2. Course Goal
• To increase awareness of your wildfire
related risk, and how to manage it
using FireSmart techniques.
2
3. Course Objectives
• Define FireSmart and related concepts
• Assess your wildfire related risk
• Select practical FireSmart strategies to
manage your risk
3
5. Chapter 1
Objectives
Define wildfire
Describe why wildfires are important to
you
Identify how FireSmart contributes to
the reduction of wildfire risk
5
6. What isWildfire?
An unplanned or unwanted natural or human-
caused fire
Glossary of Forest Fire ManagementTerms (2003).
Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Center Inc.
6
22. Chapter 1
Review
FireSmart is a community program that
takes actions to minimize the unwanted
effects of wildfire…
True or False
23
23. Chapter 1
Review
FireSmart is a community program that
takes actions to minimize the unwanted
effects of wildfire…
True or False
24
24. Chapter 1
Review
The impact of wildfire can be:
1. Positive or negative
2. Permanent or temporary
3. Short or long term
4. All of the above
25
25. Chapter 1
Review
The impact of wildfire can be:
1. Positive or negative
2. Permanent or temporary
3. Short or long term
4. All of the above
26
26. Chapter 1
Review
List 3 reasons why wildfires are important
to people who work in the woodlands.
27
27. Chapter 1
Review
List 3 reasons why wildfires are important
to people who work in the woodlands.
1.Loss of life
2.Health risk
3.Loss of livelihood
4.Damage to infrastructure and machinery
28
40. Surface Fuels
Photo by Ben Andrew
Photo by Ben Andrew
combustible material lying on or
immediately above the ground
roots and organic soils that have the
potential to be consumed by fire
41
44. USDA Forest
Service:
Protecting
your Home
fromWildfire
Most of the houses I've examined very
likely ignited from small spot ignitions
on or adjacent to the home -- not from
the big crown fire flames.That means a
homeowner can easily do fuel
reductions that can potentially save
their homes.
-Jack Cohen, fire behaviour researcher and a founder of
the Firewise Communities recognition program
45
91. Chapter 3
Review
Wildfire risk treatment strategies can
be applied to:
1.Mitigation
2.Preparedness
3.Response
4.Recovery
5.All of the above
94
92. Chapter 3
Review
Wildfire risk treatment strategies can
be applied to:
1.Mitigation
2.Preparedness
3.Response
4.Recovery
5.All of the above
95
93. Chapter 3
Review
If you have a firewood pile, how far
should it be stored from your house?
1.5 m
2.10 m
3.30m
4.100 m
96
94. Chapter 3
Review
If you have a firewood pile, how far
should it be stored from your house?
1.5 m
2.10 m
3.30m
4.100 m
97
Notes de l'éditeur
COURSE INFORMATION
In this course you will learn to manage wildfire risk using FireSmart principles.
FireSmart is a community-based program that implements active strategies to minimize the unwanted effects of wildfire, while recognizing the important role wildfires play in a healthy landscape.
About the Slave Lake FireSmart Regional Action Team (FRAT)
This is a Slave Lake FireSmart Regional Action Team (FRAT) sponsored initiative.
The FRAT consists of representatives from the Town of Slave Lake, Municipal District of Lesser Slave River and the Sawridge First Nation. The team also includes wildfire specialists and representatives from the Government of Alberta (GoA).
The FRAT aims to develop the Lesser Slave Region into a model FireSmart community.
The FRAT:
plans and implements FireSmart treatments on the landscape surrounding Slave Lake.
helps residents learn how they can protect their homes and properties. Free FireSmart home and property assessments are offered.
builds education and training programs in conjunction with local education societies. These programs will be directed to students and adults to ensure residents understand the risks of living in a wildfire-prone region.
employs a full time FireSmart crew with machinery. The crew will be mowing areas of grass, thinning and pruning trees and removing the build-up of dead and downed trees in targeted areas.
employs experts to evaluate areas for guaranteed access to water for fire suppression in locations across the region.
About WOLF
This course was developed by WOLF.
The Woodland Operations Learning Foundation (WOLF) is a nonprofit, industry-led organization dedicated to providing quality training to harvest equipment operators and woodland workers throughout western Canada.
A board consisting of representatives from the manufacturers, equipment suppliers, harvest contractors, government and educational institutes directs WOLF. This means that training is designed by industry for industry. WOLF was created as a response to the increased knowledge and skills one must have when working around harvest operations.
Relevance Statement
This course will appeal to individuals working and living in Alberta’s woodlands.
Course Goal
The course goal is to increase awareness of your wildfire related risk, and how to manage it using FireSmart techniques.
Course Objectives
This course will introduce the concepts and basic elements of wildfire risk management and describe strategies to manage that risk.
Upon completion of this course, you will be able to:
Chapter 1: Define FireSmart and discuss some related concepts
Chapter 2: Assess your wildfire related risk
Chapter 3: Select practical FireSmart strategies to manage your risk
INTRODUCTION
On May 15, 2011, heavy winds drove two wildfires through the woodlands and into the town of Slave Lake and surrounding communities. Seven thousand residents were evacuated in one of the largest displacements of residents in Alberta’s history. The fire affected about one-quarter of the town; over 735 individuals lost their homes. Similar stories have played out in communities across western North America for the last 200 years, and will continue in the future.
Wildfire managers have developed a number of programs and strategies aimed at managing the risk that wildfire presents to homeowners and communities. In this course, we will focus on one of those programs: FireSmart. We will begin by looking at the some of the basic science that underlies wildfire, then learn about some tools that can be used to assess risk to your home and community and finally we will develop FireSmart strategies that will work for you as a homeowner.
Properly preparing your home and community doesn’t guarantee that you will not incur fire damage, but it does reduce the potential threat. Some FireSmart measures cost very little and reduce fire dangers by a great deal; others require planning and a long-term commitment to change.
CHAPTER 1 – INTRODUCTION TO WILDFIRE & FIRESMART
Upon completion of this chapter, you should be able to:
define wildfire
describe why wildfires are important to you
identify how FireSmart contributes to the reduction of wildfire risk
It is important to recognize that when you live and work in a forested environment where wildfire is a natural process; sooner or later you will likely have to contend with a wildfire. The best protection against loss, damage or injury due to wildfire is to understand and manage your risk through initiatives such as FireSmart.
Let’s start by looking at some important definitions and concepts related to wildfire.
1.1WHAT IS A WILDFIRE?
1.1.1DEFINITIONS
Combustion is the sequence of chemical reactions between a fuel and an oxidant accompanied by the production of heat.
Fire is a form of combustion that transforms a solid or a liquid substance into gaseous substances with simultaneous release of heat and light energy.
Wildfire is an unplanned or unwanted natural or human-caused fire.
INSTRUCTOR – 5 MINUTES – OPEN QUESTION TO THE CLASS – WHY IS WILDFIRE UNWANTED?
AFTER REVIEWING THE DEFINITION, DISCUSS THE TERM ‘UNWANTED’. UNWANTED NEEDS TO BE VIEWED ENVIRONMENTALLY AS WELL AS ECONOMICALLY; SOME WILDFIRES PROVIDE ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS. MAKE THE POINT THAT WILDFIRE IS A NATURAL EVENT AND CAN BE VERY BENEFICIAL TO THE ENVIRONMENT.
1.1WHAT IS A WILDFIRE?
1.1.1DEFINITIONS
Wildfires need three components for ignition and combustion to occur. A fire requires:
fuel to burn
air to supply oxygen
heat source to bring the fuel up to ignition temperature
Heat, air (oxygen) and fuel form the fire triangle.
Everything has a temperature at which it will burst into flames. This temperature is called a material's flash point. Wood's flash point is approximately 300 °C. When wood is heated to this temperature, it releases hydrocarbon gases that mix with oxygen in the air, combust and create fire.
1.2WHY IS WILDFIRE IMPORTANT?
EXERCISE - 10 MINUTES
BRAINSTORM WITH THE CLASS (2 MINUTES)- WHY IS WILDFIRE IMPORTANT TO YOU?
