As the week of the Fourth of July is ending, we are also coming into the peak of fire season. Temperatures are soaring into the 100s, everything is dried out, and summer lightning storms are approaching. Top that off with fallout from all of those fireworks and barbecues from the holiday, and we can expect to see fires popping up in their place.
Now that you have an idea of how fires actually work, it’s time to look at what we are doing to reduce the damage. This week’s wildfire guide, we will be exploring wildfire prevention and management, as well as community preparedness and some wildfire safety tips.
Wildfires aren’t going to go away, but, armed with a bit of knowledge, we can prepare ourselves and our communities to reduce their numbers and the devastating aftermath.
Wildfire Prevention is Key
The best way to fight a fire is to stop it from starting in the first place. Here are some key strategies for wildfire prevention:
- – Public Education: Raising awareness about responsible outdoor recreation and fire safety habits is crucial. Following these guides is a good start, but also look into classes from your local fire marshal and other preparedness organizations, as well as the more in-depth online resources like the one from the National Wildfire Coordinating Group for great wildfire safety tips.
- – Fuel Reduction: Removing excess vegetation and debris around homes and communities creates defensible space that can slow the spread of flames. This fire mitigation strategy is employed by government agencies and fire crews, but is also effective for homeowners.
- – Prescribed Burns: Carefully controlled burns mimic natural fire cycles, reducing built-up fuel loads and promoting healthy ecosystems. More prescribed burns means less wildfires, and this practice was historically used by Native Americans to protect and cultivate the land.
- – Forest Management: Selective logging and thinning allow for the harvesting of timber products, while also creating healthier ecosystems and aiding wildfire prevention efforts.
Technological Advancements in Wildfire Prevention
Technology is playing an increasingly important role in wildland fire management, making it easier to predict, detect, and communicate exactly what is happening with a wildfire.
- – Fire Modeling (Prediction): Advanced computer models predict fire behavior, allowing firefighters to develop more effective wildfire prevention strategies.
- – Early Detection Systems: Satellites, drones, and remote cameras and sensors can help detect wildfire smoke and wildfires early when they are easier to contain, and are utilized in remote areas where fires might go unnoticed until it’s too late.
- – Communication Tools: Real-time communication tools, like radio comms, news broadcasts, and fire maps provide access to firefighters and communities for the most up-to-date information during wildfire season.
Wildland Firefighting Techniques
Prevention, prediction, detection, and communication are all crucial to minimizing wildfire damage, but what about when the fire does officially become an incident? That’s where the hard-working folks called Wildland Firefighters come in.
Building Barriers
A crucial technique is constructing “fire lines,” of bare mineral soil strips devoid of vegetation. These act as firebreaks, cutting off fuel and stopping the fire’s advance. Firefighters use hand tools (“hand lines”) or heavy machinery, depending on the terrain.
Common tools used by hand crews.
The hand crews that dig these lines are broken into squads, with sawyers running chainsaws at the front to clear the path. Sawyers are followed by brushers, who remove the cut material from the line, and the diggers and scrapers form the final line. This process is like a rapid, assembly line-version of creating a defensible space around your home.
Fighting Fire with Fire
Sometimes, the best defense is a controlled offense. Back-burning involves deliberately setting a low-intensity prescribed burns ahead of the main blaze using a drip torch. This burns away potential fuel, leaving nothing for the wildfire to consume when it reaches that area.
Water and Retardant
A fire mitigation tactic where firefighters target flames at the fire line’s edge and hotspots within the burn zone. This may be done by hand crews using bladder bags, or pumps and hoses set up along the line.
Water tenders use trucks with large water tanks either to directly combat the fire, or to set up and supply the pumps and hoses for hand crews.
Helicopters and airplanes can drop water or fire retardant, which are chemicals intended to slow or stop the progression of a fire. Aerial units like these are coordinated by ground crews using radio communication.
Safety First
Wildland firefighting is inherently dangerous. Firefighters constantly monitor weather conditions, always have escape routes planned, and prioritize their safety above all else.
Often, crews will dispatch one or two individuals to act as a lookout with a radio to inform the rest of the crew of changes in weather conditions or fire behavior. A common saying in wildland firefighting is, “fight fire aggressively, providing for safety first.”
The tools used for safety are called Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). Proper PPE always includes a helmet, safety glasses or goggles, hearing protection, hard-soled boots, heavy leather gloves, and Nomex, the fire-resistant long sleeve shirts and long pants worn by firefighters.
Firefighters also carry in their packs a fire shelter, which looks like an emergency blanket cocoon, and enough water and food for the whole day.
Adapting to the Environment
The approach to fighting wildfires varies based on location and the fire’s behavior. In wilderness areas, minimizing environmental impact is crucial. Here, firefighters might use hand tools and focus on containing the wildfire damage, rather than complete suppression.
The wildland urban interface, often abbreviated as WUI, refers to the zone where human development meets undeveloped wildland. This can encompass anything from suburbs bordering forests to mountain communities nestled amongst trees.
The WUI is a high-risk area for wildfires because homes and other structures are situated close to flammable vegetation. Understanding the WUI is crucial for both residents and firefighters, as it helps with wildfire risk assessment, fire mitigation strategies, and community preparedness planning in these particularly vulnerable areas.
When Fields Burn: The Devastating Impact of Wildfires on Agriculture
Wildfires are a growing threat not just to homes and communities, but also to the very foundation of our food system: agriculture. Wildfire damage and wildfire smoke can have a devastating impact on farms, ranches, and the livelihoods of those who depend on the land.
