Prepare your home for wildfire defense

Last updated 5/12/2020 at Noon

fire truck access

Despite beating the drum on a message of preparedness, Cloverdale Fire Chief Thad Olsen is still seeing homes in his district that can’t be defended from wildfire.

He said it two years ago, in the wake of fires that took three homes in his district — and the message is the same today: “We aren’t going to commit firefighters to houses that are not defensible. Basically, what we’re asking is, give us a fighting chance.”

Olsen told The Nugget last week that the two major factors are overgrown trees and shrubs that block fire engine access and trees and shrubs growing too close to structures.

“A lot of times, it’s stuff that was good 10 years ago, but it’s now overgrown,” he said. “A lot of it’s just maintenance stuff.”

A juniper tree growing right up against a structure can go up like a torch and take the house with it.

Creating defensible space around your home means creating an area of at least 30 feet around the home where combustibles are kept cleared away, trees limbed back and landscaping crafted with plants that don’t readily ignite and carry fire.

Steps to create defensible space and tips on fire-resistant landscaping may be found at www.firefree.org. Additionally, products are available to spray on your home that can enhance its resistance to fire. Those have to be applied well before any crisis develops and should be part of a program of defensibility and not a substitute for defensible space.

Another critical element in giving firefighters a fighting chance is making sure they can get into and out of your property safely.

Firefighters have to be able to drive in to a property and have to be able to turn an engine around so they can escape quickly. If a property doesn’t allow for that, a fire chief won’t send firefighters in — because they would be risking their lives.

That continues to be a problem in the Cloverdale Fire District.

Chief Olsen said that in his neighborhood alone, “I’ve got six driveways where I know we can’t get a fire truck to their house.”

Property owners are advised to limb trees back to make sure a fire truck can get in and turn around — and that work should be done before fire season gets underway. Also, it is important to make sure that fire-numbers are readily visible so that emergency personnel can identify where homes are.

Sgt. Garibay says, “There are places in this county where you could drive past a house and not know there was a house there.”

Author Bio

Jim Cornelius, Editor in Chief

Jim Cornelius is editor in chief of The Nugget and author of “Warriors of the Wildlands: True Tales of the Frontier Partisans.” A history buff, he explores frontier history across three centuries and several continents on his podcast, The Frontier Partisans. For more information visit www.frontierpartisans.com.

Email: [email protected]
Phone: 5415499941

Being prepared for fire evacuation

Part of living in wildfire country involves being ready — having a plan and preparations in place to evacuate.

Emergency officials strongly advise locals to sign up for Deschutes Emergency Alerts. The Deschutes Alert System (DAS) can be used to notify the public with important information during an emergency. Alerts can be sent to cell phones — but only if your number is registered. Sign up at https://www.deschutes.org/911/page/sign-deschutes-emergency-alerts.

Make arrangements with friends who have trailers and space for animals.

Extra advance planning may also be necessary if you are dealing with people who have mobility issues or special medical needs.

Planning for evacuation doesn’t have to be on the scale of a military operation — it just requires some thought and effort when things are calm.

”It doesn’t take all day to at least think it through and come up with a plan,” Sgt. Garibay said.

The website www.readyforwildfire.org offers extensive tips for evacuation:

Emergency Supply Kit Checklist

• Three-day supply of non-perishable food and three gallons of water per person.

• Map marked with at least two evacuation routes.

• Prescriptions or special medications.

• Change of clothing.

• Extra eyeglasses or contact lenses.

• Extra set of car keys, credit cards, cash or traveler’s checks.

• First aid kit.

• Flashlight.

• Battery-powered radio and extra batteries.

• Sanitation supplies.

• Copies of important documents (birth certificates, passports, etc.).

• Don’t forget pet food and water! (The website also offers extensive tips on preparing for pet evacuation).

Items to take if time allows:

• Easily carried valuables.

• Family photos and other irreplaceable items.

• Personal computer information on hard drives and disks.

• Chargers for cell phones, laptops, etc.

• Always keep a sturdy pair of shoes and a flashlight near your bed and handy in case of a sudden evacuation at night.

Sometimes residents feel compelled to stay to try to defend their home. Firefighters and other emergency personnel strongly advise against this impulse. Not only does it put the homeowner in danger, it endangers firefighters and law enforcement personnel, because they are duty-bound to try to help you if you’re in danger.