LEAD A DISCUSSION (8 MINUTES)
LOSS OF LIFE
LOSS OF LIVELIHOOD
DAMAGE TO EQUIPMENT
WATER QUALITY AND QUANTITY
AIR QUALITY
RECREATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES
DISRUPTION OF WORK
POTENTIAL LIABILITY
INSTRUCTOR – IT IS LIKELY THAT THE CLASS WILL FOCUS ON THE NEGATIVE CONSEQUENCES OF WILDFIRE. IT IS USEFUL TO DISCUSS THE POSITIVE ASPECTS OF WILDFIRE.
Fire plays an important role in Alberta’s forest ecosystems. Since the last ice age ended 10 000 years ago, fire has been a process of forest renewal, helping to maintain forest health and the diversity of plants and animals living in the forest. Alberta’s forests have evolved with fire as a natural and necessary contributor to the creation of habitat and overall forest renewal. Disturbances like wildfire and insect outbreaks have a strong and lasting influence on species distribution and viability. Natural disturbances have been called “key structuring processes”.
As a natural disturbance, fire supports a variety of ecological processes including:
influence on the diversity of plant species
wildlife habitat abundance
influence on the presence and abundance of insects, parasites, etc.
Historically, large lightning-caused fires were common in the boreal forest. Until fire suppression efforts began in the 1950s, only a small portion of the forest was more than 75 years old.
1.2WHY IS WILDFIRE IMPORTANT?
1.2.1AN UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCE?
Due to a history of successful fire suppression, trees in the forests have multiplied, filling open spaces and overtaking grasslands. Forests are becoming more continuous and less of a mosaic of age classes. Without the pervasive role of fire at the landscape level - frequent low intensity and infrequent stand replacement fires - fuel continuity increases and forest stands “densify”.
Alberta’s forests are getting older. Mature and over mature forest has increased in area, from around one million hectares in 1957 to over nine million hectares in 2000; 50 years of forest fuel accumulation has reset the wildfire fuel equation.
For the remainder of this course, we will focus on the negative effect of wildfire; particularly the potential impact that wildfire can have on you, your family and your livelihood. But remember that wildfire has a wide range of consequences - some positive, some negative; some permanent, some temporary; some short, and some long term.
VIDEO – 5 MINUTES – NATURAL DISTURBANCE IN THE BOREAL FOREST
1.3WILDLAND/URBAN INTERFACE
Let’s begin by looking at how and where wildfire is most likely to affect you.
Understanding wildfire risk is becoming even more important as our population increases and more people chose to live and recreate in Alberta’s woodlands. Where communities border woodlands, a wildland/urban interface (WUI) is created. The WUI is where our urban lifestyle meets the wildland which is prone to wildfire; an area where industry, agriculture, recreation or communities mingle with the woodlands. By choosing to extend our lifestyle and communities further into forested areas, we become more exposed to the danger of wildfire.
In this course, we will focus on wildfires in the WUI. In this interface, we find high value structures and people interacting with a woodland that is prone to burning. WUI fires can have a tremendous impact on vulnerable communities, resulting in large economic loss and inflicting severe social disruption.
1.3WILDLAND/URBAN INTERFACE
1.3.1HOW DOES FIRE THREATEN THE INTERFACE?
By carefully analyzing how wildfires start and spread, we can formulate FireSmart strategies to reduce our wildfire risk and to protect the values important to us. These “values” include our family, neighbors and community as well as the complex infrastructure that supports our life and livelihood.
WUI fires originate from two sources:
Fires move from wildland (forest, bush or grassland) areas into the community.
Fires ignite in the community and spread into the interface.
1.3WILDLAND/URBAN INTERFACE
1.3.1HOW DOES FIRE THREATEN THE INTERFACE?
Fires may occur at the interface – where our wildland fuels meet at a well-defined boundary, or in the intermix where development and wildland fuels intermingle with no clearly defined boundary.
The challenge for firefighters is that fires in this zone exhibit a blend of structural and wildland fire behaviour which makes them difficult to manage. Fires in the WUI burn both buildings and natural vegetation; but, traditionally firefighters are trained to deal with either structural fires or wildfires.
FireSmart strategies that you and your community initiate can reduce the potential risk associated with WUI fires significantly, by:
reducing human-caused ignitions
reducing wildfire risk to your personal safety and property
creating a safer environment for the fire crews that respond
1.4FIRE BEHAVIOUR
To select the most effective FireSmart strategies, it is useful to understand a little bit about wildfire behaviour. Fire behaviour is the manner in which wildfires ignite and spread. The “fire behaviour triangle” represents the key components that interact to determine the behaviour of a fire at any given time. The components are:
topography
weather
fuels
Fire Behaviour is one of the most important aspects of wildfires because almost all actions taken on a fire depend on how it "behaves". Successful suppression of wildfires is directly related to how well wildfire managers understand and are able to predict fire behaviour. The safety of all fire fighting personnel also depends on this knowledge.
Let’ s look at how the three components of the triangle affect fire behavior.
Topography
Topography includes elevation, slope, and aspect. Topography doesn’t change over time like the weather, but changing topography influences the type and condition of fuel and can modify weather influences.
Fire behaviour changes as the fire moves over the terrain. Elevation influences the general climate and type and availably of fuels. For example, the fire season is generally shorter at higher elevations. Slope steepness and aspect can affect the amount of moisture in fuels and potentially the wind a site receives. These affects can vary by season and by time of day.
Weather
Weather is the one factor of wildfire behavior that changes over time. This change greatly influences the threat that a wildfire presents to you. Collectively, fire weather is a number of factors that influence wildfire ignitions and behaviour. Fire weather includes:
air temperature – affects fuel moisture
barometric pressure – influences air mass movement, wind speed, and direction
precipitation – influences fuel moisture
relative humidity
upper air conditions
wind
Wind is particularly important to fire behaviour as it:
increases the rate of drying of fuels and the likelihood of ignition
increases the rate of spread
increases the amount of oxygen available
Wind can change the direction of the fire, and facilitate spotting.
1.4FIRE BEHAVIOUR
Fuels
Fuels do not start fires, but they affect the ease of ignition.
Fire behaviour, including the rate of spread and the intensity of a fire, is affected by fuel:
size
height
arrangement
moisture content
age
species
The crown height of the forest stand that is burning is a key to behaviour.
Key Point
Fuels are the only element of the fire environment over which we have direct control. A number of the FireSmart disciplines and activities are founded on this point.
1.4FIRE BEHAVIOUR
1.4.1SPOTTING
Spotting is the fire behaviour in which fire-producing sparks or embers are carried by the wind and start new fires beyond the zone of direct ignition by the main fire. Spotting can have the effect of hastening the wildfire spread dramatically. Wildfire damage to many homes and structures is due to wind-borne embers igniting roofs and decks, or blowing into homes through vents and other openings.
In Alberta, it is not uncommon for embers to be carried two kilometres in advance of the fire front.
1.5TYPES OF WILDFIRE
Not all wildfires have access to the same amount of fuels, heat, and air. These differences underlie the different ways in which wildfires behave. Let’s look at a couple of examples.
1.5.1GROUND FIRES
Ground fires burn below the surface in organic fuels such as peat or duff. Ground fires often smolder with no flames. They barely spread, but can burn through the winter in areas with deep organic layers. They can become a source of wildfires in the spring when weather and fuel conditions are more favourable for more intense fires.
1.5TYPES OF WILDFIRE
1.5.2SURFACE FIRES
Surface fires burn through surface fuels such as litter, shrubs, woody debris, and grass.
Surface fires may creep across the landscape or burn more vigorously with some torching of individual trees, depending on fuels and the fire environment.
1.5TYPES OF WILDFIRE
1.5.3CROWN FIRES
Crown fires burn through tree crowns. They spread from tree to tree, usually supported by a surface fire below.
Conditions favourable for crown fire include:
dry fuels
low humidity
high temperatures
steep slopes
unstable atmosphere
continuous fuel
strong winds
Torching occurs when fire moves from the surface into the crowns in individual trees but not necessarily from one crown to the next.
A flare-up is a sudden acceleration of the fire spread.
