Fire officials praised the response by residents after a lightning-sparked wildfire endangered several Ventura county neighborhoods. Ventura county has put a priority this spring on educating the public about the Ready, Set, Go! program and the requirement of 100 feet of defensible space. Residents evacuated early, and firefighters were able to use the defensible space to successfully protect all structures. “The residents did their homework and continued to cooperate,” said Ventura County Fire Captain Ron Oatman.

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Photo Credit Edward-Vielmetti via Creative Commons

College students from the Student Conservation Association are participating a project designed to restore areas of the Angeles National Forest burned in last year’s Station fire. The three month project includes students from all over the United States and is aimed at restoring recreation areas of the Forest that were damaged during the wildfire. The SCA is partnering with the Forest Service, but also invites community volunteers to join them in the restoration effort.

According the Jay Watson, regional director of the SCA, “It’s a project that provides real benefits to the forest itself, to the forest lands damaged by the fire. It’s engaging local youth in restoring their forest. They look up at it every day living there, and in the long run, will hopefully allow the public to get back out on the forest for outdoor recreation.”

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Photo credit via Creative Commons

Though we can prepare our families, home, and property for fire, wildfires are an inevitable part of living in fire-prone landscapes.

Most educational material focuses on preparation. But what should we do after a wildfire has burned through our area?

-First, stay informed. Don’t try to get back to your home until local law enforcement allow you to return. Be prepared to show evidence that you belong in the neighborhood. If you’re a renter, and your driver’s license doesn’t have your home address on it, bring copies of bills, or a note from your landlord.

-When you return, be cautious and alert for potential hazards, such as downed power lines, tree limbs, or broken glass. Drive slowly with your headlights on. Firefighters may still be working in your area. Take care when passing fire equipment, or crossing hose lays.

-Even if there is no damage to your home or property, wildfire (or the firefighting effort) may have left residue behind. You may have to clean ash or brightly-colored fire retardent off your car, home, or property. The fire retardent used by the majority of fire agencies is non-toxic, and though it may become slick, it will come off with a good scrubbing. Renting a pressure washer may be a good option.

-If there is burned vegetation around your property, take care: the fire may not yet be completely out, and some of the debris may still be burning. Dry logs and underground root systems may smolder for weeks after the main fire is extinguished. Take care when walking around the property; the fire may have made the ground unstable, or undermined the roots of standing trees. Report any burning material to firefighters.

-Seemingly healthy trees may fall down days, weeks, or months after the fire because the fire undermined their roots. If you live on a slope, erosion or landslides in the weekds or months after a fire is a very real concern.

Stay safe!

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Photo credit Firewise.org, with permission

Wind-driven wildfires can move unbelievably fast, racing up hillsides, leaping canyons and sending burning embers flying miles ahead of the flame front. Residents may have only minutes to escape their neighborhood as the wildfire approaches, and for many, it may be the most terrifying experience of their life, buffeted by hurricane-force winds, with burning debris being blown through the air, and surrounded by heavy smoke that makes it hard to breath or see. It may also be the most dangerous experience of their lives. Every year, homeowners die in brushfires. Most are overcome by smoke while evacuating late as the flame front approaches their home, perish in an automobile accident while fleeing the wildfire, or are even caught by the fire while evacuated and are burned over.

Make sure you don’t become a statistic: Evacuate early or shelter in place.

If you choose to evacuate, begin gathering up your belongings as soon as officials announce the evacuation, and leave your home well in advance of the fire front’s approach. Not only will you keep yourself and your family safe, but you’ll leave the roads clear for firefighters who will be doing their best to protect your home from the oncoming wildfire. If fire trucks are stuck trying to get in as you’re trying to get out, it delays them from keeping your home from burning to the ground. Prepare in advance by creating a fire plan with your family, listing what each member of the family will do in the event of a fire emergency.

If you are not able to evacuate well in advance of the fire, tell firefighters on the scene where you are, then calmly prepare your home for the wildfire’s advance and shelter in place on an interior room of your home until the flame front has passed.

The LAFD has put together a really compelling video on wildfire evacuations. It is just four minutes long, and highly worth taking a look at.

Photo smokeshowing via Creative Commons

Is your community interested in developing a Community Wildfire Protection Plan or CWPP? CWPPs are local planning documents that facilitate a community discussion about the danger of wildfire and how to mitigate wildfire threat through targeted local actions, such as fuel reduction projects. Many communities develop their CWPPs by themselves, using free planning resources such as this guide from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (PDF) or this template (PDF) developed by ForEverGreen Forestry. Other communities enlist the services of expert planners to facilitate and develop the plan, such as Tracy Katelman of ForEverGreen Forestry.

Developing the plan can sometimes be an expensive undertaking. The 2011 Western Wildland Urban Interface Grant program considers the development of CWPPs an important planning goal to support, and is actively soliciting grant applications.

Interested in learning more? Get the instructions here (PDF), and the application here (PDF).

Need help with your application, or have any questions? We have experienced grant-writers who have volunteered to help you revise and develop your application. Email us! Don’t delay, the deadline to get your completed grant application to your local CAL FIRE Unit or contract county ends is July 27th!

Photo used with permission from NFPA Firewise

CAL FIRE has issued a call for applications for the 2011 Western Wildland Urban Interface grant program! Funded by the U.S. Congress, the goal of this program is to reduce the risk of wildland fires in WUI areas. Local participation in this program is highly encouraged. The program is open to fire safe councils, agencies, and local government entities. Interested in applying?  The deadline for submitting your application to your local CAL FIRE Unit/contract county is the 27th of July! The criteria and instructions can be found here (PDF). Ready to get started? The application is here (PDF).

Need help with your submission? We have several volunteers with previous grant-writing experience willing to lend a hand, so contact us today!

Photo credit halfwaytoconcord via Creative Commons

The Nevada Fire Safe Council, along with the University of Nevada and the University of California Cooperative Extension are working with other interested partners to put on the first Lake Tahoe Basin Wildfire Awareness Week. Though California and Nevada held statewide wildfire awareness weeks this spring, many second home owners in the Lake Tahoe Basin don’t arrive in the area until summer. The intent of the event is to encourage all Lake Tahoe residents to “Be Ember Prepared”.

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Photo Credit Edward-Vielmetti

Santa Barbara County firefighters are clearing brush along San Marcos Road as part of the County’s participation in the Ready, Set, Go! wildfire preparedness program which debuted in California last year. Santa Barbara County Fire has more information on Ready, Set, Go! at their website, and are urging residents to prepare their properties for the fire season by creating defensible space around their homes.

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Photo Credit Photonut-Mi

Southern Alabama volunteer firefighters spent an estimated 40-50 hours writing the grant and negotiating with FEMA to allow them to provide 270 smoke detectors and 70 fire extinguishers to the roughly 1500-1800 homes served by the Independence Volunteer Fire Department. This spring, they mailed out flyer inviting members of the community to come to the fire station. About a dozen residents attended. The Independence Volunteer Fire Department will apply to FEMA for an extension and is planning another public education day later in the spring.

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Photo Copyright NFPA FireWise