More Fire Fatalities in 2009

The statistics from the Washington State Fire Marshal are in and they are a little disheartening. There were 59 fatalities from fires in 2009, up from 45 in 2008. December was the deadliest month with 19 fatalities. The saddest part is that nearly all of these tragedies were preventable. While 35% of the causes were either undetermined or under investigation, 13% were from smoking, another 13% were from electrical and wiring problems and 3.4% were from cooking. To see a breakdown of the rest, click here. For all kinds of fire safety tips, click here. Make sure that you have a fire extinguisher on every floor of your home. I can't imagine how powerless you would feel if you had even a small fire and no way to put it out. It may not be the most popular gift, but I always give a fire extinguisher as a housewarming gift. Perhaps it's as cool as a houseplant or a bottle of wine, but neither one of those gifts can save your life!

Fire Safety Precautions for your Home

Extremely hot and dry weather is keeping fire danger high this summer. With the number of homes built in or near forested areas, wildland fires are a constant threat in our area. When a fire occurs around one of these homes, it often extends into the forestland, threatening other homes and forest resources. Forest fires often threaten and burn homes and structures built in wooded areas if the homeowner has not taken proper fire safety precaution.

Fire safety precautions include:

• Have a cleared area at least 30-feet wide around all structures. Homes built in pine forests should have a minimum 75-foot clearance.
  
• Have properly designed driveways that will accommodate fire fighting equipment. The house address should be clearly displayed.
  
• Keep leaves and debris cleared from under decks and porches so that they will not be set on fire by blowing sparks and embers.
  
• Roofs should be of fire-resistant materials. Remove pine needles and leaves from the roof and gutters so that they will not be set on fire by blowing sparks and embers.
  
• Have outside water spigots and at least 100 feet of garden type hose readily accessible for fire control until the fire department arrives.
  
• Should the situation become life-threatening or an evacuation order be given by fire officials, leave immediately and go to the designated evacuation shelter. Do not return until an all-clear message has been given by fire officials.
  
• Dispose of ashes and charcoal briquettes in a metal container and allow them to stay in the container for at least 48 hours. Do not dump hot ashes on the ground.
  
• Use only fire resistant materials on the exterior of your home whether roof, siding, decking or trim.
  
• Protect interiors from sparks and embers by boxing in eaves, screening vents, and underpinning or screening beneath porches, decks, and the house itself. Do not use fiberglass screening.
  
• Chimneys should extend above the roof line and be topped with a 1/2 inch mesh spark arrester.
  
• Keep roofs free of debris. Leaves, pine straw, moss and twigs that collect on the roof and in gutters invite disaster.
  
• Safely dispose of stove, fireplace, and grill ashes. First place them in a metal bucket, soak with water, and then bury them in mineral soil.
  
• Never store flammable material like firewood or lumber under or near your home. Keep it at least 100 feet away from the house, but never uphill because burning material will roll.
  
• Faucets should be located on each side of your home and near any outbuilding. Install them, too, in areas of the yard where fire hazards exist,or where wildfire could enter your yard. Have a coiled hose attached to faucets on opposite sides of your home.
  Hand tools such as rakes, shovels, and axes should be readily available along with a ladder that will reach your roof.
  
• Make sure firefighters can identify the entrance to your home by marking the drive with a sturdy, easy to read sign that gives your name and address. For your personal safety, plan an alternate escape route in case your primary access is blocked by fire or smoke.
  
• Protecting your home from wildfire starts with the trees around it. Pay particular attention to the trees within 100 feet of your house. The wider the spacing between trees, the better; Hardwood trees tend to be less flammable than conifers.
  
• Rid trees of moss, abandoned nests, dead limbs and other flammable material;
  Remove limbs within 15-20 feet of the ground;
  
• Remove limbs that extend over your roof, or those directly above or within15 feet laterally of a chimney.
  
• Your yard should serve as a firebreak. If you have a grass lawn that is dormant in winter, mow it closely after all growth has stopped and bag the cuttings.
  
• Rake all leaves or needles that are within 30 feet of a structure.
  
• Use bedding mulch or straw sparingly close to buildings.
  
• Certain popular shrubs are highly flammable. Select the least flammable shrubs that will achieve the desired effect in your landscaping.