EXERCISE – UNDERSTANDING THE IMPORTANCE OF FUELS IN DETERMINING FIRE BEHAVIOUR
5 MINUTES - WORKING INDIVIDUALLY AND USING APPENDIX 4 – FIRE BEHAVIOUR PREDICTION SYSTEM – FUEL TYPES
IDENTIFY THE FUEL TYPE THAT BEST MATCHES THE FOREST STAND IN THE PHOTO
WHAT IS THE MOST LIKELY TYPE OF FIRE IN THIS FUEL TYPE?
WHAT FUEL TYPES ARE MOST COMMON NEAR YOUR HOME?
10 MINUTES - BRIEFLY DISCUSS THE DIFFERENT FUEL TYPES AND THE DANGER THEY MIGHT POSE. ARE SOME FUEL TYPES SAFER THAN OTHERS?
[THIS IS A HIDDEN SLIDE, NOT INCLUDED IN THE MANUAL – WHICH CAN BE USED AT THE DISCRETION OF THE INSTRUCTOR]
Using forest fuels information, combined with an understanding of the influence of weather and topography on wildfire behaviour, scientists have developed a system called the Canadian Forest Fire Danger Rating System (CFFDRS). This system uses the main components of the fire behaviour triangle (fuel, weather, and topography) as inputs to provide useful indicators and predictions of fire behaviour. The CFFDRS supports wildfire planning and suppression activities and unpins many of the FireSmart strategies we will discuss in Chapter 3.
Here is one example of how the CFFDRS helps firefighters.
One of the important characteristics of fire behaviour is fire intensity (intensity related to the amount of energy being released by the fire). Using the CFFDRS, wildfires can be ranked in intensity from 1 to 6. The rank of the fire can be used to indicate appropriate fire suppression tactics, and by individuals and community leaders to help determine the appropriate level of preparedness. GoA uses local the prediction of potential Head Fire Intensity (HFI) as an indicator to pre-position fire suppression resources with an aim to arrive at a every new wildfire before it reaches two hectares in size.
Here is how HFI is used to describe fire behaviour:
1 describes a smoldering ground fire or creeping surface fire. HFI 1 fires may self-extinguish.
3 fires spread at a rate of 1.5-3.0 m/min as moderately vigorous surface fire swith an organized front. Heavy machinery is likely used for successful suppression.
6 fires have a rate of spread >18.0 m/min with extreme fire behaviour. They have an organized fire front and spotting is common. Direct suppression actions are generally not attempted.
1.6FIRESMART
FireSmart is a community-based program aimed at managing wildfire risk for you and your community. FireSmart uses a proactive approach, using wildfire science in a well-defined process to help individuals, communities and wildfire managers assess potential risks and devise treatments to that manage risk.
Participants work together to remove fuels, reduce ignitions, modify structures, build resilient landscapes and strong local response capability to manage wildfire risk. These "risk treatments" or management strategies form the basis of the FireSmart program.
The FireSmart program advocates a collaborative approach and shared responsibility. Your neighbour, community association, local industries, local municipal government, municipal fire department, local advisory committees and local wildfire management agency personnel can all be involved. These partnerships play an important role in understanding and managing wildfire risk in the WUI. A knowledgeable, engaged community works through awareness and action to lessen the need for extensive suppression and enables you to safely accept fire as part of your surroundings. By FireSmarting your home or community, you no longer rely solely on fire suppression activities for protection from wildfire, but rather become less at risk in the first place.
1.6FIRESMART
1.6.1FIRESMART DISCIPLINES
The seven FireSmart disciplines provide a framework for considering appropriate FireSmart strategies:
Education
Vegetation management
Legislation and planning
Development considerations
Interagency cooperation
Emergency planning
Cross training
In this course we will focus on three disciplines that are most relevant to you as a homeowner. In Chapter 3 we will look closely at FireSmart strategies related to vegetation management, home construction/development and emergency planning.
CHAPTER 1 REVIEW
CHAPTER 1 REVIEW
True
CHAPTER 1 REVIEW
CHAPTER 1 REVIEW
4 – All of the above
CHAPTER 1 REVIEW
CHAPTER 1 REVIEW
Loss of life
Health risk
Loss of livelihood
Damage to infrastructure and machinery
CHAPTER 1 REVIEW
CHAPTER 1 REVIEW
Weather
Topography
Fuels
Fuels are the only element of the fire environment over which we have direct control. A number of the FireSmart disciplines and activities are founded on this point.
CHAPTER 2 – WILDFIRE RISK
Wildfire is capable of spreading at an astonishing rate. Crowning forest fires often spread at up to 5.5 kilometres per hour, with spotting embers being carried as far as 2 kilometres ahead of the fire front. Wind blown grass fires can spread at speeds up to 8.5 kilometres per hour.
If you live or work in the WUI, sooner or later you may have to contend with a rapidly spreading wildfire that threatens you, your family and your property. There are a number of measures you can take to prepare. Proper preparation doesn’t guarantee that you will eliminate wildfire risk but applying FireSmart principles may reduce risk considerably and cost little.
In this chapter we will focus on the assessment of your home and property for wildfire risk. A properly conducted assessment will provide insights into how to manage risk.
Upon completion of this chapter, you should be able to:
identify key wildfire risk factors
assess your home and property to determine potential wildfire risk
2.1RISK ASSESSMENT
INSTRUCTOR – ASK THE OPEN QUESTION ‘WILL YOUR HOME SURVIVE A WILDFIRE?’ AND LEAD DISCUSSION – 5 MIN
Each home, acreage, and farm is different, so when it comes to understanding wildfire related risk, it is important to begin with an assessment which will provide an understanding of your specific risk factors. Property owners can undertake an assessment themselves or hire a professional to assist them. Your local Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development (ESRD) office can help find a professional to undertake an assessment; they may even provide assessment services themselves. Once you have assessed your home and yard, you are ready to take steps to reduce risk in advance of a wildfire. In the event of a wildfire, you will be better prepared to manage the situation safely for you and your family.
In this chapter, we will explain how to conduct a wildfire risk assessment by identifying important factors that contribute to wildfire risk. Once we have reviewed these important considerations, you will have a chance to assess a property using what you have learned.
Key point - The first consideration is the safety of you and your family. We will discuss some important risk management measures related to your family safety in Chapter 3.
Beyond the health and safety of your family, there are a number of aspects of your home and property that should be assessed for risk.
2.2DEVELOPMENT CONSIDERATIONS
2.2.1ROOFS
The roof is the most vulnerable component of a building. Sparks and burning embers can travel long distances (up to 2 kilometres) and quickly ignite flammable roofing materials.
What is the roofing material on your buildings? Many rural houses use wooden shakes which provide almost no protection from wildfire.
Is your roof completely free of dead leaves and needles?
Are your shingles curled or worn?
2.2.2EXTERIOR SIDING
Stucco, metal siding, brick, and concrete block are all considered fire resistant and their use is encouraged. Log and heavy timber siding provide a more fire resistant option than wooden or vinyl siding. Fire resistant siding should be at least 12 mm thick and extend from the ground to the roofline.
What type of siding do you have on your buildings?
Does your siding have spaces where embers can collect, increasing potential impact?
Is there flammable vegetation near your siding that increases the exposure to heat?
2.2DEVELOPMENT CONSIDERATIONS
2.2.3VENTS AND OTHER OPENINGS
Unscreened vents can allow heat and embers to enter a building. Decks and porches with exposed undersides can also allow combustible materials to accumulate. The risk is increased if vegetation, debris or wood is stored under the deck.
Are eaves closed?
Are vents properly screened?
Are decks and porches screened?
Key point – Some fire investigators have suggested that free wheeling air intake “whirlybirds” may provide an entry point for heat and embers.
2.2DEVELOPMENT CONSIDERATIONS
2.2.4WINDOWS
Glass shattered by fire creates an opening into the building. Small or multi-pane windows are less vulnerable; single pane windows fracture more easily than double or triple pane windows. Tempered glass provides more safety than plate glass.
What type of glass do you have in your doors and windows?
Is there flammable vegetation near the window that increases the window’s exposure to heat?
Are windows larger than 1x1 m in size?
Key point - Tempered glass is a type of glass processed by controlled heating to high temperatures, or through chemical treatments to increase its strength compared with normal glass and to make it more resistant to heat.
