Making A Walk About Community Assessment Fun! Hosted by Firewise Communities USA November 16, 2013

Agenda Firewise a Program of the NFPA Nuts and Bolts of Doing an Assessment Do Research About the Community Taking Pictures Make Your Presentation Fun and Engaging

National Firewise Communities ® Program VISION: Wildland fires can occur in areas of residential development without the occurrence of disastrous loss. MISSION: To promote community-wide responsibility in the use of technology, policy and practices that minimize the loss of life and property to wildland fire independent of fire fighting efforts.

National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Nonprofit life safety codes and standards organization Founded in ,000+ members worldwide 300+ consensus codes and standards documents Administers the Firewise program Partner with USDA Forest Service, US DOI, US Fire Administration on WUI Fire Protection since 1986

Homes lost to wildfire: a national problem WUI “Wildland/Urban Interface” is not a place but a set of conditions Climate Topography Vegetation Built environment

The Firewise Approach Firewise is a proactive interagency program designed to protect people and property from the risk of wildfire. It incorporates the efforts of individual homeowners, local communities, federal and state agencies and tribes.

The Firewise Approach A Firewise approach involves landscaping, home construction and design, and community planning, along with forest and land management.

What Have We Learned? Wildfires are inevitable in fire-adapted ecosystems During large interface fires, hundreds of structures an hour may be ignited No fire suppression system in the world can stop losses from these large conflagrations

Refocusing our efforts Focus on mitigation/preventive actions that reduce losses before the event Reduce potential fire intensity that the vegetation will influence Reduce the structure’s ignitability

Do Mitigation (Fire Prevention) Efforts Make a Difference? Your home is one of the biggest investments that your family will make! Take action to make it more survivable during a wildfire event

A look at wildfire behavior No Wildfire Preparation = No Win San Diego, California

Wildfire Preparation = Big Win Fires burned past these New Mexico homes

Wildfire Preparation = Big Win In January 2006, fire burned up to all four sides of this Oklahoma home. The house survived; the pickup did not

Wildfire Preparation = Big Win In April 2011 the owners of this Colorado home evacuated. They used Firewise Principals. They returned to find their home intact; 13 surrounding homes destroyed

THE COMMUNITY IGNITION ZONE LOOKING AT THE BACKYARD AND BEYOND We can modify our ‘home ignition zones’ A house burns because of its interrelationship with everything in its immediate surroundings ( feet) What happens within this zone is critical to structure survival A wildfire’s potential relationship with a house can be interrupted here

FAQs about FAC Firewise Home Ignition Zone Assessment Fire Resistant Materials Image credit: Clarion Associates, 2011 Firewise Community Assessment CWPP

A LARGER IGNITION ZONE THE COMMUNITY ASSESSMENT By changing the character of a home ignition zone, you may save a structureBy changing the character of a home ignition zone, you may save a structure By modifying a community’s ignition zone, you have the opportunity to alter a wildfire’s path for an entire communityBy modifying a community’s ignition zone, you have the opportunity to alter a wildfire’s path for an entire community This is where the Firewise program enters, beginning with a community assessmentThis is where the Firewise program enters, beginning with a community assessment

PREPARING THE ASSESSMENT Writing the assessment requires an understanding of the community’s…Writing the assessment requires an understanding of the community’s… Likely severe-case wildland fire characteristicsLikely severe-case wildland fire characteristics GeographyGeography VegetationVegetation Social considerationsSocial considerations Do Your Homework Ahead o Of the Assessment

SUGGESTED ASSESSMENT FORMAT SEE TEMPLATE Description of [Size and Nature of] the Severe Case Wildland Fire Characteristics that Could Threaten the Area. Use template text for first portion of section. The template can be found in “The User Reference Guide to Developing Firewise Communities”, found on the Firewise website at of [Size and Nature of] the Severe Case Wildland Fire Characteristics that Could Threaten the Area. Use template text for first portion of section. The template can be found in “The User Reference Guide to Developing Firewise Communities”, found on the Firewise website at Add description of the anticipated severe-case wildfire that is likely to threaten the area. It is important that homeowners understand “their fire’s” characteristics. They can then create an effective plan to modify its pathAdd description of the anticipated severe-case wildfire that is likely to threaten the area. It is important that homeowners understand “their fire’s” characteristics. They can then create an effective plan to modify its path

