Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Peninsula FireWise staff available for house calls
By Erin Cooper | Peninsula Clarion
No one wants to see a repeat of the Caribou Hills fire.
One program is helping Kenai Peninsula residents take steps to help make sure it doesn't by offering free home visits to homeowners.
Grant-funded teams are aiding the peninsula community by making house calls so property is more "FireWise."
The national FireWise program promotes creating defensible space on an individual and communitywide level. The Caribou Hills fire in 2007 demonstrated the FireWise principle when structures with prepared and cleared property survived better in many cases.
"In remote areas, you can't expect fire-fighting resources to protect your home if you haven't prepared it in advance," said Judy Reese, FireWise team leader for the peninsula.
The Division of Forestry and the Kenai Peninsula Borough received a grant from USDA Forest Service in 2007 to promote FireWise principles on the peninsula. The grant money also has been used to launch a FireWise for All Seasons campaign, encouraging residents to think about reducing fire risk year-round.
"Most of the fires on the peninsula are human-caused, and many of those are started when people burn slash in the spring," Reese said. "If we can get the message across that it is best to burn in the fall and winter, and focus on preventing home ignitions in the spring and summer, we are ahead of the game."
Public awareness and home preparedness are essential to public safety during May when fires start readily and spread fast. Homeowners must secure a permit and adhere strictly to permit terms when planning to burn leaf and debris piles this spring.
Residents who take steps to reduce ignitibility of their property, greatly help in improving their chances of surviving a wildfire.
For more information about the Kenai Peninsula FireWise program or to get a home visit, call 260-4262.