Department and Tehama County personnel will be presenting the ordinance.

A Cal Fire news release states that the dry annual grasses in the county make dangerous fuel for a rapid spread of fire, and that wildland fires burning through these grasses is the most common threat to structures throughout the county. The agencies will use the public meetings to stress the necessity for the proposed ordinance and its benefit to communities in the county.

Among the key points to be discussed are the responsibility of owners and occupants regarding fire hazards on parcels of property, and also firebreak requirements. With the proposed ordinance:

· Rural lands require a 100-foot firebreak around all structures, or to the property line, whichever is nearer.

· For agricultural lands, irrigated lands surrounding structures would not require a fuel break, while non-irrigated lands require a 100-foot firebreak around all structures or to the property line, whichever is nearer.

· Urban lands require a 100-foot firebreak around all structures or to the property line. Undeveloped parcels 1.25 acres and smaller would require a firebreak on the entire parcel. Undeveloped urban parcels 1.25 acres to 2 acres would require a 30-foot firebreak around all parcel lines.

In addition, the requirements for notifying the owners or occupants in violation of the ordinance, as well as enforcement and costs will be addressed.

Craig Purcell may be contacted at 824-1036 or cpurcell@tcnpress.com

Proposed (draft) Fire Hazard Abatement Ordinance for Tehama County

Sensible stewardship

Concerned Butte County residents gathered yesterday morning at the Paradise Property Owners Association to learn about the county's forest and how to prepare for the next fire.

For the first time, the Butte County Fire Safe Council, the Central Sacramento Valley Research Conservation and Devel-opment Council, and the UC Corporative Extension came together to host a Forest Stewardship Workshop in Magalia.

The workshop included a morning lectures series, walking field tour of a shaded fuel break and a bus field tour of fire breaks.

The fire safe council, a University of California forestry specialist and other natural resource professionals discussed homeowners' property management to enhance forest health and reduce risk of wildfire. UC Berkeley Forestry Specialist Gary Nakamura gave a brief overview of the Sierra Nevada Forest ecology, risks affecting forests and forest health. Nakamura explained the diverse forest ecology of California and the drawbacks to the state's Mediterranean climate. With warm, dry summers residents can count on a fire season every year.

He discussed inter-tree competition per acre, stressing the importance of a thin forest to advance tree growth and wildfire protection. When forests are dense, trees fight for resources, growing slowly and the potential for unhealthy or dead trees is greater.

It's important to keep trees healthy, to withstand infestation of insects and disease that often threaten the species, Nakamura said. Less dense forests, for example can withstand beetle attacks because they're healthier, faster growing trees, he said.

The spread of wildfire is also greater in thick forests because of the smaller trees, brush, and low-hanging branches. To minimize fire spread, minimize fuel, he said. In thin, open forests there are less small materials to fuel the fire, so it can't travel.
The surrounding acreage of the Paradise Pines POA is an example of a properly cleared forest. Last spring the Paradise Pines POA received a grant to clear the thick vegetation surrounding the community center. The 30-acre parcel extending down the Butte Creek Canyon was cleared by inmate crews, Paradise Pines POA Manager Richard Alloway said. "It was a really good project," he said. "We're really happy about it."

Alloway plans to have crews come in again after fire season to make the forest even safer. They had to cut the clearing short last spring due to the early fire season. "We try to be an example to the rules," he said. "We try to get as much work done as possible, as fast as possible."
Paradise Pines POA Greenbelt member Henry Wild said there is a misconception about forest thinning. Clearing a forest is necessary for fire protection, but often people think it destroys animal homes. Without forest thinning the potential for fire is greater and if a fire strikes the animals definitely won't have homes, he said. In addition to forest protection, workshop attendees also learned how to protect their homes from a wildfire. Creating defensible space around residences was stressed by all speakers.

Nakamura said it is most important to make the landscape surrounding homes less able to carry the fire to the residence. A fire travels based on fuel, weather and topography. "Wildfire must move to new fuel to burn," he said. "Fire suppression action and fuel breaks (help) stop it."