COMMUNITY ASSESSMENT COURTESIES Announce when you will arrive and invite local participationAnnounce when you will arrive and invite local participation Include all interested jurisdictional fire staffInclude all interested jurisdictional fire staff When taking photographs, do not include address numbers or other identifying featuresWhen taking photographs, do not include address numbers or other identifying features

Look At the Neighborhood as a Whole Work with our neighbors! Where homes are close enough to ignite one another, neighbors must work together to modify overlapping home ignition zones

Work Together on Common Areas Such as Roads and Parks Which roadway would you choose to take your fire truck in a wildfire event? This One: Or one of these?

100 Feet of Defensible Space First 30 feet Lean and Green! Make sure that you pay attention to attachments! Trim Limbs and vegetation at least 10 feet from the house. Keep all flammable materials including mulch at least 3 feet from the home! Next 70 foot 50% Fuel Reduction: This includes proper spacing, removing dead materials, limbing up bushes and trees reducing ladder fuel

What else can we do? Create a ‘fuel free’ area around your house that runs one yard out on all sides. When preparing your home ignition zone, start with the house and work out

What Do You Have Surrounding Your House?

Plant Types to have Near your Home Plants should be: Low in Resins High in Moisture Low in Duff (shed materials such. leaves etc.)Low maintenance/water High in salt or soapy plants such as Soap Worts Good Plant Choices:

A Very Poor Plant Choice Cyprus/Junipers Mostly dead specimen next to fence attached to a home Bad Choice Because: Low in moisture High in Resin High in Duff/dead and shed materials Low salt content High Maintenance

Look at Firewise construction in the backyard The Home Ignition Zone includes the home, in addition to its immediate surroundings up to 200 feet. If it’s attached to the house, it’s part of the house.

If it’s attached, it’s part of the house!

So What Is Attached To Your House?

A Look at some Better Attachment Choices

Home Hardening

How about This Roof? The Ugly

More Home Hardening The Good

Boxed Eaves Dual Paned Windows Class A Roof Fire Resistive Building Materials

How Could This Home Be Improved? Could Be Better! Bird Stops

What else can we do? Keep mulch and pine needles and leaves and debris away from your house, fence and deck. If something is attached to the house, it is part of the house

What else can we do? During fire season, store fire wood at least 30 feet from your house

Is This Enough Firewood?

Firewood Too Close To The Shed/Home The firewood and Debris is piled up next to the shed Closer Inspection of the woodpile

Remove Trash/Treasures and Debris from Your Yard! If you cut it remove it!Treasure Fuels!

Limb Up Trees Nicely done by a homeowner Nicely done in the park (common area)

Remove Dead and Dying Trees Dead: Contact your local forester or arborist regarding questions about tree removal and care Mostly Dead

If a Little is Good More is Better

Make sure that your Driveway is Accessible A Nice driveway with 10 feet of reduced vegetation and no overhanging branches. Can you find the car in this driveway?

Simple Solutions Reducing Ladder Fuel (Vegetation) in the 100 feet surrounding your home

MORE LADDER FUEL Ladder fuel, dry weeds and bushes next to a residence fence

Proper Spacing

Contact your local Power Company if Trees are Growing into Power Lines Palm tree and Pine tree touching power lines in Ramona Give the local power company the pole number and the street intersection or street address of where trees and pole are located.

What Can You Do to Make Your Home/Community Safer? Work collaboratively with your land management agencies and authorities having jurisdiction (Fire and water districts) Contact information for your local districts can be found on the Living with Wildfire Website. Know your local codes. Many simple fixes such as cleaning up trash and debris in your yard can make your home more survivable! Make proper plant choices using the firewise principals around your home. Work together on common areas. You can use Free Firewise tools and resources to improve your readiness.

Which Choice Will You Make for Your Home, Your Community, Your Fire Department? Choose Wisely!

Questions? Discussion? Thank You! Faith Berry