A Double-Edged Sword
Fire has played a historical role in some agricultural practices. Controlled burns, for example, in slash-and-burn agriculture can help manage vegetation and improve grazing land. However, wildfires are a far cry from controlled burns. Here’s how wildfires can wreak havoc on farms and ranches:
- – Loss of Crops and Livestock: Wildfires can engulf fields, orchards, and ranches, destroying crops and threatening livestock. This translates to lost income for farmers and potential disruptions to food supplies.
Even if the crops don’t burn, smoke damage can severely impact businesses. Like in 2018 when wildfire smoke impacted grapes before harvesting, causing “smoke taint” in wines from vineyards across California.
- – Damage to Infrastructure: Farm buildings, fences, irrigation systems, and other vital infrastructure can be destroyed by flames, adding to the financial burden of recovery. To put that in perspective, every mile of fencing alone can cost between $15-20,000 to replace.
- – Soil Erosion: Burned land is more susceptible to erosion due to the destruction of plant material and duff, leading to a loss of valuable topsoil and reduced fertility. This can take years to recover from one wildfire season.
- – Air Quality Impacts: Wildfire smoke can harm crops and reduce yields. It can also be detrimental to the health of farmworkers and livestock.
Interested in learning more about the ways in which Ranches and Farms are protected? Check out our post from last year, Understanding the Importance of Farm and Ranch Insurance: Protecting Your Farm and Livelihood
Beyond the Immediate Damage
The long-term consequences of wildfire damage on agriculture can be severe. Displaced farmers face financial hardship and emotional stress. Disruption of food production can lead to price hikes and shortages. The overall impact on rural communities can be devastating.
Building Resilience: A Multi-Faceted Approach
There’s no single solution to the problem of wildfires and agriculture. However, there are some strategies that can help:
- – Fire Safe Practices: Creating defensible space around farm buildings, employing fire-resistant fencing, and having a wildland fire management plan are crucial steps.
- – Diversification: Planting a variety of crops and using cover crops can help improve soil health and reduce fire risk. Introducing sustainable agriculture techniques and agroforestry can also help to better manage the wildland urban interface.
- – Financial Assistance: Government programs and insurance options can help farmers recover from wildfire losses and rebuild their livelihoods.
Building a Fire Shield: The Power of Firewise Communities for Wildfire Prevention
As wildfires become a more frequent and intense threat, the concept of firewise communities is gaining traction. These aren’t places immune to fire, but rather neighborhoods that proactively work together toward fire mitigation and wildfire risk assessment to protect their homes and ways of living.
What Makes a Community Firewise?
Firewise communities are built on a foundation of shared responsibility and action, a key to modern wildfire prevention. Here are some key characteristics:
- – Defensible Space: Homeowners take individual responsibility for creating a buffer zone around their homes for wildfire prevention. This involves fuel reduction, like removing flammable materials like leaves, branches, and dead trees, and maintaining proper landscaping with fire-resistant plants.
- – Community Collaboration: Neighbors come together to share resources, knowledge, and manpower for fire mitigation projects. This could involve clearing brush along shared property lines, advocating for controlled burns in the area, or conducting fire safety education workshops.
- – Preparedness Planning: Firewise communities work with local fire departments to develop a fire evacuation plan and communication protocols in case of a wildfire. Regular wildfire risk assessment and fire drills ensure everyone knows what to do in an emergency.
Benefits of Going Firewise
If your community is at risk of wildfire damage, working toward community preparedness is going to be crucial in an emergency. Some benefits enjoyed by firewise communities include:
- – Reduced Fire Risk: By creating defensible space and managing vegetation, communities significantly reduce the chance of flames spreading and causing widespread wildfire damage.
- – Increased Property Values: Firewise certification can actually increase home values as it demonstrates a proactive approach to fire safety.
- – Stronger Community Bonds: Working together on fire mitigation projects fosters a sense of shared responsibility and strengthens the bonds between neighbors.
- – Peace of Mind: Knowing your community is prepared for the possibility of fire offers a sense of security and reduces anxiety during fire season.
How to Get Involved
The good news is that anyone can participate in creating a firewise community. Here are some steps you can take:
- – Contact your local fire department or forestry service. They often have resources and programs to help communities become firewise. Or, visit the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) website to download your toolkit.
- – Gather your neighbors and discuss fire risk in your area. Brainstorm ideas for community-wide projects.
- – Become a firewise leader. Motivate your neighbors to take action and spread awareness about fire safety.
- – Support firewise initiatives. Donate to organizations promoting firewise communities or volunteer your time for local projects.
Building a fire shield starts with each individual. By working together, communities can empower themselves to face the challenge of wildfires and create a safer future for everyone.
The Burning Conclusion
Hopefully this wildfire season isn’t getting too hot for you yet. If you’ve been following this series, you should now have some understanding of fire behavior and wildfire ecology, wildfire prevention, wildland fire management and how it works from the forests to farmlands, right on up to your door.
By arming yourself with the knowledge of how fire works, how to prevent it, and how to stay safe in an emergency, you’re preparing for wildfire season in the best way possible.
You’re adapting yourself to the inevitable wildfires today, just like the plants and animals in our forests.
Next week, we’ll be addressing what to do at your home address: wildfire season prep for your home and garden, and wildfire safety tips like prepping go bags and planning evacuation routes.
Until then, stay safe and enjoy your summer!