He stressed how important it is to remove materials small in diameter such as twigs from your home, because those materials carry the fire. With the recent fires many residents have learned about the importance of defensible space, but were surprised homes with defensible space still burned. Butte County Fire Safe Council Executive Director Calli-Jane Burch said while defensible space helps protect homes, embers can get into vents, and if hot enough can cause a fire.

A home could burn because of embers, flame contact or radiant heat. It's important that not only your home has defensible, space but your neighbors. A fire at a neighbor's home could threaten the entire area, she said. Residences should be "lean, clean and green," Burch said.

Yankee Hill resident Deb Conway said, while creating defensible space on her large property can be challenging, at least it's in her control. Having close neighbors who don't create defensible space is a threat to her home that is difficult to manage. While spending most of her time making her property fire safe can be tiring, Conway said driving by the Poe Fire remains everyday gives her an incentive. Her clearing methods include burning in the winter and using goats year- round to eat the vegetation.

Residents can learn more defensible space and fire protection, the background story of the Humboldt Fire and the Butte Lightening Complex, and ways to volunteer, donate and practice fire safety at Fire on the Ridge. Fire on the Ridge is co-hosted by the Butte County Fire Safe Council and the Town of Paradise. The event, which was postponed in July due to the fires, is Thursday, Aug. 7 at 6:30 p.m. at the Paradise Alliance Church.
"Be informed, get engaged," Burch said.

For more information about the event or wildfire preparation, visit the Butte County Fire Safe Council Web site at ButteFireSafe.org.

Cal Fire Steps Up Fire Safety Inspections

"Most people are very good about complying. In fact, my recent statistics show a 90-percent compliance rate on the first inspection," says Cal Fire Battalion Chief Mike Kaslin of the Amador-El Dorado County area. Cal Fire inspected 100,000 homes last year, resulting in 100citations for those who would not comply.

Two years ago, new regulations began requiring 100 feet of defensible space around homes in rural areas with brush and trees. Since then, Cal Fire experts say many people have begun to take clearing their property more seriously.

"You see this line of rocks that is on the edge of the lawn. You would not have been able to see those from the house at the time we first moved in," says Cameron Park homeowner Sandy Tougaw, who says each year she and her husband Roy have cleared more and more of their land.

Neighbor Dana Murphy has also spent years making his 6-acre parcel more fire safe. But this year, he cleared an extra swath of land. "Hot, dirty work, but I think it's necessary because we're worried about the fires," he says.

Kaslin urges people to clear space even if they haven't done it yet. But he reminds them not to clear in the heat of the day when a stray spark could ignite the very flames they are trying to prevent.

He says there are a few property owners who resist clearing, in spite of the danger to themselves and others. "We do have a hard time convincing folks that this is in their best interests," Kaslin says.

But Kaslin added that more and more people are realizing that even just clearing a field of dry grass or the pine needles from their roof could be enough to save their home.

California's Forests at Top of Policy Agenda
Educational Program Illustrates How Managing Forests Could Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Wildfires by 50% and Help California Meet 30% of its GHG Reduction Target

Tehama Co. Fire Officials Present Defensible Space Ordinance

Reported by: Karli Bulnes
Email: kbulnes@khsltv.com
Last Update: 8/13 11:06 pm

Fire season is far from over this year, but Tehama County officials are already thinking about how residents can be better prepared next year.

"This has to take place year round," said Cal Fire and Tehama County Fire Department Battalion Chief Dave Harp.

He is calling for 100-feet of defensible space around structures on all the nearly 35,000 parcels of land in Tehama County.

Harp presented a draft of an ordinance that would require that to a handful of county residents and supervisors in Corning.

"This ordinance is a win-win for not only property owners, but for those responders that come to protect their homes," Harp said.

Right now, defensible space in Tehama County is only required in Red Bluff, Corning and on land in Cal Fire's jurisdiction, which is mostly the areas surrounding the valley floor.

