- Author: Grace Nguyen-Sovan Dean
When looking to improve a region's wildfire resiliency, considering the impact of neighborhood level action cannot be understated. By tapping into existing community ties, the Tahoe RCD's Network of Fire Adapted Communities (Tahoe Network) program is helping increase the number of Tahoe Basin homeowners taking proactive, educated steps toward wildfire preparedness. The Tahoe Network's multi-pronged approach utilizes information distribution and community organizing to support neighborhoods who are taking steps, both small and large, towards preparedness. “It's a team thing, for projects of this nature,” Jason Brand, Tahoe RCD FAC director notes. “Communities as a whole need to take action.”
When neighborhoods connect with Brand and his team to become a Tahoe Network ‘Fire Adapted Community Neighborhood', they join a supportive network of preparedness-minded homeowners and professionals. With Tahoe RCD assistance, Fire Adapted Community neighborhoods encourage individuals to take preparedness action through hosting events like defensible space and home hardening workdays. The RCD also facilitates neighborhood information sharing through a combination of online and in person communication, so that neighborhoods are kept up to date on actionable items, regional prescribed fire and fuel reduction projects, and more.
Since wildfire preparedness is an ongoing process, an energized base of homeowners is essential to the Tahoe Network's efforts. “You could be done with a defensible space project, then a storm comes through and blows pine needles onto your roof,” Brand illustrates. “It's a process, but we try to keep everyone excited.”
One way the Tahoe Network maintains community interest is through their program's group of Neighborhood Leaders. Neighborhood Leaders disseminate educational resources, host defensible space workdays, and help maintain momentum around wildfire awareness. Any resident interested in spearheading neighborhood preparedness projects is encouraged to become a Neighborhood Leader, with Brand noting how “some have already done their defensible space work and want to reach more of the community, and some are just getting introduced to these concepts because they got a call from their insurance agency.” When looking to increase their knowledge base or get ideas for community events, Neighborhood Leaders can turn to the Tahoe Living with Fire website, which hosts a resource library specifically to support Neighborhood Leader activities. The Living With Fire site itself is a collaborative effort, run by University of Nevada, Reno Extension yet utilized as an information hub by many other organizations. This website is also where Brand points anyone curious about wildfire preparedness, as it houses a variety of booklets and fact sheets that guide beginners into becoming ‘ember aware'.
Though the ongoing work may seem daunting, Brand shares there has been a marked increase in neighborhoods seeking to improve their wildfire readiness within the Basin. There are now 72 Fire Adapted Community neighborhoods, and over the past two years the region's number of nationally recognized Firewise communities jumped from 12 to 34, with 6 more seeking recognition. This is a tangible indicator to Brand that more neighborhoods are serious about organizing local preparedness efforts: “There's a lot of steps that communities need to take to become Firewise. You have to keep people talking, learning, and taking action.”
Making learning approachable is something Brand sees as key to ensuring more residents can make informed, confident choices to protect their home. “Just having a citizenship educated on the pressures our ecosystem is experiencing has a direct effect on the forest,” Brand states. “When people start protecting their home, there is inherently less pressure on our forests.”
Forest landowners and community members in El Dorado, Nevada, and Placer counties interested in learning more about forest management are encouraged to register for the next UC ANR Forest Stewardship workshop series. The Tahoe Basin Forest Stewardship workshop will cover forest management planning, forest and fire ecology, and forest health, and more. Sign up here. Registration is $60, and scholarship funding for registration fee is available. For questions, please contact kcingram@ucanr.edu.
It's springtime, and many of us are adding new plants to our gardens. That means it is also a good time to review the principles of creating defensible space around our homes.
The key to establishing defensible space is to utilize plants that are fire resistant and judiciously space them both horizontally and vertically. Increasing the space between plants limits the ability of fire to spread. As a rule of thumb, Cal Fire recommends that on flat ground the space from the edge of one shrub to the edge of the next be twice the height of the shrub. For example, if shrubs are two feet tall, they should be spaced four feet apart. If the shrubs are growing on a moderate slope the space between them should be four times the height of the shrub. The space between trees should be 10 feet from canopy to canopy and increase to 20 feet on a moderate slope.