2.3TOPOGRAPHY
As we learned in Chapter 1, topography can influence fire behaviour.
Assessing the slope of the ground surrounding your home is important. Fire will burn more rapidly uphill; convective heat and firebrands from burning fuel below can readily ignite buildings further upslope. Even a 10 m setback from the top of slope can reduce your home’s exposure to wildfire (taller structures need greater setbacks).
Aspect is the direction that the slope is facing. South facing slopes are the driest and provide the best conditions for wildfires to ignite and spread. West facing slopes are driest in the afternoon and general support late afternoon burning conditions. Eastern exposures receive direct sunlight only during the morning when temperatures are lower and north facing slopes receive little direct sunlight and fuels remain moist longer.
Is your home at the top of slope?
What is the aspect?
2.4FUEL MANAGEMENT
During a major WUI fire it is likely that a number of important values will be at risk. When faced with a decision regarding how to priorize limited firefighting resources, firefighters may determine that it is futile to try and protect buildings that are surrounded by dense forest fuels, or other combustible materials. At the same time, firefighters are more vulnerable to radiant heat generated from an advancing wildfire than they are a burning structure.
With proper fuel management using FireSmart techniques, you can create an area where fuels are eliminated or converted to less flammable materials. Implementing these strategies will not only reduce the risk to your home; it will also create a safer environment for firefighters to work.
Assessment of your wildfire risk related to hazardous fuels should be conducted on a priority basis. Establish three zones and assess the fuels characteristics based on these priorities.
Priority Zone 1 is the area immediately surrounding your home and other buildings. The objective in this zone is to identify any combustible materials that will support fire.
Priority Zone 2 begins 10 m from a structure and extends to 30 m. In this zone, assess opportunities to reduce the intensity and rate of spread of a fire.
Priority Zone 3 begins 30 m from a structure and extends to 100 m (or farther) from a structure. Assess fuels in this area to determine it there are any areas or pockets of particularly high hazard.
2.4FUEL MANAGEMENT
2.4.1INTERFACE PRIORITY ZONE 1
The 10 metres of space immediately surrounding your home and neighbouring buildings is your first priority for assessing risk. A good fuel-free space reduces the chances of firebrands igniting fine fuels immediately adjacent to your home and gives firefighters a chance to save your home from an advancing fire. Conversely, surface vegetation including grasses, herbs, shrubs and woody debris will sustain high intensity fire close to your home. Untreated surface fuels can also support ignitions close to your home that can spread into adjacent forest.
Do you have flammable vegetation, adjacent to or overhanging your house?
Is there a fine fuel build-up on your roof, in eaves troughs or under decks and porches (Even mulch in your flowerbeds will ignite)?
Do you store firewood or building material within 10 m of your home?
Key point – Any combustible building should be considered as part of your assessment. Research indicates that neighbouring structures constitute a potential ignition source because of radiant heat, long burning times, and firebrand production.
2.4FUEL MANAGEMENT
2.4.1INTERFACE PRIORITY ZONE 1
Inventory other potential fuels, including wood piles and fuel tanks (including in your vehicles) in close proximity to your home. For example, propane tanks located adjacent to structures or in dense vegetation may be a significant hazard.
Do you have firewood, or building material stored within 10 m of your home?
Do you have fuel tanks adjacent to your home or other buildings?
2.4FUEL MANAGEMENT
2.4.2INTERFACE PRIORITY ZONE 2
The area 10 to 30 m away from your home is the second priority. It is also important to assess all available fuels in this zone. Trees that can support a crown fire in proximity to your home represents a significant risk. Crown fire is most likely to occur and spread through dense coniferous trees. The probability of crown fire spreading is reduced when coniferous trees area spaced far apart. Deciduous trees are less likely to support crown fires.
Consider tree species, location and spacing of trees in your assessment.
Do you have coniferous or deciduous trees in Priority Zone 2 (Coniferous trees, especially densely grouped black spruce, in Zone 2 present real problems for firefighters)?
Are trees separate or continuous?
Ladders fuels are shrubs, immature trees and branches that provide a pathway for surface fires to get into tree crowns.
Are ladder fuels present (scattered or abundant)?
Inventory other potential fuels, including:
wood piles
fuel tanks and containers (including in your vehicles)
2.4FUEL MANAGEMENT
2.4.2INTERFACE PRIORITY ZONE 2
Surface Fuels
Surface fuels consist of:
forest floor, understory vegetation, including grasses, herbs, shrubs and small trees
coarse woody debris in contact with the forest floor
all combustible material lying on or immediately above the ground
roots and organic soils that have the potential to be consumed by fire
Surface fuels that are less than 12 cm in diameter contribute to surface fire spread; these fuels often dry quickly and are ignited more easily than larger diameter fuels. Therefore, this category of fuel is the most important when considering a fuel reduction treatment. Larger surface fuels greater than 12 cm are important in the contribution to sustained burning conditions, but are often not as contiguous and are less flammable because of delayed drying and high moisture content, when compared with smaller size classes.
2.4FUEL MANAGEMENT
2.4.2INTERFACE PRIORITY ZONE 2
Ladder Fuels
All of the fuels above the ground surface and below the upper forest canopy are described as ladder fuels.
The fire potential of these fuels is dependent on type, size, moisture content, and overall vertical continuity. Dead branches and bark on trees and snags (dead standing trees) are important aerial fuel. Concentrations of dead branches and foliage increase the amount of fuel available and enable fire to move from tree to tree. Numerous species of moss, lichens, and plants hanging on trees are light and flashy aerial fuels.
Are ladder fuels abundant in zone 2?
2.4FUEL MANAGEMENT
2.4.2INTERFACE PRIORITY ZONE 2
Crown Fuels
Crown closure describes the inter-tree crown continuity and reflects how easily fire can be propagated from tree to tree. In addition to crown closure, tree density is an important measure of the distribution of aerial fuels and has significant influence on the overall crown and surface fire conditions. Higher stand density is associated with lower inter-tree spacing, which increases overall crown continuity.
2.4FUEL MANAGEMENT
2.4.3INTERFACE PRIORITY ZONE 3
Priority Zone 3 is the area beyond 30 m. Once again, fuel management is important. In particular, it is important to identify pockets of highly flammable fuel types. You may have to consider land ownership in this zone.
Do you have coniferous trees in Zone 3?
Are they tightly spaced with overlapping crowns?
Who owns the lands adjacent to your property?
Are there obvious pockets of flammable fuels surrounding your property?
INSTRUCTOR – 15 MINUTES OF VIDEO -
USDA FOREST SERVICE PROTECTING YOUR HOME FROM WILDFIRE - INFO ON RECEIVING A COPY OF THE VIDEO IS HERE: HTTP://WWW.FS.FED.US/RM/PUBLICATIONS/TITLES/VIDEOS/PROTECTING.HTML
INSTRUCTOR – START THE VIDEO AT 7:30 MINUTES. VIEW THE TWO HOUSES THAT JACK COHEN DESCRIBES . AFTER VIEWING THE VIDEO, DISCUSS KEY ASSESSMENT POINTS. GET THE CLASS TO IDENTIFY POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE ASPECTS OF EACH OF THE TWO HOMES. EMPHASIZE MR. COHEN’S CLOSING POINT:
"Most of the houses I've examined very likely ignited from small spot ignitions on or adjacent to the home -- not from the big crown fire flames. That means a homeowner can easily do fuel reductions that can potentially save their homes."-- Jack Cohen, , fire behaviour researcher and a founder of the Firewise Communities/USA recognition program
2.5PROTECTING YOUR HOME
2.5.1IGNITION
Chimney
Roofs of untreated shingles are particularly vulnerable to sparks from faulty chimneys.
What condition is your chimney in?
Does it have adequate screening?
Are there branches overhanging the chimney?
Does your chimney meet all the local and insurance standards for installation and clearances?
Power lines
Do you have overhead power lines on or near the property?
Are there trees nearby that could blow down on the line?
Is there fuel under the line that could ignite and spread fire?
