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New wildfire safety, prevention rules help owners make homes a 'defensible space'The near-annual house losses in huge California wildfires are only one example of why fire safety and prevention have taken on a whole new slant. The still-evolving set of rules, tips and advice addresses what's needed to protect property from fires that start outdoors--and spread. "At the very least, I've come to believe it's something that every homeowner should know about," said Jason Hartman, who coordinates the Firewise-Kansas program through the Kansas Forest Service. "For one group, however, it's essential." The original target for the new approach was the growing number of homeowners who aren't used to living where they don't have the protection of a paid, full-time fire department. They're now living in the "sub-suburbs," where town and country living meet and sometimes interface, Hartman said. "These Kansans both build and use their homes as if they were still in town. What they need to be doing is taking steps to help their property withstand airborne sparks and be a 'defensible space' for volunteer fire fighters. They're at real risk for being in a wildfire's path," the forester said. Thus far, Kansas has had a fairly easy year in terms of wildfires, Hartman said. Nonetheless, the current count is up to 32 wildfires that burned some 33,000-plus acres. The estimated dollar cost of fighting those fires was more than 11 times the acreage number--$387,650. "We lost 13,000 acres in January and February alone, and those typically aren't big wildfire months in the Great Plains. We were lucky the weather turned fairly wet soon after that," he said. Hartman listed the following as factors that even by themselves can make a difference in protecting property and preventing fires: All power equipment--from leaf blowers to tractors--has an appropriate, functioning spark arrestor. Roofing materials are fire-resistant--e.g., metal, tile, or at least Class C shingles. Exterior vents are covered with a nonflammable wire mesh with 1/2-inch or smaller openings. Windows are at least double-paned. (Radiant heat can still ignite flammable materials through those windows, so you also must move curtains, furniture and the like away when wildfire danger is near.) Siding is stone, brick or other nonflammable material, not wood or vinyl. Your address is clearly visible from the road, even in low visibility conditions. Firewood piles, propane tanks and gasoline are stored at least 30 feet from the home. All trees within 100 feet of the house have no less than 10 feet of space between their leaf crowns. Trees within 100 feet are pruned up so the lowest branches are three times higher than the height of the surrounding vegetation--unless that would require removing more than a third of a tree's crown. No dead vegetation is within the 100-feet zone. (Worst case is to leave dead branches overhanging the roof or hanging within 15 feet of a chimney.) Trees near power lines have a mature height of less than 25 feet or they have been pruned for safety by an arborist. Regular lawn mowing, pruning and weeding keep the (fire) fuel load from building up. Outdoor smokers (if allowed) have a designated clear space that's no less than 3 feet around the smoker. Using the provided safety ash tray is a requirement, not an option. Before disposal, used charcoal briquettes and ashes are drowned, stirred and soaked again until out cold. Few to no flammable materials are within 30 feet of the house. This includes items stored under porch or stairs. Any plantings in the zone are natives or near-natives known to be fire-resistant. (Ohio State Extension lists plant possibilities at www.firewise.org/usa/files/ohio_plantlist.pdf.) Organic (e.g., wood) and rubber mulches are at least 20 feet from the home. The family has a preparedness plan that starts with maintained fire extinguishers and functioning smoke alarms and then includes: clearly posted emergency phone numbers, designated escape routes and off-site meeting places. "Wildfires have always been part of the Kansas landscape. As our population increases, so does the need to protect life and property from those fires. Sometimes, though the best protection is the steps you take for yourself--particularly out where the size and behavior of a wildfire could go beyond the limits and resources of a rural fire department," Hartman said. More information about Kansas' FireWise program is available at any Kansas State University Research and Extension office, from any district Kansas Forest Service office and on the Web at www.kansasforests.org/fire/wui/index.shtml.
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