UNDERWOOD — How does a community prepare for wildfire and build resilience?
That was the topic of a presentation by Michael Norvell, wildfire resilience technician for Underwood Conservation District, and Charlie Landsman, community resilience coordinator with Washington State Department of Natural Resources, March 15 at the Underwood Community Center.
Norvell began by saying Underwood has had increased growth in its wildland urban interface — “the line, area or zone where structures and other human development meet or intermingle with undeveloped wildland or vegetive fuels,” according to the U.S. Fire Administration (usfa.fema.gov/wui/what-is-the-wui.html) — with more houses being built in these areas. The purpose of the meeting, he said, “is to gain some community assembly around the question of wildfire — what we can all do to protect ourselves, but also our neighbors in our bigger community.”
The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) can help homeowners make assessments and provide a list of priorities, Landsman said, or homeowners can sign up at wildfirerisk.org to create a plan.
Underwood is a “really unique area” in the transition zone between the east and west, Norvell said — it gets less moisture than Vancouver, but temperatures don’t get as hot as they do in Lyle. The Tunnel Five fire, which started July 3, 2023, burned 529 acres. Though “relatively small” when compared to the 2017 Eagle Creek fire — which came in around 50,000 acres burned — 10 structures were lost during the Tunnel Five fire, involving 40 engines and 256 firefighters. “It was still a massive, massive operation to put out this fire,” he said. “… Even a small fire like this has a really big impact on our lives … The best way to avoid your home or property being adversely affected by fire is to prepare the property as best you can by creating a fence.”
It’s embers from a fire that can cause a home to go up in flames. “Embers, not trees, are going to be the biggest danger in the event of a wildfire,” he said. “At least 80% of structures lost during the wildfire event are from spot fires that are ignited by embers.”
Norvell suggested homeowners start by increasing resilience within the first five feet around the house — focus on landscaping to prevent the spread of a fire with native plants like maple, Oregon grape and dogwood; use fire-resistant materials for siding, decks and the roof; use gravel or stones around the home; clean out gutters; prune trees and shrubs; and store firewood or other wooden materials away from the home, for example.
“And that’s not only to cut out some vegetation that’s potential fuel, but it’s also to make sure you can get in and out of your property,” he said. “And to make sure that if firefighters need to come in, they can get in and out of your property. So if you can prep your driveway in advance of a fire event, that’s great.”
Landsman added that outside vents should be covered with metal screenings to keep embers from entering and igniting the inside of a home, and things like doormats and patio furniture can be extremely flammable (he suggests metal, not wooden furniture). Tall grasses, dead trees and shrubs are easily ignited, and even the spacing between plants can increase the likelihood of fire spread.
“The more gaps that you create in your landscape, the less likely fire is to spread throughout that landscape,” he said.
Norvell said that firefighters prioritize protecting property and recreational areas when fighting wildfires, and “anything residence can do to protect their property and help firefighters to do their jobs with the least chance of getting hurt is critically important.”
Landsman said the same strategies for protecting a house from wildfire should be applied to all structures — not only on your property, but in your neighborhood. “When you start to work with your neighbors or as a community, it’s going to compound [resilience],” he said. “… With this entire community, we can make sure that everything is protected. And the more that you do, not only to your property, but encourage your neighbors to do … on that community scale, the more effective all of this work is going to be.”
But, he said, “it’s your property. It’s not our job to tell you what level of risk to live with. It’s our job to make sure that you have clearly understand your risk and what steps there are that you can do to reduce that risk.”
•••
Fire risk assessment is available for your home and if you have groups of neighbors that want to work together, this is a good way help protect the entire neighborhood. If you have any questions contact Michael McNorvell, Underwood Conservation District,michael@ucdwa.org or Charles Landsman, Washington Department of Natural Resources Charles.landsman@dnr.wa.gov.
Commented