If a fire reaches the crown of a tree, its heat intensity increases and this can increase the combustibility of surrounding vegetation. Low tree branches create fuel ladders that allow fires to climb into a tree. To prevent fires from ‘crowning,' these ladder fuels must be eliminated. Cal Fire recommends that the lower branches of a mature tree should be pruned to create a clearance of three times the height of the shrubs beneath it. For example if a shrub is four feet tall, the tree should be pruned so that there is 12 feet of clearance between the top of the shrub and the lowest branches of the tree. For younger trees, the lower one-third of branches should be removed.
Applying mulch is a good strategy for conserving soil water, reducing weeds and preventing erosion. Normally, materials such as wood chips, shredded bark, leaves or straw are used as mulches because these organic materials have the added benefit of enriching the soil and improving its water-holding capacity. However, organic materials burn, so within the five feet closest to a home, it is recommended that non-combustible mulches of rock, gravel, pavers or broken concrete be used instead of traditional organic materials.
When planning a firewise landscape, the contribution of hardscape features should not be overlooked. Decomposed granite, cement, asphalt or gravel pathways and driveways make effective firebreaks. Structures such as patios and masonry walls and water features like pools, ponds, and streams will also impede the advance of a fire.
Before moving beyond the 30-foot home defense zone, mention should be made of items that do not belong too close to a home. Most propane tanks should be located a minimum of 10 feet from any structure, and woodpiles should be at least 30 feet away. A cord of seasoned firewood contains the energy equivalent of approximately 174 gallons of gasoline! Would you store that much gasoline on your porch? Also, flammable liquids such as gasoline, paint thinner, and turpentine should be properly stored away from ignition sources and combustibles.
If organic mulches are used in the reduced-fuel zone, a 2008 study showed that a mulch of composted wood chips spread two to three inches deep showed the slowest fire-spread rate of the eight mulches tested. A potential disadvantage of wood chip mulches is that they tend to smolder and can be difficult to extinguish. In general, fine, stringy mulches such as shredded bark burn more rapidly than larger chunks.
Establishing defensible space can be summarized by the following three R's: 1) Remove dead and dying plant material; 2) Reduce the density of vegetation and ladder fuels; 3) Replace hazardous vegetation with less flammable, well-irrigated fire resistant plants.
Further information on fire safety for homeowners can be found on the Cal Fire website at Home - Ready for Wildfire. And for property owners who are considering landscaping from scratch, the Sonoma-Marin Saving Water Partnership has developed eight fire-rebuild landscape design plans that are well worth considering (Water Smart Landscape Design Templates - Sonoma- Marin Saving Water Partnership).
For more information on creating fire resistant landscapes, attend our Firewise Gardening workshop on May 2, part of the Master Gardeners' 2024 Spring Workshop Series. For information about all the workshops, and to register, visit our website. All workshops are free, but registration is required.
Why not buy some plants for your fire-resistant landscape at the Master Gardeners' Plant Sale on Saturday, May 18, 2024? The sale will be held at our Demonstration Garden at Patrick Ranch, 10381 Midway, between Chico and Durham, from 9 am till noon. For more information, and a partial list of plants, see our Plant Sale webpage.
UC Master Gardeners of Butte County are part of the University of California Cooperative Extension (UCCE) system. To learn more about us and our upcoming events, and for help with gardening in our area visit our website. If you have a gardening question or problem, email the Hotline at mgbutte@ucanr.edu or leave a phone message on our Hotline at 530-552-5812. To speak to a Master Gardener about a gardening issue, or to drop by the MG office during Hotline hours, see the most current information on our Ask Us section of our website.
Even when homeowners have created a defensible space, the job of protecting their home from fire is never done. There will always be ongoing and annual jobs to do. Additionally, there are special tasks that will need to be completed every few years or on an as needed basis.
A key ongoing yard maintenance goal is to keep plants green and lush, especially within the 30 feet closest to the home (the “home ignition zone”). Of course this means regular watering, which can be time consuming, but employing a drip irrigation system on a timer largely eliminates that concern. Using appropriate native plants should cut down on the overall need for watering as well.
The ground in the inner 30 feet around a home should also be kept free of leaves, pine needles, weeds and other ground fuels. Dead plants and/or tree branches should be immediately removed, as should any tree branches overhanging the roof. Tree branches should also be kept at least 10 feet away from a chimney. Vines growing on trees, shrubs, or fences can act as fire ladders and should be removed. Roofs and gutters should be kept free of leaves, needles and twigs. Gutter covers can reduce, if not eliminate, fuel build-up in this area.