2.5PROTECTING YOUR HOME
2.5.2 PREVENTING IGNITIONS FROM OCCURRING
In Chapter 1, we learned that although fires can originate in the wildland, your property is also a potential source of ignitions. WUI fires often start as small accidental ignitions, and there are a number of potential sources of ignition you should assess.
In 2011, wildfires burned 950 000 hectares in Alberta. That’s more than 12 times the five year average of 78 097 hectares. About 80% of wildfire starts in Alberta in 2011 were human‑caused.
Burn barrel
Carelessly burned trash, including yard waste, can easily get out of control and turn into a wildfire. Most provinces and municipalities require burn barrels be covered by a metal screen and that they be surrounded by mineral soil.
Alberta regulations for the Forest Protection Area (FPA) require that burn barrels be covered with a metal screen with a mesh size not exceeding 6 mm, and that the burn barrels are located over mineral soil for a distance extending 3 metres or more from the barrel. It is also advisable to anchor barrels with metal stakes to prevent high winds from blowing the barrel over.
Is there a build-up of fuel in or around your burn barrel?
Is your burn barrel properly screened?
Is your barrel located on mineral soil or other fire resistant material?
Is your burn barrel staked down?
Key Point – The Forest Protection Area (FPA) is the area of the province, encompassing most of northern and western Alberta, where ESRD has the responsibility for issuing fire permits, and fire suppression. Check with your local municipality to see if you live in the FPA.
Fire pit
Fire pits are another potential source of WUI fire ignitions.
Is there a local building code for the placement and construction of your fire pit?
Does you fire pit have four metres of clearance to combustible materials, including fire wood?
Do you have (and use) a spark arrestor grate?
2.5PROTECTING YOUR HOME
2.5.2 PREVENTING IGNITIONS FROM OCCURRING
OHV
The number of Off Highway Vehicles (OHV) sold in Alberta has increased dramatically in the last twenty years. Many of these OHVs are used for recreation and as a valuable tool for working around the farm or acreage. OHVs should also be considered a potential ignition source for WUI fires.
Fine fuels can collect on hot spots like the exhaust or brakes. Temperatures as low as 272ºC can cause smoldering of grass and fine fuels. The heat of the exhaust system often exceeds this threshold:
manifold 339-585 C
halfway along exhaust pipe 232-469 C
before muffler 240 -469 C
end of muffler 64 – 469 C
The risk of wildfires caused by OHVs is highest in the spring when cured grasses are especially susceptible to ignition. The risk posed by ATVs is compounded when there is no firefighting equipment on board the ATV.
Is the exhaust system on your OHV functional and free of debris?
Do you carry fire suppression equipment on your OHV?
Do store you OHV on or near combustible materials?
2.6EMERGENCY PLANNING
A key to managing wildfire risk is planning ahead for the potential for a wildfire near your property.
Do you have a emergency plan? ( We will develop a personal emergency plan in Chapter 3.)
Is it current, with up-to-date contact information?
Is your family conversant with the plan?
Have you practiced the implementation of the plan, particularly evacuation procedures?
Do you have an evacuation plan for pets and livestock?
2.6EMERGENCY PLANNING
2.6.1SUPPRESSION RESOURCES
The availability of suppression resources is an important consideration when managing risk. This is an important consideration for small fires starting on or near your property. Also consider the proximity of other homes; your local fire department likely has limited resources.
Good truck access is essential for a successful response to a WUI fire. Tank trucks should be able to get within 100 m of the fire location. Road widths, grades, curves, and bridge design need to be assessed for access by your local fire department. Most full tank trucks have trouble negotiating adverse grades of more than 15%, and curves with a radius of less than 30 m on a curved road.
Is the local fire department response time to your home longer than 10 minutes?
Is your property accessible to large water tankers and other emergency vehicles?
Do you have any bridge or pipeline crossings on your property?
2.6EMERGENCY PLANNING
2.6.1SUPPRESSION RESOURCES
Water supplies and hand tools
Dependable water supplies are a very effective firefighting resource. Water supplies should be available and usable during the entire fire season. Residential wells and seasonal creeks are generally not considered adequate because of their limited supply and lack of availability during the entire fire season. Dugouts, tanks, ponds, pools can be designed to provide on-site water supply to supplement municipal sources or provide alternatives where municipal resources are not available.
Is a municipal water supply available?
What on-site water supply is available?
Is it configured for use by firefighters?
Are hand tools (ladders, rakes, shovels) available and readily accessible?
INSTRUCTOR
80 MIN
EXERCISE: USING A LOCAL RESIDENCE, HAVE THE CLASS CONDUCT A RISK ASSESSMENT.
5 MINUTES ORIENTATION - WORKING IN GROUPS OF 3, HAVE THE CLASS REVIEW THE ASSESSMENT FORMS IN APPENDIX 5 AND ENSURE THAT THEY UNDERSTAND THE MEANING. DISCUSS WEIGHTING FACTORS AND MENTION FIRESMART ASSESSMENT FORMS, PAGE 2-29 OF ‘FIRESMART- PROTECTING YOUR COMMUNITY FROM WILDFIRE’ (THIS IS JUST TO MAKE STUDENTS AWARE THAT THERE IS AN ALTERNATIVE PROCESS.)
NOTE- FOR EACH CATEGORY, NO HALF POINTS CAN BE GIVEN. THE CHOICE IS EITHER 0 OR THE FULL VALUE NOTED.
30 -50 MINUTES ASSESSMENT - VISIT THE SITE AND PROVIDE AMPLE TIME FOR THE GROUPS TO INSPECT AND ASSESS IMPORTANT COMPONENTS OF THE PROPERTY.
20 MINUTES DEBRIEF- RETURN TO THE CLASSROOM AND HAVE EACH GROUP PRESENT ONE OR TWO IMPORTANT POINTS FROM THEIR ASSESSMENT.
ON A FLIPCHART, COMPILE A LIST OF ASSESSMENT ISSUES FOR USE IN THE FOLLOWING EXERCISES.
CHAPTER 2 REVIEW
CHAPTER 2 REVIEW
Fire pit
Burn barrel
Overhead power lines
Chimneys
OHVs
CHAPTER 2 REVIEW
CHAPTER 2 REVIEW
Deciduous
CHAPTER 2 REVIEW
CHAPTER 2 REVIEW
True
CHAPTER 3 – MANAGING HOMEOWNER WILDFIRE RISK
In this chapter we will focus on how wildfire risk can be managed by you, as an individual.
Upon completion of Chapter 3, you should be able to:
prepare an emergency plan for your family
design a mitigation strategy for your home and property
3.1FIRESMART DISCIPLINES
Now that you have completed a thorough risk assessment of your property, we can formulate plans and actions to manage your specific risk factors.
In this chapter, we will focus on the three FireSmart disciplines that offer you as a homeowner the most effective means to reduce wildfire risk.
3.1FIRESMART DISCIPLINES
While we will focus on the three FireSmart disciplines that are of primary interest to homeowners, here is a brief description of the other four disciplines.
Education – Effective public education is key to reducing the number of wildfire ignitions, and minimizing risk should a fire start in the WUI. FireSmart educators carefully tailor there message to the target audience. Media such as local newspapers and radio stations are useful means of delivering the FireSmart message.
Legislation – legislation, policies and plans may be appropriate means to implement FireSmart strategies. At the provincial level, the Municipal Government Act enables municipalities to pass bylaws respecting safety, health and welfare of residents. Bylaws, Area Structure Plans and Municipal Development Plans can all be useful vehicles to integrate FireSmart strategies of community protection. Other provincial legislation such as the Forest and Prairie Protection Act are also used to implement FireSmart strategies on the broader landscape.
Cooperation – FireSmart is based on strong partnerships. Interagency cooperation includes working together to develop FireSmart communities, coordinating reviews of new developments, and committing to mutual aid fire control agreements.
Training - Firefighters who suppress fires in the WUI need training in both safe structural and wildfire fire suppression tactics. Training includes firefighter safety, supervisory training and advanced training to address multiple response situations. A key training tool is a simulation exercise where the trainees have the opportunity to practice what they have learned with the aid of maps, air photos, communication systems, equipment lists and carefully designed script.
