Officials urge owners to cut fire risk

Officials urge owners to cut fire risk

September 20, 2001

By Jim Mimiaga
Journal Staff Writer

Fire officials urged a crowd of 40 Tuesday to take responsibility for protecting their home sites in wildfire-prone areas by presenting the following scenario:

Imagine a wildland fire in your heavily wooded neighborhood at Goodman Point, Summit Ridge or Granath Mesa, just a few of the 15 hot spots identified in the county. Several houses are threatened, but yours is passed up by fire crews who favor homes with better access and a cleared-out "defensible space" free of combustible foliage.

"Those homes where owners took the initiative to thin out trees and shrubs are chosen because our limited crews have a better chance to get in there and safely try to defend it; it is a form of triage," said Dan Ochocki, district forester with the Colorado State Forest Service.

Creating a fire break around home sites helps to stop the fire, redirects it around the house and provide space for fire-crews to work if possible. The piñon-juniper forests are especially dangerous and need landowner attention, said Lyle Cox, Mancos Fire Department chief. The short tree stands so common in the region make it easy for fire to reach the canopy, "and at that point it is so continuous out there, nothing can be done but wait it out," Cox said.

Reducing those ladder fuels is essential. That means taking out oak brush and deadfall and selectively thinning trees so that the home is out of any possible burn paths.

"Fuel reduction does not mean chopping down all your trees or creating a desert," Cox said. "It is a matter of helping us to help you with the understanding that fire departments have a priority of crew safety. No house will be protected at the cost of lives."

Other common-sense tips are keeping roofs clear of pine needles and overhanging limbs, clearing out gutters, and using noncombustible building materials such as asbestos, concrete and stucco on roofs and outside walls. A spark-arrester should be installed on top of chimneys.

Embers from a wildfire can travel for miles. Landowners should regularly mow dried grasses, stock firewood clear of the house, remove excessive accumulation of pine cones and needles, and keep at least 2,500 gallons of water in reserve storage.

Ochocki said houses on steeper grades need more space because fire behaves more aggressively in extreme topographic conditions.

To encourage homeowners to build a "defensible space" around their homes and property, the state forest service will help dole out $1.5 million of the National Fire Plan’s federal money.

Ochocki said applications will be accepted until Friday, and the competitive grant will help fund 50 percent of the project. For an application, contact Mike Preston, Montezuma County federal-lands coordinator at 565-8525, or the state forest service at 247-5250.

Archie Hanson, president of the Indian Camp homeowners association, said while his group is working to control the fire danger, the bordering Canyons of the Ancient National Monument is not.

"When is the government going to thin out a buffer zone along the border? It is real thick in there and presents a real danger," Hanson said.

"Right now, no — could there be, yes," Ochocki said, adding that the state forest service will visit private land on request to analyze fire danger.

Landowners seeking the cost-share should team up with others and submit one application to increase the chance for project funding. Insurance premiums may be lower for those who are proactive about potential fire danger.

A chain saw, work gloves and a strong back will go a long way to reduce fire-fuel volume on private property, but there are many companies that are for hire also.

Fire Ready in Mancos, Canon Forest Products of Cortez and Tony Moore of Cortez offer thinning services and fire-hazard consultation.

A comprehensive "Fire Wise" reference book is available for use at the CSU ag extension office, located downstairs in the county building.

Regional fire chiefs recently identified 15 areas at risk in the county.

A map showing them is posted in the county commissioners’ room in the county courthouse for the public to view.