The new ordinance would apply to unincorporated parts of the county such as Los Molinas and Gerber. It would cover agricultural, rural, urban, and undeveloped land.

"The 100 feet is a theme. We want 100 feet clearance around all types of dry vegetation. Obviously, if you have an irrigated pasture or orchards, the ordinance would not apply," Harp said.

The meeting gave the public a chance to voice concerns and ask questions.

Violaters would receive a written notice and 14 days to comply.

Otherwise, Harp says they could face a fine of more than $500 and the possibility of six months in jail.

Harp says the next step is presenting a final draft of the ordinance to the Tehama County Board of Supervisors.

Officials hope to have the ordinance in place before March. That's when next year's defensible space inspection season begins.

Low-balling wildfire budget burns everyone in the end

It’s just the second week of August in a dry summer and the U.S. Forest Service has just about burned through its 2008 firefighting budget. The Oregonian newspaper in Portland reported Monday that the Forest Service has spent more than $1 billion of the $1.2 billion Congress appropriated this year for wildfire suppression. Agency officials told the Oregonian they expect to go $400 million over budget before the current wildfire season tapers off.

For the uninitiated, this might seem to be cause for alarm. But it’s more like business as usual. Federal firefighting budgets are typically depleted well before the end of the wildfire season. That’s been the case in most every dry summer and some wet ones for as long as most Forest Service officials can recall.

It’s become something of a budget ritual over the years. The agency underestimates the amount of money that will be needed for fire prevention and suppression before significant rains arrive in the fall, which is easy to do given the many unknowns. When the money runs out, Congress quickly approves an emergency supplemental budget.

But in recent years — this one included — Congress hasn’t been so quick with the emergency funding. Budget pressures associated with wars in Afghanistan and Iraq have slowed the congressional response considerably, forcing the Forest Service to divert funds from other agency budgets to fire suppression. This is what’s being done this month to deal with the funding shortfall. The service’s regional office in Portland will have to ante up $24 million — 5 percent of the region’s annual budget — by the end of this week, according to the Oregonian.

This stopgap budgeting is a lousy way to make do. It’s wasteful, for one. Emily Platt, executive director of the Gifford Pinchot Task Force, told the Oregonian that the diversion of these funds to firefighting would mean that some matching grants from outside the Forest Service for maintenance and forest restoration projects will be lost. Moreover, the diversion of funds could be counterproductive. In the past, some of the accounts drained to replenish firefighting budgets held money designated for fire prevention projects and programs.

This is, as Platt told the Oregonian, “not a good way to manage public lands. Congress knows it, the Forest Service knows it, and it needs to be fixed.” Unfortunately, congressional leaders have shown little enthusiasm for reforming the fire suppression funding system, or even coming up with a timely appropriation of more money for fighting this season’s wildfires.

Fighting some forest fires calls for a natural touch

According to Phebe Brown, public affairs officer for the Mendocino National Forest, typical fire suppression tactics that apply in general forest areas had to be modified for wilderness areas, and include restrictions from using any mechanized equipment, such as vehicles, dozers and chainsaws.

In the remote wilderness, the fires are being actively suppressed using a different set of management techniques known as Minimum Impact Suppression Tactics, or MIST.

“MIST has been adopted by all of the federal wildland fire partners from the U.S. Forest Service and Department of Interior agencies,” Brown said. “MIST firefighting practices are not limited to wilderness, but are also applied to other non-wilderness sections of the national forests where watershed and other natural resource values require less land disturbance during fire suppression.”

The concept of light-on-the-land firefighting, or MIST, is to use the smallest amount of disturbance necessary to effectively achieve the fire management objectives, Brown said. Simply put, the intent of MIST is to suppress a wildfire with the least disturbance to the land. In some cases, MIST may involve allowing a fire to burn to natural barriers, such as a rock-strewn, open ridge that would inherently stop a fire’s spread.