If you are interested in learning more about the other four disciplines we suggest that you obtain a copy of “FireSmart – Protecting Your Community from Wildfire”, available through FireSmart Canada (www.firesmartcanada.ca).
3.2VEGETATION (FUEL) MANAGEMENT
As we learned in Chapter 1, managing fuels is an effective way of reducing wildfire risk. Modifying vegetation in and around your property will greatly reduce the intensity and growth of a wildfire and create a safer environment for fire fighters to work. There are a number of things you can do to manage the fuel around your home and property; here are some potential actions.
3.2.1ZONE 1
In interface priority zone 1, consider removing as much fuel as possible, including fine fuels immediately adjacent to your home or other buildings. Remember to address those small fuel caches.
No cost actions:
Move your firewood pile and other combustibles such as picnic tables, boats and vehicles at least 10 m away the house. If it’s not possible to move your firewood pile, consider storing firewood in a shed built of fire resistant materials.
Ensure that your roof and gutters are free of leaves and needles.
Trim all tree branches if they overhang your house.
Trim all tree branches well away from chimneys.
Remove dead flowers and plants that build up in flower beds close to your home.
Maintain a green mowed lawn for 10 m around your house.
3.2VEGETATION (FUEL) MANAGEMENT
3.2.2ZONE 2 AND 3
No cost actions:
Clear deadwood and dense flammable vegetation for 30 m around your home
Prune branches to a height of 2 m above ground.
Walk power lines that service your property and look for tree branches, or trees in poor condition that may come in contact with the line in a high wind. Contact your utility provider to remove these “hazard” trees or to ensure that branches are pruned away from power lines.
Maintain a tree-free 3 m border along your driveway.
Key point - Talk to your children about not starting fires or playing with matches.
3.2VEGETATION (FUEL) MANAGEMENT
3.2.2ZONE 2 AND 3
One of the most effective ways to reduce the risk of damage is prevent ignitions in the first place; remember that your actions can be a source of ignition. If you are considering burning on your property, be prepared.
During the fire season (March 1 – October 31) get a fire permit.
Fire Permits are available free from your local ESRD office (if you live in the FPA) or from your county or municipality office outside the FPA. Once you contact your local authority, a patrolman will visit your burning site to do an assessment. If the site looks safe, he will issue a permit. Sometimes the permit will have conditions regarding the timing of ignition. If your burn site needs improvement, the patrolman will provide recommendations and return to issue the permit once the site improvements have been made.
Key point – your permit information is entered into a computer data base so that fire towers and emergency responders know when and where to expect smoke.
3.2VEGETATION (FUEL) MANAGEMENT
3.2.3DOES FUEL MANAGEMENT WORK?
Fuel management can be a costly undertaking; particularly around communities that are surrounded by forest. Is it effective?
Between 2006 and 2011, about 600 assessments were completed by the United States Forest Service on areas where wildfires burned into areas where fuel reduction treatments had previously been conducted. Researchers evaluated the effects of prescribed burns, mechanical and chemical treatments on fire behaviour and suppression actions.
Results indicated that 90% of the treatments helped reduce wildfire intensity, allowing better control by firefighters. Thinning, mowing or prescribed burning often changed fire behaviour from an active crown fire to a fire with more manageable behaviour.
To be effective, fuel treatments must be carefully planned with consideration of ecological conditions, fuel types and potential wildfire behaviour.
3.3DEVELOPMENT CONSIDERATIONS
3.3.1CHOOSING A HOME IN THE WUI
You can use your understanding of FireSmart concepts to help you choose a new home in the WUI. Whether you are buying or building, factor wildfire risk in your decision. Here are some development considerations:
Is the property adjacent to Crown Land? If so, take time to understand the current land use pattern and long term land use plans.
If there is a home owners' association, contact them to learn about by-laws, covenants or restrictions that might prevent you from addressing wildfire risk.
Test the water supplies to ensure that they are adequate for fire-fighting purposes.
Are the access routes well planned and maintained?
Is the property accessible to emergency vehicles?
Talk to the local fire chief about the response time to your property and any other impediments to fire fighting.
Is the home constructed of fire resistant materials?
Talk to insurance agents to ensure that the property is insurable at a reason cost.
3.3DEVELOPMENT CONSIDERATIONS
3.3.2CONSIDERATIONS AROUND YOUR HOME
If you already own a home in the WUI, consider taking one or more of the FireSmart actions to reduce your wildfire risk. Some actions cost very little while others may involve major expenditure.
Minimal cost actions ($10 - $25 and a little time)
Install metal screens (3mm mesh) over attic and foundation openings to prevent accumulation of leaves and needles.
Install a spark arrestor or heavy wire screen with mesh opening less than 5 mm on wood-burning fireplaces and chimneys. Clean spark arrestor or wire screen mesh on chimneys regularly to remove creosote and soot build-up.
3.3DEVELOPMENT CONSIDERATIONS
3.3.2CONSIDERATIONS AROUND YOUR HOME
Minimal cost actions ($10 - $25 and a little time)
If you have a burn barrel, use a metal screen (6 mm) to stop sparks and burning debris from flying out. Clear away debris and grass at least 3 m around the barrel. Scrape down to mineral soil and, if possible, gravel the area. Stake your burn barrel to prevent it from blowing over in the wind.
When you are burning:
Never leave your barrel unattended. Have water and tools on hand.
Avoid burning in the heat of the day; burn in the evening if possible.
Never burn in windy conditions (12 km/h or more).
Get a fire permit.
3.3DEVELOPMENT CONSIDERATIONS
3.3.2CONSIDERATIONS AROUND YOUR HOME
Moderate cost actions ($50 - $250 and a little more work)
Enclose beneath decks to prevent accumulation of leaves, needles, and debris. This build-up of fine fuels so close the exterior walls is a considerable hazard. Consider 12 mm fire resistant sheathing or, at a minimum fine mess screen.
Have your chimney cleaned regularly
Install fire extinguishers in all your vehicles, including farm and landscaping equipment.
3.3DEVELOPMENT CONSIDERATIONS
3.3.2CONSIDERATIONS AROUND YOUR HOME
Moderate cost actions ($50 - $250 and a little more work)
Landscape using fire resistant plants (and remove highly flammable species) – this is one of the most effective mitigation activities. When selecting plants, consider frost hardiness and appropriateness for your region. In the WUI, water use is often a concern as well. Fortunately, there are many fire resistant species suitable for northern Alberta, that have low water requirement. The publication "FireSmart Guide to Landscaping", available from Partners in Protection (www.firesmartcanada.ca), has a comprehensive list of trees, shrubs and other vegetation suitable for FireSmart landscaping. When landscaping against the house and other important buildings, consider use gravel or decorative rocks. (Bark, cones and needles used as mulch are susceptible to ignition from spotting embers from a fire, as well as cigarettes).
3.3DEVELOPMENT CONSIDERATIONS
3.3.2CONSIDERATIONS AROUND YOUR HOME
High cost actions (more than $500)
Replace your roof with fire-resistant materials.
Replace wood or vinyl siding with non-flammable material.
Replace single-pane glass windows and plastic skylights with tempered, double-pane glass.
Box in eaves, fascias, and soffits with aluminum or steel materials with metal screens to prevent entry of sparks.
Have electric service lines to your house placed underground.
Move propane tanks at least 10 m away from your house.
3.3DEVELOPMENT CONSIDERATIONS
3.3.3OHV
No cost OHV actions:
Inspect your OHV before and after use to remove potential fuels from around exhaust systems.
Restrict the use of OHVs during periods of high and extreme fire danger.
Park the OHV away from fine fuels, preferably on bare mineral soil. Avoid parking in areas of cured grass.
During the fire season, carry firefighting tools, e.g. fire extinguisher, shovel, axe, Pulaski, back pack water bag (full of water).
Be familiar with the procedures for reporting wildfires.
Inspect the exhaust system regularly and make any necessary repairs.
[THIS IS A HIDDEN SLIDE. THE INFORMATION IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE PARTICIPANT’S MANUAL. THE INSTRUCTOR MAY USE THIS SLIDE AT HIS/HER OWN DISCRETION.]