Links for more information:
Click here for information on large fires in Washington state and prevention information.
Click here for information on current fire danger and burning regulations. Click here for detailed instructions on how to protect your home and how wildfires are fought.

Information from Department of Natural Resources.

Hot Temps and Fire Danger

Longview Timberlands to close some land to public
Monday, July 27, 2009 3:42 PM PDT
By Andre Stepankowsky
http://www.tdn.com/
Continued hot, dry weather has prompted Longview Timberlands to close all its Oregon and Washington timberlands to public access starting Tuesday, the company announced Monday afternoon.“Conditions are extremely dry in the Pacific Northwest, and long-range forecasts indicate the hot spell will continue for some time,” Blake Rowe, president of Longview Timberlands, said in a written statement issued Monday. His announcement came just as temperatures in Longview nudged past 100 degrees, according to staff at the city’s water treatment plant, the area’s official weather recording station. That temperature eclipsed the city’s previous record high for July 27 — 99 degrees in 1998.
More hot weather is expected through midweek, and no rain is in the forecast. After an exceptionally cold and rainy spring, the Longview area has had particularly arid weather for more than two months. Since May 21, the city has recorded only 1.39 inches of precipitation, less than half of normal for that period.“The public’s cooperation in staying out of the tree farms during the hazardous forest-fire period will be much appreciated,” Rowe said, saying the closures will remain in effect until “substantial rains reduce the wildfire threat.”
Longview Timberlands, formerly Longview Fibre Co., owns about 332,000 acres of timberland in Oregon and 321,000 acres in Washington. It is the first large area timberland owner to shut lands down this summer due to high forest fire danger. Other landowners typically follow suit, but Weyerhaeuser had not shut down its lands to public access as of midafternoon Monday.
Forecasters expect temperatures in the triple-digit range again Tuesday and Wednesday, though they will moderate into the low 90s Thursday and low 80s on Friday, according to The National Weather Service.Longview’s high temperature marks to beat are 103 degrees for Tuesday date (set in 1958) and 100 degrees for Wednesday’s date (set in 2003), according to the weather service.

Burn Ban Now In Effect

WAC 173-425 bans the use of a burn barrel and prohibits the burning of all material, except natural vegetation grown on the property and firewood (defined as bare, untreated wood, not dimensional lumber). This regulation also prohibits burning during periods of impaired air quality and prohibits outdoor burning from becoming a nuisance to surrounding neighbors and businesses. Fire safety burn-bans may also be called by county or local fire protection authorities. Please check the Southwest Clean Air Agency website for further information.

Be Careful with Fire on Public Recreation Land

Press Release from Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife

OLYMPIA—As the Fourth of July weekend approaches with drier-than-normal conditions in some parts of Washington, state land managers ask those heading outdoors to be careful with fire.

People cause 85 percent of Washington’s wildfires, and caution and common sense are the keys to preventing damage, state land managers agree. Obeying fire restrictions and not letting a campfire get out of control are among the most important steps outdoor enthusiasts can take to preserve recreation lands.

Washington Department of Natural Resources (DNR) firefighters protect more than 12 million acres of private and state-owned lands, including lands managed by WDFW and state parks. Wildfires take a steep toll on state resources, devastating public recreation lands, destroying wildlife habitat and requiring costly firefighting efforts. The risk of a wildfire sparked by human activity goes up in prolonged dry weather or on a windy day.

Fire-danger levels and burn ban information is available at http://fortress.wa.gov/dnr/firedanger/BurnRisk.aspx.

The Fourth of July holiday brings extra risks from fireworks, even though fireworks are not allowed on state public lands. Many state lands have additional restrictions on fire use. Campfires and other kinds of open fires are not allowed on many of the 900,000 acres of wildlife lands managed by WDFW. On WDFW lands where campfires are allowed, they usually are restricted to metal fire rings and must be kept to less than three feet in height and diameter.