According to the U.S. Forest Service, the purpose of these measures is to protect life and property, as well as to maintain the wilderness character, as outlined in provisions of the 1964 Wilderness Act.

Brown said firefighters aim to protect the natural character of these special resources, while assuring that natural disturbances, such as wildfire or erosion, do not threaten the well-being of firefighters or those living downslope from the fire.

The return of wildland fire to wilderness is part of the overall land and resource management plans of the Mendocino and Shasta-Trinity National Forests.

Ban on Calif. fire practice to 'let burn' those that pose no threat draws criticism

The regional chief of the Forest Service recently banned a practice that allowed local fire managers to let some blazes burn if they don't pose a threat. Critics said the ruling could expose more firefighters to deadly risks like the helicopter crash that killed a pilot and eight firefighters in California's Trinity County on Tuesday. That crash occurred in the Trinity Alps Wilderness, part of which has been identified as an appropriate place for the "let it burn" policy. Called "wildland fire use," the practice has been embraced to reduce firefighting costs by allowing some naturally caused fires to run their course if they don't threaten people or structures. A small crew of firefighters is assigned to monitor the fire, but there is no massive suppression effort. Such fires also improve forest health by thinning small trees and dense underbrush, which have accumulated after a century of aggressive firefighting on federal lands.

Fitch Mountain residents rushing to become 'fire free'

By CLARK MASON
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT
Published: Monday, August 11, 2008

The smoke-filled skies earlier this summer obscured the sweeping views enjoyed by Laura Tietz in her home on Healdsburg's Fitch Mountain. But it also prompted her to action.

Laura Tietz, who lives on three acres on top of Fitch Mountain, helps clear some brush that pose a possible fire dnager. Tietz, along with other neighbors, are pulling together a grassroots fire awareness program that they hope spreads across Fitch Mountain near Healdsburg.

As hundreds of wildfires cast a pall over the North Coast and the top half of the state, Tietz said to herself: "I'm sitting on levels of a hill. What if fire starts in back of me, or on my land? Am I prepared? The answer was 'no.' "

Those thick, haze-filled days motivated Tietz to begin clearing her three acres of property of overgrown brush and vegetation that can fuel a fire.
It also launched an ambitious effort to organize her immediate neighbors and hundreds of Fitch Mountain residents to do the same, to create so-called defensible space around their houses.

"Fire Free Fitch," as her group is called, quickly gained momentum with a couple of community meetings, the latest of which drew about 100 people. Volunteers came forward to help their surrounding neighbors identify fire hazards and remove or thin problem trees and brush.

Parts of Fitch Mountain have been buzzing with chain saws, along with other parts of Sonoma County where wildland fire is a concern.
While it's been a bad year in California for fires, officials say it's made rural property owners much more receptive to the need to clear space around their homes and make them less vulnerable.

In addition to Fitch Mountain, grassroots efforts to reduce fire dangers are under way in several areas of the west county.
Those include parts of the lower Russian River, near Forestville, such as Pocket Canyon and Green Valley Road, said Caerleon Safford, a volunteer firefighter who works with Fire Safe Sonoma, a non-profit group that helps increase awareness of wildland fire issues.

Residents of Cazadero, which was hit by the devastating Creighton Ridge Fire 30 years ago this month, have made strides to develop response and emergency notification systems.

The community approach is much more effective than a fire department sending out mailings or pressuring property owners to mow down hazardous weeds, officials said.

"If you can get your neighborhood groups to band together and share a common goal and look out for one another in a cooperative fashion, it's more effective than the Fire Department knocking on the door," said Healdsburg Fire Chief Randy Collins.
Partly in the city and partly in the county, the Fitch Mountain area is one of the most densely populated high fire zones in Sonoma County, with about 900 homes, Collins said.

"One of our greatest concern here at the Fire Department is if there's a fire up there, it would have the potential to do more damage to the city than any type of fire scenario I could imagine," he said.