Inside your Home
Here are some consideration for FireSmarting the inside of your home. Remember that your home in the WUI is a potential source of wildfire that could spread into the surrounding woodlands.
Understand the difference between smoke detectors and heat detectors and use them appropriately in the house and buildings on the property.
Install and maintain working smoke detectors on every level of your home, including the attic. Ionization smoke detectors contain an element that senses smoke particles in the air. They sense particles that a quickly burning fire (that has not generated much smoke) produce. Photoelectric smoke detectors detect the thicker smoke that slow burning or smoldering fires produce.
Use heat detectors in the kitchen. Fixed temperature fire detectors contain a thermometer and the alarm is activated when the ambient temperature reaches the required level. This is usually no lower than 115 degrees Fahrenheit. Smoke cannot activate fixed temperature fire detectors. “Rate of rise” fire detectors activate an alarm when the ambient temperature changes significantly in a specified period of time. Smoke cannot activate rate of rise fire detectors.
Consider an interior sprinkler system if you have sufficient water flow, especially if you have a larger home.
Keep fire extinguishers in rooms most prone to catching fire.
Get your important documents in order and put them in a safe place. Make copies and store them off-site.
Take photos and videos of everything and store them off-site.
Get appraisals of valuable items.
3.4EMERGENCY PLANNING
If your risk assessment indicates that you should focus on emergency planning, here are some suggested actions that you could take. Start today.
No Cost
Develop a personal Emergency Plan and practice for evacuation (We will discuss the components of an emergency plan in detail later in this chapter).
Ensure that your house number can be easily seen from the street.
Know all your potential exit routes and be prepared to use an alternate route if necessary.
Identify a muster point or meeting place should you or family members become separated.
Check your fire extinguishers; charge them if necessary. Train everyone in the family on their use.
Minimal cost actions ($10 - $25 and a little time)
Install highly visible house numbers (at least 10 cm tall) on your home and at the entrance of the driveway onto the street. Use non-flammable materials and posts.
Install a fire extinguisher in the kitchen and the garage.
Purchase a battery-operated radio, and ensure that fresh batteries are always available so that you can receive evacuation information during a fire-caused power outage.
Put a hose (at least 30 m long) on a rack and attach it to an outside faucet.
3.4EMERGENCY PLANNING
Moderate cost actions ($50 - $250 and a little more work)
Ensure that emergency vehicles can access your property.
Consider a purchasing an elevated sprinkler system that can be placed on the roof of your home and/or outbuildings.
Prepare a basic "72 hour emergency kit”, including
copy of your Emergency Plan
water, 2 litres per person per day
3 day supply of food that won’t spoil e.g. trail mix/dried fruit, protein/granola bars, canned meat, fish and beans, canned juice
Dishes, and utensils including a manual can opener
small stove and fuel
bedding and clothing including spare footwear
basic tools including a shovel, rope, duct tape
battery-operated or wind-up radio with functioning batteries
cell phone charger
flashlight, candles, matches
first aid kit, medications
prescriptions
cash
spare car keys
Key point – Remember to update your kit as required. Check the kit every 6 months to make sure food, water and prescriptions have not expired., clothing still fits, and batteries are charged.
For more information on preparing for an emergency check out:
http://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/prg/em/emp/emp-2010-11-eng.aspx -
For more tips on safety visit:
www.safecanada.ca or
www.redcross.ca
3.4EMERGENCY PLANNING
3.4.1LIVESTOCK AND PETS
Your emergency plan should address how you would evacuate larger pets.
Pre-arrange a boarding facility.
Plan livestock evacuation.
Prepare and maintain a safe refuge area by reducing fuels. Use a plowed or heavily grazed field. It should be on the leeward side of your property away from the prevailing wind and as a far from the forest edge as possible. Water should be available. Consider discing or plowing a perimeter around the safe refuge area.
Prepare for the possibility that you may not be able to move livestock; as a last resort, be prepared to cut fences and open gates.
3.4EMERGENCY PLANNING
3.4.2MANAGING CROPS AND LIGHT FUELS
On larger properties, managing vegetation includes crops and light fuels in ditches and around outbuildings.
With new farm practices such as zero tilling, dry fuels build up in fields; consider using equipment to create a fuel free buffer between your field, your farm assets and adjacent property. Dry pastureland and hayfields present the same risks.
Unmanaged fence lines and ditches may have accumulations of fine fuels. These fuels can act as a “wick” to carry fire from the forest towards your home and buildings. Mowing or using herbicides can reduce fine fuel build-up. Fuel build-up may also be a problem around outbuildings; remember, if these buildings ignite they become a significant source of radiant heat and embers in close proximity to your house.
Key point – Manage fuels and access around water sources such as dugouts. Make these areas a safe place for fire fighters to work.
3.4EMERGENCY PLANNING
3.4.3ON LARGER PROPERTIES
Over and above obtaining a fire permit there are a number of things you need to consider prior to burning windrows, brush piles or stubble fields.
Avoid building windrows or brush piles in wet areas where ground fire can burn even through the winter.
Pack piles as tightly as possible and avoid putting dirt in piles.
Ensure that windrows are less than 60 m in length, at least 25 m from standing timber and have 15 m of mineral soil surrounding each windrow or pile.
Plan to burn piles when there is snow cover and frozen ground conditions, if possible.
Never leave your pile unattended.
Repile and reburn.
Check piles for hotspots. It is a good idea to check again in March or April to make sure they are completely extinguished.
Key point – you are prohibited from burning debris such as animal waste, tires, combustible materials from cars, used oil and wood products that are treated.
When burning stubble consider:
Blade or plow a 5 m guard around the stubble field in advance of burning.
Break large fields into smaller sections to make burning more manageable.
Burn from the outside perimeter and against the wind.
Never leave the burn unattended. Have suppression equipment and water on hand.
3.5EMERGENCY PLAN
INSTRUCTOR – VIEW VIDEO ‘MAKING A FAMILY EMERGENCY PLAN’ (3 MIN) AND LEAD A BRIEF DISCUSSION
view video Making a Family Emergency Plan (.m4v format provided or on the web at http://www.getprepared.gc.ca/index-eng.aspx)
.
3.5EMERGENCY PLAN
Every household in the WUI should have a emergency plan. While you should consider all types of potential emergencies, let’s focus our plan on wildfire.
Include scenarios in which you and your family are separated, where either you or your children are away from home. Decide how you will communicate and establish a safe meeting place.
Identify the location of safety equipment, particularly water and fire fighting equipment.
Document the location of shutoffs for power, water and gas.
Consider valuables such as photos, key documents and computers that you may want to take with you in the event of an evacuation.
Special needs for family members or pets should be considered.
Put together a list of emergency contacts and keep it current.
Find a copy of the Government of Canada's Your Emergency Preparedness Guide on the web here (also included in this document as Appendix 7): http://www.getprepared.gc.ca/cnt/rsrcs/pblctns/yprprdnssgd/index-eng.aspx
INSTRUCTOR – 10 MINUTES TOTAL
5 MIN - HAVE THE CLASS WORK AS INDIVIDUALS OR FAMILY UNITS TO DEVELOP A PERSONAL EMERGENCY PLAN. USE THE TEMPLATE IN APPENDIX 7
5 MIN – HAVE SELECT INDIVIDUALS PRESENT THE HIGHLIGHTS AND INSIGHTS
3.6FIRESMART CANADA COMMUNITY RECOGNITION PROGRAM
Citizen involvement is the cornerstone of the FireSmart Canada Community Recognition Program (FireSmart Communities Program).
If you live in a region susceptible to wildfires, you and your neighbours will learn how to decrease the risk of losing your homes and how to best protect yourselves in the event of wildfire. FireSmart homes and neighbourhoods allow fire fighters to concentrate on fighting the wildfire – which ultimately saves more homes and lives. Communities whose residents take steps to reduce their vulnerability have a greater chance of surviving a wildfire without the intervention of the fire department.
The Program draws on a community’s spirit and its willingness to take responsibility for reducing wildfire risks.
The Program utilizes the following template:
A Local FireSmart Representative from a provincial, territorial, or local agency will provide wildfire hazard reduction information designed for your community.
