By Mel Crichton EBS COLUMNIST
Our volunteer wildfire ambassadors usually find their neighbors are willing to make their homes safer for wildfire. But, as in any mix of personalities, there are stubborn homeowners who offer a variety of excuses for not joining in. Some note the proximity to resources, at-home technology, costs of fire prevention and a perception that the risk of fire isn’t as serious as agencies say.
This month we’ll dive into some of the misconceptions about wildfire and preparing homes for wildfire in the Big Sky community.
“My neighborhood won’t burn because Yellowstone Club won’t let the fire get to us.”
Chief Jon Trapp covered this last month. The Yellowstone Mountain Club Fire Department is well-trained and equipped, but like most fire departments, they are not able to combat massive blazes. This person assumes that fire will come from the West. Not always. Fires make their own wind, and a fire burning uphill with the prevailing wind behind it can move at breakneck speed. It could come from any direction.
“I have sprinklers on my roof. They will save my home.“
Sprinklers on the roof will save the roof. They may not save the home’s siding or prevent fire from cracking windows. A cedar shake roof will burn for sure, so sprinklers would be a good idea here. Replacing the shakes with a Class A roofing, like metal or rated shingles, is a safer solution.
“I plan to stay in my home with my garden hose like the guy in LA did.“
This may work if you’ve already fire-hardened your home. That means clearing the 0-5 foot space around the house and eliminating places where embers can collect to start a fire. Then when a fire threatens, you can douse pop-up fires quickly. Be sure your water source is reliable. But if you stay, prepare to inhale a lot of smoke.
“I have a metal roof and metal siding, so why do I need to clear the five foot zone?“
If a fire breaks out near the house inside the five foot zone it could get hot enough to crack the windows, then embers can enter the home, and it burns from within. If the fire is hot enough, heat can collect under the eaves and ignite wood soffits and exposed rafters.
“I’ll put a tarp over my wood pile so I don’t have to move it off the porch.”
That might work if the tarp is fire-retardant and you cover every possible entry point for embers. But if embers can get under the tarp, prepare for a log fire that could easily spread to the structure. It’s better to move wood stacks at least 30 feet from structures during fire season.
“My home is surrounded by native grasses. They won’t burn.”
What do you think burns in a prairie fire? Toward the end of summer, native grasses dry out. But native grasses are less water-intensive than bluegrass, so they are preferred here. If you have grasses near the house, keep them trimmed, so when they burn, the fire will be brief and small.
“I don’t store anything in my attic. Why do I need screens on my attic vents?
Embers can easily enter attic vents without 1/8 inch screens and generally collect in one area. If they collect in crevices or nest in trusses, they can ignite a fire within.
“I’ll get to it someday but probably not this year” or “This is too much out of pocket for me, plus it is overwhelming.”
Yeah, we get it, some of this costs money. But rather than put it off altogether, take small steps. Maybe remove flammable mulch next to the house and junk those junipers by the deck. Next year you can add some stone mulch and limb your trees. A wildfire isn’t going to wait for you to get it done.
“Why should I? It’s all going to burn anyway if we get a fire.”
Not at all, pardner. Look at the aftermath photos of major wildfires. There are often a few homes still standing, as if the fire had detoured around them. Those homes had been fire-hardened, whether intentionally or totally by accident.
“I think this is all hype by the fire department to get more donations.”
Hmmm… I don’t think the fire department takes donations. They get their funds from property taxes and resort tax. I bet they’d like to get donations.
“Why should I do this when my neighbors won’t?”
Good point. If your neighbor’s house is within 30 feet of yours and catches fire, your home may go, as well. Hardening your home will minimize your risk, but short of building a tall stone wall between you and your neighbor, there’s not much you can do. A good neighbor would harden his home to help you. However, if the other house is farther away, hardening can usually minimize your risk from his home.
“This is not my primary home, so if it burns, that’s OK. I’ll take the insurance and build elsewhere.”
That doesn’t sound like someone who loves Big Sky much. And you may be surprised how little your insurance will cover considering today’s building costs. Maybe you should go elsewhere now if you don’t care about Big Sky and your neighbors.
What’s your excuse for not mitigating the wildfire risk to your home? You have all winter to think of a good one.Mel Crichton acts as neighborhood ambassador coordinator for Fire Adapted Big Sky. He may be reached at kj9c@comcast.net.
