Will Your Home Survive a Wildfire?
By Jim Palmer Jr.

I live in a timbered area where there are over 30 homes on a dead-end road that has no outlet.  I have often wondered how our neighborhood would fare in the event that a forest fire was ever to burn through our area.  Those were my thoughts just the other day as I watched 4 fire planes repeatedly scoop up water from the nearby lake in order to help douse a wildfire that was raging only a few miles away.

Many people escape from city life and think they want the natural look so they allow vegetation to grow uncontrolled close to their home.  That includes those beautiful shade trees that continually deposit dead leaves or needles on their roof and in their gutters.  Other people make a concerted effort to maintain a buffer zone or reduced fuel zone around their home that will assure their home survives the ravages of a wildfire.

One fire fighter said, “I can’t tell you how many times we’ve driven through the forest and it’s just home after home that’s destroyed, and then, all of a sudden, here’s a beautiful home that’s untouched.”  It is obvious that the owner of the untouched home had made the effort to build a defensible space around the home by reducing vegetation for at least 100 feet around the perimeter. Reducing fuels and creating a nice green lawn around it really does work.  At my house we make a huge effort to keep the grass cut short and to keep it lush and green, even though we have a low producing well and keeping it green takes a lot of planning.

Other steps you can take to protect your home including clearing stored items from underneath decks, removing wood fencing, tree branches, woodpiles and other combustibles.  Shake shingles can be replaced with more fire resistance metal roofs or fire resistant shingles.  Burning embers can travel far ahead of a burning wildfire and can ignite fuels that surround your home or even end up in attic spaces when venting screens are not in place.

Invite your local DNR or your favorite neighborhood firefighter to come and do an assessment of your home.  Their suggestions may help your home avoid being consumed by one of those northeast Washington wildfires that constantly threaten us during the summer and fall months of the year.