>> Wildfire Prevention Starts with You (04/09)

mink_web_3 Behind the Badge: A Message from Sheriff Ted Mink

Wildfires don't have an off-season. In January 2009, a Boulder County fire burned nearly five square miles and came perilously close to a suburban neighborhood. The truth is, wildfires can happen anytime in Colorado, and their impact can be widespread and devastating.

Jefferson County is highly susceptible to wildfire. Most of Jefferson County's terrain is forest, or is peppered with flammable plants and grasses. Residents in the foothills are at the greatest risk, but many suburban homes are also susceptible to wildfire.

Protect your home
Protecting your home from wildfire is your responsibility. Wildfires can be fast and furious; you should not assume that firefighters will be able to save your home.

Experts recommend modifying the area around your home to slow the rate and intensity of an advancing fire. Doing so also protects the forest in case of a structure fire.

When wildfire strikes, a structure's roof is its greatest weakness. Using class A roofing materials, such as asphalt shingles, slate, clay tile, or metal will reduce the chance of the roof igniting.
Prune all trees so the lowest limbs are six to 10 feet from the ground. Remove dead or overhanging branches.
Within five feet of the home, use non-flammable landscaping materials, such as rock, pavers, annuals, and high-moisture-content perennials.
Remove leaves and pine needles from gutters and around your home and attachments, such as decks and fences.

Other suggestions:

Never place fireplace embers near your house or on your deck. Dispose of ashes in a metal container that can be tightly closed, douse with water, place the closed container outside your home away from combustible materials and leave in the container for several days before disposing of them.
Be cautious while using power tools outside as some chainsaws and other tools can spark and catch the ground on fire.

There are no guarantees that a home will be fireproof. But if you take action to be "firewise," you can greatly increase the chances that your home will withstand a wildfire. For more on wildfire preparedness, visit ready.jeffco.us and www.readycolorado.org.

Anytime is a good time to consider wildfire prevention and preparedness, but with summer just around the corner, we urge you to address these issues now.

Recreating
Jeffco has vast forests relatively close to a major city, making it popular for outdoor recreation. Human use of wildlands always brings the risk of human-caused wildfires. Help prevent these fires by following these guidelines.

Build campfires away from overhanging branches, steep slopes, rotten stumps, logs, dry grass and leaves.
Build the campfire in an enclosed fire ring or pit. Use an existing fire ring if possible.
Keep the campfire small. A good bed of coals or a small fire surrounded by rocks gives plenty of heat.
Have a 10-foot clearance around and above the campfire
Have a bucket of water and a shovel nearby
Never leave a campfire unattended. Even a small breeze could quickly cause the fire to spread.
Forgo a fire if it is windy
Before leaving camp, thoroughly douse the fire with water, scatter or bury the cold ashes, and cover the fire pit with soil.
Campfires may be banned if wildfire danger is high. Watch for signs and obey them.

Although campfires offer warmth and cheer, they can also destroy organic matter in the topsoil and their ash may inhibit plant growth. Lightweight gas stoves are more efficient and faster for cooking than fires, and they leave minimal impact. More information on low-impact fires is available on the Leave No Trace Web site.

Smoking
When smoking outdoors, grind out your cigarette, cigar, or pipe tobacco in the dirt; then dispose of it properly. Never toss a cigarette butt out the window of your car.

Fire restrictions and fire bans
The sheriff has the authority to enact a fire ban or fire restrictions for the county. Fire restrictions and bans are set based on a scientific approach that considers weather conditions, fuel* conditions, human activity levels, and the availability of firefighting people and resources. Restrictions cannot be enacted based on public opinion. Each year we find many people on both sides of the fence regarding fire restrictions. The decision is made with the best interests of the community in mind.

Check our Web site, www.jeffcosheriff.com, throughout the summer for notifications regarding fire bans or restrictions.

*Fuel includes trees, shrubs, grasses, leaves, ground cover, etc. Natural flammable materials, alive or dead.

Behind the Badge Archive

Last Modified: Apr 17, 2009 11:42 AM