Not only is Fitch Mountain heavily forested, it has few roads, most of them narrow. That makes it not only difficult to bring in firetrucks, but tough for residents to evacuate in an emergency.

Tietz' mission to motivate other property owners quickly produced results. Stephen Zellerbach, who lives down the hill from her, said neighbors are clearing more brush and wood as a result of her efforts. "I've seen a lot of activity around these parts since she started," said Zellerbach, who's lived on Fitch Mountain 17 years.

He just took out three fir trees on his property and is planning to remove three eucalyptus trees, both species that are more prone to burn or produce windblown embers. He also cleared quarter-acre of overgrown brush.

Lucie Keene, another neighbor, said, "to make it work, it has to be a community effort. We need it for everybody to get involved."

With the help of parcel maps, Tietz is identifying all of the properties on Fitch Mountain, starting with her own McDonough Heights subdivision and adjacent Hasset Lane. She has 10 initial areas with as many as a dozen properties outlined in each. A different contact person is responsible for each area and helping those residents with fire prevention.

Tietz, whose scientist husband passed away last year, said she has plenty of time to devote to Fire Free Fitch. "I realized fire is no respecter of property lines,'Tietz said, as she pored over a parcel map. She noted if she doesn't keep her property clear, she could be responsible for fire that travels and burns down her neighbor's house.

It works the other way too. Her house is vulnerable if her neighbors have too much flammable wood and brush on their land. "It's a neighborhood situation," she said. "We're only as safe our neighbors are."

She acknowledged it can be time-consuming and costly to hire workers to clean up your property. "It's pretty expensive. On the other hand, losing your house is pretty expensive," she said. "It's a very interesting challenge to decide how much you're willing to spend, how much responsibility you feel toward your neighbors," she said.

You can reach Staff Writer Clark Mason at 521-5214 or clark.mason@pressdemocrat.com

Up in Smoke

By Chris Merrill
August 8, 2008

While the U.S. Forest Service throws every possible resource at fighting wildfires this summer, its ability to suppress future fires might be diminishing by the day.

Fighting wildfires will cost about $400 million more this fiscal year than was appropriated in the federal budget, the chief of the U.S. Forest Service predicted this week.

The agency will have to take funds from forests throughout the country -- in part because of California's raging fire season -- to help pay for the shortfall, officials said this week.

The movement of dollars will postpone numerous projects at least until the next fiscal year, they said.

In a letter to agency personnel this week, U.S. Forest Service Chief Abigail Kimbell outlined a plan to transfer money into the firefighting kitty, in four increments of $100 million each.

The money will be diverted from projects such as brush disposal, fire fuels reduction, trail maintenance, logging ventures, road maintenance and forest health research.

The federal government appropriated $1.2 billion in the 2008 budget for the Forest Service to manage wildfires. Kimbell projected the cost of her agency's firefighting activities will actually reach $1.6 billion.

Unlike other federal departments that deal with disaster mitigation, such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Forest Service cannot exceed its budget in times of crisis, then go back to congress for reimbursement.

This year's shortfall is just the latest signal that a new reality has emerged, especially in the West, for a department that 10 years ago spent about 12 percent of its total budget on fire suppression, said Frank Carroll, spokesman for the Black Hills National Forest.

Today the Forest Service is creeping up on spending 50 percent of its total budget trying to protect homes and communities from wildfires.

Throughout the West, millions of houses have been built in recent decades, the pace accelerating this century, at the edges of forests -- at what's called the wildland-urban interface. And most of these structures are not "fire-worthy," Carroll said.

They often have highly flammable roofs, and there is usually no attempt at making the homes resistant to fire, he said.

It can be impossible to protect these houses and communities when a wildfire rips through the forest, but the Forest Service is obligated to try to save every one of them, he said. The cost is huge and is growing, and firefighters are more often being put in harm's way.

Homeowners will, typically, rebuild their burned-down houses in the same spot -- where periodic fires are natural and inevitable.

