I live in the country and my house could be affected by wildfires. What can I do to protect my property?
The 2017 wildfires Montana experienced had major impacts on rural residents living in and around naturally-vegetated areas, or the Wildland-Urban Interface or WUI. Some residents were evacuated while others experienced loss of livestock, pasture and property. In most cases, residents living in a WUI can help prepare homes and surroundings to better withstand wildfire threats.
On a recent trip near Kalispell, I observed a number of lake cabins that could be easily lost to wildfire. Roofs and gutters filled with pine needles, firewood stacked next to cabins, and tall grass, shrubs and trees growing too close to homes are a potential recipe for total loss.
There are many choices to create a more fire-safe environment around a home and property so the home has a better chance to survive without firefighters. There are steps landowners can take to prepare a home, create defensible space and keep the beauty of surroundings.
Roofs, gutters and vents are the vulnerable parts of a home. Wildfire damage to most homes or outbuildings comes from windblown hot embers (Cohen 1999, 2000 in RMRS-GTR-299), which may get blown into vents, onto debris on the roof, and in gutters or on the ground to start new fires. Clean debris off the roof and out of rain gutters annually. Cover vent openings with 1/8-inch metal mesh. Close in the eaves with ignition-resistant materials.
Use non-combustible building materials for decks and patio coverings. Dualpaned windows with one pane made of tempered glass will help reduce the chance of windows breaking and hot embers starting a fire inside a home. Consider having multiple garden hoses that are long enough to reach all areas of a home. Avoid storing flammable items under decks because burning embers can collect there and start a new fire.
Make sure road access to property is wide enough and has a space for a fire truck to turn around. Access roads that have a “T” or dead end will be avoided even if a fire crew is available.
Create defensible space around a home. Evaluate plants growing around the home. Use hard surface or rock in a five foot distance next to the house. Keep grass mowed to four inches or less, and tree branches trimmed to a minimum of 10 feet away from the roof. Regularly remove leaves, conifer needles and dead branches within 30 feet of a home and outbuildings. Move wood piles at least 30 feet away from a home or deck.
Create an open, defensible landscape while maintaining the aesthetic beauty of surroundings. With mature trees, remove all branches from the ground to a height of six feet. If trees are small, about ¼ of the lower branches can be removed. Avoid planting shrubs within 30 feet of a home and under other trees. Keep shrubs or trees in small groups to break up continuous fuels, which will help slow a fire’s spread. Plant trees or shrubs farther apart if property has any slope, because fires burn faster going uphill.
Preparing a home and property is just one part of creating a wildland fire action plan. For a comprehensive guide to make a fire action plan, check out the READY, SET, GO! Action Planning Guide available from the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation.
http://dnrc.mt.gov/divisions/forestry/docs/fire-and-aviation/prevention/mtready-set-go-guide-2016.pdf
https://www.fs.fed.us/openspace/fote/reports/GTR-299.pdf