If raised decks or porches are present, prevent combustible materials from accumulating in the areas beneath them. A preferable alternative to continually raking under decks and porches is to screen or enclose them with fire-resistant materials. If screening is used, the mesh should be no greater than one-quarter-inch. Flammable materials should be cleared from decks. This includes not only natural materials like leaves and needles, but items such as brooms and stacked wood.
Annually, before fire season starts, grasses and weeds should be mowed to a height of about three to four inches for at least 30 feet around homes and other structures. Grasses and weeds should be maintained at this height throughout the fire season. In fact, ground fuels should be kept at a minimum throughout the defensible space. As an alternative to mowing, string trimmers are a safer option for vegetation removal. To reduce the risk of fire due to mowing, make sure your equipment is properly maintained, mow before 10 a.m. and never mow on a hot or windy day.
Vegetation throughout the defensible space should be pruned for proper spacing, both vertically and horizontally, at least once per year. Cal Fire recommends that the lower branches of a mature tree be pruned to create a clearance of three times the height of the shrubs beneath it, while the distance between shrubs should be at least twice the height of the shrubs. In addition to maintaining proper spacing, pruning also makes plants more fire resistant. Cutting back woody perennials encourages less flammable new growth and thinning overgrown shrubs reduces their fuel load. Avoid topping landscape trees. Topping not only increases the fire hazard by encouraging excessive branching, but it is not healthy for trees.
Woodpiles should be located at least 30 feet from a home and should have at least 10 feet of cleared space around them. Covering a woodpile, or storing wood in a fire-resistant structure such as a metal shed, lowers the odds of the pile igniting during a wildfire. In addition, miscellaneous combustible materials including construction debris and brush piles should be removed from your yard as quickly as possible.
To aid firefighters, be sure your address is clearly posted so that it is easily visible from the street, especially at night. Also, be certain firefighters have easy access to water sources in your yard and, if possible, clearly mark those water sources. Fires often lead to power outages, so if you are on a well, it would be prudent to have an emergency generator to operate the pump if the power does fail.
Cal Fire has developed a “Homeowners Checklist” that describes how to make your home fire safe. It is an excellent, easy-to-use, comprehensive guide for homeowners. It is highly recommended. For more information on creating fire-resistant landscapes, see the Firewise Landscape section of the UC Master Gardeners of Butte County website. Other helpful sources include Yard Maintenance by UC Master Gardeners of Sonoma County and defensible space tips by the Butte County Fire Safe Council.
UC Master Gardeners of Butte County are part of the University of California Cooperative Extension (UCCE) system. To learn more about us and our upcoming events, and for help with gardening in our area, visit our website. If you have a gardening question or problem, email the Hotline at mgbutte@ucanr.edu (preferred) or call (530) 538-7201.
- Author: Pamela Kan-Rice
The California Board of Forestry and Fire Protection has created a public survey to help develop a baseline estimate of work needed to implement Zone 0 – clearing the first five feet surrounding any structure of combustibles such as woody plants, mulch and wood fences. This will inform their economic impact analysis for the regulations, which are intended to protect homes, businesses and communities.
The board has asked UC ANR staff and academics to distribute the survey through their networks to maximize responses.
The following is suggested text for social media and email sharing:
“Your input is needed! UC Cooperative Extension is partnering with the California Board of Forestry and Fire Protection to develop a new defensible space zone for wildfire resilience within the first 5 feet of a structure, known as Zone 0. We're asking California residents and business owners to help inform cost estimates for the implementation of these new science-driven defensible space standards. Please complete the 5-10 minute survey at https://forms.office.com/g/peGA5QuDfn. It's open through April 5.”
- Author: Yana Valachovic
As we prepare for wildfire in 2023, we reflect on what we learned from the 2022 fire season. From a statistical point of view, fewer acres were burned, and fortunately, fewer lives and homes were lost. Less than 400,000 acres were burned, a sevenfold reduction from 2021. On a similar note, less than 1,000 structures were destroyed by wildfire, representing a fourfold reduction from 2021. Those are significant changes, but as I reflect on my experience studying the vulnerabilities in our communities to wildfire, sadly, I need to share that “we're not out of the woods yet,” so to speak, but the formula for success is becoming clearer.