"Unless we can, as a culture and a nation, shift our approach, we have to look at these costs as unavoidable," Carroll said. "We have not faced this issue. We're like alcoholics: We keep taking a drink from the same whiskey bottle thinking we're going to get a different result."

Given extensive development at the urban-wildland interface, and the natural cycle of forest fires, local communities must either require that homes at the edges of wildlands be "fire-wise," or citizens must simply be prepared to spend hundreds of millions, and even billions of dollars every year attempting to protect them, he said.

Shifting an ever greater portion of the Forest Service's budget into firefighting diminishes the agency's ability to keep the forests as healthy as possible, Carroll acknowledged.

Some of the projects that will be put off this year, for example, have been planned to help undo problems associated with nearly a century of all-out fire suppression on federal lands.

Fires are natural and good for forests, they thin and prune them, and keep them healthy in the long run, Carroll said. Forests that burn with a natural frequency, burn "cooler," and they thrive, he said.

"People need to build their homes in a fire area in a certain way," he said. "Fires are going to come. The objectives should be to have both fire-worthy forests and fire-worthy communities. That's how we reduce costs."

One component of a fire-resistant home is the use of non-burning, heat-resistant materials for the roof, such as asphalt, metal or concrete, according to the nonprofit organization, Firewise Communities.

The walls can be constructed with brick, cement, plaster, stucco or concrete masonry, and double-pane glass windows can also help resist heat, and make homes less likely to burn, the organization advises.

And it is important to surround houses with landscaping that acts as a natural firebreak, Carroll said.

Because the federal policy of total fire suppression began around 1910, there are now thousands of trees per acre in many Western forests, where there used to be hundreds per acre, he said.

Add nearly a decade of drought in many places, and there has been inadequate water to supply all of these trees. The dry trees, which are mostly pine, are then unable to produce sufficient sap -- a natural insecticide -- and many of these previously healthy trees have been unable to fend off insect attacks, especially bark beetles, he said.

As insects kill the trees, the amount of highly flammable fuels increases. Add even more development at the edges of these forests, and the situation becomes a "double whammy" for the Forest Service and for taxpayers, Carroll said.

Environment reporter Chris Merrill can be reached at chris.merrill@trib.com or at (307) 267-6722

Working With Neighbors Is Your Best Defense Against Wildfires
A key lesson from the home & property losses from wildfires is that there are preventive actions people can take to protect their homes long before a fire starts.

August 8, 2008
Programs such as Firewise Communities are encouraging residents to work with their neighbors for the best defense.

“After you have made your home as safe as you can, working with your neighbors is your best insurance against wildfire loss,” said Judith Leraas Cook, project manager for the Firewise Communities/USA recognition program. “Communities around the country are engaging in fire mitigation projects that are readying their greenbelts, common areas and roadways should wildfire threaten the community.”

In addition to reduced risk, the benefits to working as a community include shared costs, increased sense of community and access to additional information resources, according to Leraas Cook. Many are extremely pleased with the aesthetic results of their work. In some cases, communities may also be eligible for state and federal grants.

There is no guarantee where and when a wildfire will happen, but communities that work together to reduce their risk in advance will stand a much better chance of withstanding a fire when it does occur.

Examples of Firewise projects include:

• Hosting a “chipping day” for residents to remove excess vegetation from their property and community property.

• Holding a wildfire preparedness day that provides information about proper landscape and construction choices, introduces local fire staff and distributes safety information.

• Enlisting volunteers in a fuel- removal project.

• Enlisting local fire staff to conduct a wildfire hazard overview at a community meeting.

• Distributing homeowner tips at community festivals and in community newsletters.

Communities involved in wildfire mitigation projects can apply for Firewise Communities/USA status. After meeting program criteria, residents have access to additional information resources and the opportunity to network with more than 350 communities across the United States.

For information, visit www.firewise.org/usa.

Residents can work together with neighbors and local fire staff to prepare for wildfires.

Wildfire Preparedness: The Five Aspects Of Readiness