Mega fires are wake-up call to prep your wildfire plan
Stop, drop, and roll.
Those are three fire safety directives that have and will become more familiar to people, especially people living in the West, as drought and development put more of us in harm's way.
The Happy Camp, Ca. fire that has scorched more than 80,000 acres along the border of California and Oregon is just the latest mega fire to raise awareness of the dangerous climate conditions that this year produced more than 4,500 fires in California alone, according to the state Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. There have been nearly 40,000 fires throughout the country, says the National Interagency Fire Center.
Nationally, there are already more fires this year than all of last year. Compared to 40 years ago, wildfires burn on average twice as many acres each year, and since the 1970s, the length of the fire season has increased by two months because of higher temperatures and earlier snowmelt.
Climate experts warn that warmer temperatures and droughts could double the acreage consumed by fires each year, on average, in the next 30 years.
To be sure, the epic drought that has wicked the water from most of California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas, and parts of other states, is a factor in recent conflagrations. But fire history, the type and structure of vegetation, along with land development that infringes on previously pristine forest are also to blame.
Richard Minnich, a professor who specializes in fires in the Department of Sciences at the University of California, Riverside believes fire management is a major reason for mega fires. Minnich advocates for "slow burning," or a type of prescribed burn that fluffs off some of the energy that builds up from combustible vegetation. "An area that burned 10 years ago is not going to burn. An area that burned 60 or 70 years ago and has not seen short-term rainfall likely is," he says.
The U.S. Forest Service says it uses several techniques to squelch fires. A spokesperson relayed a detailed study on fire assessments showing how different treatments are more effective than others depending on fire behavior, among other issues.
As the debate over how best to manage fire continues, costs soar. The federal government spends nearly $2 billion on firefighting now versus about $240 million in 1985. And dangers have not abated.
Today nearly 70,000 communities in the U.S. are estimated to be at risk of being damaged by wildfires, according to Forest Service data, and less than 10% of those communities have protection plans in place.
It also may be that certain parts of the country haven't seen the worst yet this year in terms of fire. The super dry Santa Ana winds, also known as the "devil winds," originate inland and blow across southern California in autumn and winter, famously fanning wildfires.
So now is the time to be aware and prepare for fires, not to mention prevent them: 90% of fires are caused by humans. Campfires are the biggest cause on national forest lands.
WHAT TO DO
To be safe from a fire, or any natural disaster for that matter, there are three basic actions to take: First, be informed. Second, keep an emergency kit. And third, have a plan.
Are you in a fire zone? The NIFC provides wildfire outlooks seasonally. As well, state and local fire departments often report fire hazard zones. For more immediate information, the National Weather Service issues red flag alerts. Tune in to NOAA Weather Radio or sign up for NWS email and text warnings. A red flag warning means that critical fire weather conditions are either occurring now, or will shortly.
Apps for handheld devices and computers can also be helpful. The Red Cross Wildfire App gives state-by-state wildfire updates and preparation tips. Others such as Burnt Planet and those developed by Firewhat, Inc. provide maps, overlays, and hotspots.
Beside virtual tools, emergency food, water, and first aid kits are important to safety. Of course, you should have fire and smoke alarms inside your home -- and check them monthly-- as well as keep a fire extinguisher on hand. Outside, make sure garden hoses can reach every area of your house.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency recommends in at-risk areas, people should create a 30- to 100-foot zone of fire resistant space around their homes. This means raking leaves, trimming treetops, chopping branches, and clearing anything flammable in that area to help stop fire from encroaching.
Less than 20% of all US households have a fire-escape plan. Make one, and practice it.
Prepare properly and you'll likely never have to stop, drop, and roll.
Thomas M. Kostigen is the founder of The Climate Survivalist.com and a New York Times bestselling author and journalist. He is the National Geographic author of "The Extreme Weather Survival Guide: Understand, Prepare, Survive, Recover" and the NG Kids book, "Extreme Weather: Surviving Tornadoes, Tsunamis, Hailstorms, Thundersnow, Hurricanes and More!" Follow him @weathersurvival, or email kostigen@theclimatesurvivalist.com
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