Recently, I worked with great colleagues to evaluate factors contributing to home loss in the town of Paradise during the Camp Fire. In that experience, we learned that the condition of the community of nearby homes has a significant impact on an individual building's survival. In our research, we found that the strongest predictor of loss was attributed to the distance to the nearest destroyed structure, especially if the destroyed building was within 50 feet. That means if a home succumbs to wildfire, it affects the survival of neighboring homes. That lens helped me look for patterns in 2022's wildfire season.
Fences create a wildfire path
I started 2022 in Boulder, Colorado, at the Marshall Fire. Many may remember that on Dec. 30, 2021, a wildfire challenged our views of when the fire season is deadliest. We were ready to welcome the new year and wildfire was furthest from our minds when several fires ignited during a significant wind event (the cause has still yet to be determined), and within minutes the fire spread to several communities around Boulder. Propelled by gusts of 115 mph, the fire burned 6,000 acres, and when it finally was suppressed by a snowstorm 12 hours later, it left behind 1,084 destroyed structures, including a hotel, a Target store and one shopping center. In January, two weeks after the fire started, I was privileged to accompany scientists from the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety (https://ibhs.org/risk-research/wildfire/ ) and UC ANR's Steve Quarles, UC Cooperative Extension advisor emeritus, to search for clues to help understand why some buildings succumbed and others did not.
The Marshall Fire burned on the east side of the Rocky Mountains, very different from the forested community of Paradise, where visual privacy between homes can be met through trees. During my visit, I saw that the Marshall Fire quickly spread through the region's grasslands and then to homes via a spaghetti of wooden fences.
These fences offer these communities privacy and backyard protections for kids and pets, but also create a pathway for wildfire to travel between homes. More specifically, the burning grass came into contact with debris and leaves caught at the base of wooden fences, igniting the fence and creating a pathway to bring fire directly to the house. The burning fence ignited surrounding dry ornamental plants and traveled down the fence line bringing flames directly to the house. Once a home ignited, the winds whipped embers from the burning homes to adjacent homes.
I believe that if the fences been upgraded with a 5-foot section of noncombustible materials or a metal gate attaching the fences to the houses, a burning fence would have been much less likely to damage the home.
Fuel reduction works
Fast forwarding to May, another fire challenged California's view of the fire season. The Coastal Fire burned on May 11, 2022, in Laguna Niguel near the California coast in Orange County. It was a small fire (200 acres) that burned through dense brush known as chaparral and raced up steep slopes to a network of homes that had been managed to withstand wildfire. In the end, 20 homes were lost. During my visit with my colleague Luca Carmignani, UC Cooperative Extension area fire advisor, we observed that the situation could have been much worse.
The community had completed a significant amount of fuel reduction and prevented flames from directly contacting the homes. This is a huge success that should be celebrated. Their weakness, however, was not preparing for the ember cast that came from the burning chaparral. These homes exhibited the classic effect of having the fire burn to the edge of the community and stop. Then 30 minutes later, fire personnel and the media observed puffs of smoke emanating from the roofs of the homes. So, what was the cause?
Embers found ways inside homes
Embers had penetrated the attic vents, found combustible materials, and fire ignited inside these houses. Fortunately, fire personnel were able to contain the damage to the homes at the exposed edge of the canyon rim and prevent a widespread home-to-home tragedy. Had these communities upgraded their vents to resist embers, the odds that these homes would have survived would have greatly increased.
Defensible space adds protection
The Oak Fire in Mariposa County in July provided another interesting lesson. The fire burned 20,000 acres and took 182 structures. A colleague from CAL FIRE shared that homes that had failed their defensible space inspection before the fire were six times more likely to be lost in the Oak Fire.
Defensible space is the modification and reduction of combustible materials and vegetation around a home. This required fuel modification provides a safe place for fire personnel to safely stage to address the approaching wildfire, and it also protects the house from catching fire. We all know this is a good practice; perhaps this data can help underscore its importance in building protection.
Wildfire preparation makes a difference
So, what did 2022 tell us? Simply, the details of wildfire preparation matter. Homes are destroyed by one or a combination of exposures: direct flame touching the building, embers penetrating a building through open windows or porous vents, or the radiant heat from the combustion of nearby fuels or homes leading to window breakage.
As Californians, we must prepare for all three types of exposures. We need to break the pathways of continuity from fences and vegetation to our structures. We need to harden our structures to resist heat and embers. We need to reduce fuels around our homes through the creation of defensible space.
To me, home loss to wildfire is predictable; however, the solutions to reducing home loss are within our sights and, with some tenacity and attention to the details, are within our capacities.