With the assistance of the Local FireSmart Representative, you and your neighbours form a cooperating network to assess the wildfire hazards around you.
You and your neighbours identify and implement local solutions.
The Program goal is to promote community–wide participation in the use of technology, policy and practices that minimize the loss of life and property to wildfire, independent of firefighting efforts. FireSmart Communities provides up-to-date, take-action information to homeowners and communities that helps them take charge of this situation.
To qualify as a FireSmart Communities recognition site, a community must have met five standards:
Complete a community assessment and create a plan
Form a FireSmart Board
Hold a FireSmart Day event
Invest a minimum of $2/capita in local wildfire mitigation projects. (Volunteer hours, equipment use, time contributed by agency fire staff, and grant funding can be included)
Submit an application
For more information regarding participation in the program visit:
https://www.firesmartcanada.ca/firesmart-communities/community-recognition-program/
or contact your provincial representative, [email_address]
780-644-7164
INSTRUCTOR – 20 MINUTES
USING THE RISK ASSESSMENT YOU DID EARLIER, DEVELOP A FIRESMART PLAN FOR THE RESIDENCE YOU VISITED (OR YOUR OWN HOME).
3.7MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES
Most of the FireSmart strategies we have discussed in this Chapter address actions you might take to reduce wildfire risk before an incident happens. Let’s close out the discussion with a few points on what to do if and when you are faced with the need to respond to the imminent threat of a wildfire.
3.8RESPONSE
Response is defined as "actions taken during or directly after an emergency or other incident."
When you become aware of active fires in your area:
Monitor the daily fire danger and communicate with family members; keep the radio on.
Review your Emergency Plan.
Make sure burn barrels and fire pits are extinguished and ignite no new fires.
Make sure your vehicles are fueled.
Assume you will be away from home for 5 days and pack your vehicle accordingly. Consider clothes, food, water, valuables and toys for the kids.
Have firefighting tools ready and visible. Make sure garden hoses are attached and in working order.
Water your lawn.
Collect your pets.
Move livestock to your pre-designated safe refuge area.
When fire danger is extreme or when fires are actively burning near your property, be prepared for an evacuation order.
As soon as you receive an evacuation order, you must leave. Leaving a home or cottage that is dear to your heart may be one of the hardest things you have to do; keep in mind that your safety and that of your family and pets should always come first. Remember that leaving will not only improve your chances of getting out safely, but your prompt actions will assist firefighters in managing the many priorities that they have to deal with during a WUI fire.
3.8RESPONSE
3.8.1ALBERTA EMERGENCY ALERT
One of your first considerations is communication. How do you know you are at risk? In Alberta, it is important to understand how the Alberta Emergency Alert system works.
Local government officials can use the "Alberta Emergency Alert" system to warn residents about emerging situations that threaten life and property and to advise residents about precautions and actions they should take. Alberta Emergency Alert uses radio and television and has expanded to include alerts sent out through the internet and social media.
Local officials may also use Alberta Emergency Alert to issue both voluntary and mandatory evacuation orders when appropriate.
http://www.emergencyalert.alberta.ca/
Guidelines to assist in preparing your family and property prior to an emergency can be found at:
http://www.emergencyalert.alberta.ca/Aema_training.cfm
3.8RESPONSE
3.8.2EVACUATION PREPARATION
If evacuation is imminent:
Cover all openings in your home with fire-resistant materials.
Have ladders propped up and in visible locations, consider connecting a sprinkler to your roof.
Block downspouts and fill rain gutters with water.
Turn off propane and gas. Remember that shutting off fuel supplies will extinguish pilot lights.
Turn off power supply at the main breaker, unless your electricity is supplying energy for fire protection.
Close windows and doors, including interior doors.
Move furniture away from windows, and preferably to the center of the room.
Open the fireplace damper.
Fill sinks and bathtubs.
When you get the order to evacuate, use your pre-planned route or route designated by authorities to travel to pre-determined marshalling points. Report to authorities.
Move animals as per your Emergency Plan.
3.8RESPONSE
3.8.2EVACUATION PREPARATION
READY – SET – GO VIDEO
INSTRUCTOR – 4:43 MINUTES. AFTER THE VIDEO REVIEW AND BRIEFLY DISCUSS THE MAJOR THEMES:
HARDEN YOUR HOME.
CREATE A DEFENSIBLE SPACE.
GO EARLY…THE SAFETY OF YOU AND YOUR FAMILY IS YOUR NUMBER ONE PRIORITY.
3.8RESPONSE
3.8.3TRAPPED BY FIRE
Home
If you are trapped by fire in your home:
Call 911 and give your address. If you have a cell phone, give the operator the number and leave it on.
Take cover in the innermost part of your house on the ground floor.
Stuff wet towels along door cracks.
Use a dry cloth to cover your nose and mouth.
Wait for emergency personnel to arrive.
Car
If you are trapped in your car (usually as a result of smoke/poor visibility):
Pull off the road into the biggest clearing you can find.
Roll up the windows.
Leave the engine running and keep the air conditioner on "recirculate".
Get down on the floor of the vehicle and cover yourself with any blankets or extra clothes you have.
Place a dry cloth over your nose and mouth and breath as shallowly as possible.
Stay in the car until you are sure the fire has passed, then quickly and carefully get out of the car. Cover you face and hair if possible.
On foot
If you are trapped on foot try to get:
downhill or as low as possible, in a depression or creek bed
to water, e.g. lake, stream, etc.
to a wide open space with limited vegetation
After the fire has passed:
Be cautious, the ground will be hot.
Be wary of sinkholes over burning roots and organic matter.
Don’t touch tree stumps.
Stay clear of standing trees.
[THIS IS A HIDDEN SLIDE. THE INFORMATION IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE PARTICIPANT’S MANUAL. INSTRUCTORS CAN USE THIS MATERIAL AT THEIR OWN DISCRETION.]
If you see smoke or fire in the forest, call 310-FIRE or 911. Your actions can save time and reduce costs of suppressing a large wildfire. Providing the following information will improve the response.
EXERCISE 5 MINUTES
INSTRUCTOR – LEAD THE CLASS THROUGH A WHITE MESSAGE TO LOOK AT SOME OF THE KEY POINTS THAT ARE IMPORTANT TO FIREFIGHTERS.
3.9RECOVERY
Recovery is defined as "efforts to repair and restore communities (human and in some cases biological) and services after an emergency or other incident has occurred."
As immediate wildfire risk diminishes, essential services can be restored to stabilize the community and provide for the safety and health of residents. Longer term, recovery includes the revitalization and redevelopment of communities and the local economy, and the restoration of forest ecosystems. Part of the recovery effort is to build in resiliency to withstand future disasters.
Recovery is an often overlooked and expensive phase of wildfire management for both you and your community. Environmental, economic and social aspects of the destruction caused by wildfires all need to be identified and addressed. It may also be one of the most emotional experiences of your life.
Once you have permission to return to your property there are number of important risk factors to be managed.
Key point: Emergency responders have established priorities for recovery actions, and your personal property may not be at the top of the list. Responders will first focus on reestablishing critical services such as power and water to the community. Keep this in mind.
Let’s look at some of the risk to be managed after a wildfire incident.
3.9RECOVERY
Listen to news reports and contact emergency management staff to find out when it is safe to return to your property.
You should already have "before" photos and videos of your home and property. Now take the "after" shots. Comparing before and after photos can help resolve insurance issues.
Let your insurance company know that you have been given permission to return to your property. Make arrangements to meet with the adjuster.
As necessary, start planning for clean-up, demolition, repair and rebuild.
When visiting your property for the first time:
Contact utility operators to understand which services are disconnected.
Wear long pants, long sleeved shirt and sturdy boots and gloves; a hard hat and goggles may be useful.
Let someone know you are going and take someone with you, for safety and support.
Take a first aid kit, flashlight and lots of drinking water.
Bring a cell phone, but leave it in your vehicle; cell phones and other small electrical tools could spark and ignite fumes.
Be careful where you step, fire may holdover in the ground.
Watch for flare-ups particularly under windy conditions.
Be wary - your home may not be stable, gas lines may be exposed, electrical lines may be live.
