It feels like not long ago fire season began when the dry lightning of early summer moved in, with most fire incidents before that small and, thankfully, mostly inconsequential.
That’s not the case now.
It seems like earlier and earlier each year we’re hearing of large-scale fires across the West, and we know how quickly a small fire — whether started by man or nature — can take off when the conditions are right and put homes and lives in danger.
We’ve had friends and family in other states have to evacuate on a moment’s notice already this spring when record heat met record wind and dry tinder. Nebraska has seen more than 700,000 acres burn so far this spring. And, we’ve already had some of our neighbors here in Archuleta County fall under pre-evacuation orders due to fire.
Now is the time to be ready.
Make it part of your spring cleaning routine to ensure your home is ready for fire conditions and fire season.
According to the Colorado State Forest Service (CSFS), just under half of all Coloradans live in the wildland-urban interface and are at risk of wildfire.
The CSFS and local fire and fire mitigation officials encourage the following actions to prevent wildfire risk:
Regularly clear leaves, pine needles and other debris from your deck, roof and gutters.
Rake and remove pine needles and leaves 5 feet from your home.
Store firewood at least 30 feet from your home, preferably uphill, and never on or under your deck.
Move items under your deck or porch to a storage area.
Prune branches hanging over your roof and within 10 feet of your chimney.
Remove flammable material within 6 vertical inches of your home’s siding.
Mow grasses to 4 inches or less within 30 feet of your home.
Clear brush, shrubs and other plants within 10 feet of propane tanks and gas meters.
Screen attic, roof, eaves and foundation vents and wall-in areas below decks and stilt foundations with 1/8-inch metal mesh.
The CSFS, and local officials, also encourage being ready to evacuate in the event of a fire, with the CSFS offering the following tips:
Make an evacuation plan for people and pets.
Prepare a go-bag and disaster supplies kit.
Sign up for emergency notifications from your local office of emergency management.
Ensure home address signs are visible from the street.
Identify at least two ways out of your neighborhood and a safe place for you to go.
Practice evacuating your home with your family and pets.
Create a family emergency communication plan.
We need to be prepared for the worst, and help others do the same.
While we firmly believe we have some of the best fire and emergency managers around, that’s not enough. We need to help them do their jobs by doing ours.
Randi Pierce
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