Specific rules by location can be found at http://wdfw.wa.gov/lands/wildlife_areas/public_conduct.html. “Even where campfires are allowed, it’s important to pay attention to weather conditions before heading out,” said Jennifer Quan, lands manager for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW).
Many of Washington’s 121 state parks allow campfires, but only in metal fire rings or grills in established campgrounds or picnic areas. Campers and picnickers are reminded to be careful with barbecue grill ashes and briquettes by drowning them with water and disposing of them properly in either a campfire ring or a designated container provided in some parks.
During high fire-danger periods, bans on any open flame including campfires may be in place at specific parks. State park managers work with DNR and county fire districts to set fire restrictions at individual parks based on conditions in and around the park. These restrictions may allow only gas stoves or briquettes in conditions where there is high fire danger. Campfire information for specific parks is available by calling park offices.

Those recreating outdoors should follow these DNR campfire safety tips:
--Never start a campfire when wind is strong or local conditions are so dry that fire danger is high
--Use a screen over and around a campfire to minimize sparks flying out
--Keep fires less than three feet in height and diameter
--Keep five gallons of water and a shovel nearby
--Never leave fires unattended
--Extinguish a fire by drowning it thoroughly with water, stirring until cold, and then drowning it again
To report a wildfire or unattended campfire call 1(800) 562-6010 or 911.

Always heed the advice of a pants-wearing bear carrying a shovel. At least that's my motto....

Fire Season is Upon Us...

From FEMA Region X Press Release 6/18/09
SEATTLE, Wash. -- Ample moisture and cooler temperatures for Alaska and Pacific Northwest states may keep 2009 fire potential in normal ranges, but after multiple weeks of warm weather, fuel supplies are drying out. Persistent drought conditions may well drive significant wildfire risk for north-central Washington, and the recent near-record spring dry spell is boosting fire risk in western Washington as well. FEMA Acting Regional Administrator Dennis Hunsinger encourages residents living on wooded lots and wildland/urban interface areas to stay informed on local conditions and take steps now-clearing brush and creating defensible perimeters around their homes.
"Wildfires are unpredictable, and can start and spread with incredible speed, so it's important to go into this year's wildfire season with a solid plan," said Hunsinger. "The time to discuss wildfire warnings and evacuation strategies with your local forestry and emergency management officials is before wildfires rage."
FEMA recommends that residents take specific actions long before an evacuation is necessary.
---Clear any flammable materials from around the home.
---Construct roofs and exterior walls from non-combustible or fire resistant material such as slate, tile, sheet iron, aluminum, brick or stone.
---Treat wood siding, cedar shingles, exterior wood paneling and other highly combustible materials with fire retardant chemicals.
---Clean roof surfaces and gutters free of pine needles, leaves, and branches regularly.
---Space landscape plants to limit fire from spreading to surrounding vegetation or structures.
---Maintain fuel breaks around all structures.
---Store gasoline only in approved containers, and well away from occupied buildings.
---Store firewood and other combustibles away from structures.
---Keep firefighting tools (such as ladders, shovels, rakes and water buckets) handy, and water hoses connected.
---House numbers and all street signs should be clear of overgrowth and always be visible.
---Clear roads and driveways of vegetation overgrowth so fire vehicles have room to maneuver.
---Place a lawn sprinkler on the roof, which can be turned on when evacuating to wet the roof.
It is also smart to keep important personal documents quickly available should you need to evacuate. Consider collecting your driver's license, passport and other identification, birth and marriage certificates, Social Security card, insurance policies, tax records, wills, deed or lease and stocks and bonds. Also, know where your main turn-off switches are for electricity, water and gas.
Another important step that FEMA recommends is preparing an evacuation kit. Items should be put in a container that can be easily loaded into a vehicle for a quick departure. Items to include:
---Flashlight
---Battery-powered radio with additional batteries
---First aid kit
---Medicines, prescriptions and eyeglasses
---Water (at least one gallon per person and enough for three days for each person in the household)
---Change of clothing
---Sleeping bags and pillows
---Cash and credit cards
FEMA also recommends that family members discuss how to contact one another if the wildfire comes near when family members are separated. Discuss evacuation routes and identify relatives or friends outside the immediate area that can be contacted. Finally, make sure your pets have collars and identification tags and take your pets with you if you need to evacuate. While some shelters won't accept pets, an increasing number of communities are organizing pet shelters when large evacuations are necessary. Check with your local Humane Society, animal shelter or veterinarian.
For more information on protecting your family and your home from wildfires, go to http://www.fema.gov/, or http://www.ready.gov/