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Wildfire week begins
May 13, 2004
Direct link: http://www.lamonitor.com/articles/2004/05/11/headline_news/news02.txt
CAROL A. CLARK, lanews@lamonitor.com,
Monitor Staff Writer
The New Mexico State Forestry Division said May 10-16 has been designated by Gov. Richardson as Wildfire Awareness Week.
Drought continues to keep fire danger high across the state despite a wet spring and the division is urging everyone to observe Wildfire Awareness Week.
NMSF is one of seven divisions within the Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department. The agency has statutory responsibility for wildfire suppression on all non-federal, non-municipal, non-tribal and non-pueblo lands.
In observance of Wildfire Awareness Week, EMNRD Secretary Joanna Prukop and New Mexico State Forester Director Butch Blazer will participate in a discussion Monday at 10 a.m. at the Rio Grande Nature Center, 2901 Candelaria NE in Albuquerque.
The discussion will include the state's current fire outlook and steps residents can take to protect their lives, home and environment from human-caused fire.
Often during a wildfire, firefighters do not have the resources available to save every home; some homes are so closely surrounded by flammable vegetation that they cannot be saved.
To prevent wildfires from destroying homes, the NMSF asks owners to take responsibility to reduce fuels that could carry a wildfire straight to their home.
The creation of defensible space can make all the difference. Department of Natural Resources statistics show that a home in a wooded area with just 30 feet of defensible space has a 50 percent greater chance of surviving a wildfire.
The DNR advises homeowners to remove all trees and large shrubs within 20 feet of the home, prune lower branches of remaining trees up to 10 feet off the ground and remove ladder fuels-young trees and shrubs planted close to larger trees that could carry a ground fire into the tops of large trees.
Homeowners also should minimize flammable debris. Roofs and rain gutters should be kept free of leaves, other flammable material, firewood and other debris kept a minimum of 50 feet from their house. Grasses should be mowed to a height of less than six inches within 50 feet of the home.
The DNR also advises homeowners to utilize fire resistant construction and landscaping.
Wood shake shingle roofs are highly flammable and should be converted to Class A fire resistant materials such as fiberglass-asphalt, metal or tile.
If a Wildfire is burning near a person's home, the DNR advises homeowners to cover all eaves and roof vents, cover large picture windows with plywood, close all windows and doors; open drapes and evacuate to a safe location.
Additional tips for wildfire safety listed in the DNR web site include:
Roof - remove dead branches overhanging the roof, remove any branches within 10 feet of the chimney and cover outlet and stovepipe with a nonflammable screen of 1/2 inch or smaller mesh.
Landscape - on steep slopes, remove flammable vegetation 100 feet or more from all structures, space native trees and shrubs at least 10 feet apart, reduce the number of trees in heavily wooded areas, maintain all plants by regularly removing dead branches, leaves and needles and properly trim small-stature trees so they do not grow into power lines.
Yard - locate liquefied petroleum gas tanks at least 30 feet from any structure and surround them with 10 feet of clearance removing all stacks of construction materials, pine needles, leaves and other debris from the yard.
Emergency Water Supply - maintain an emergency water supply that meets fire department standards through one of the following ways; a community water hydrant system, a cooperative emergency storage tank with neighbors, a minimum storage supply of 2,500 gallons on your property, clearly mark all emergency water sources and create easy firefighter access to the closest emergency water source.
Access - identify at least two exit routes from the neighborhood.
The National Interagency Fire Center Predictive Services Group issued a statement April 15 stating that the fire potential across much of the Southwest is expected to escalate to critical levels due to long-term drought, rapidly decreasing early spring snow pack, significant vegetative stress and dieback due to insect damage and drought effects.
They predict hotter and drier than normal May, June and early July weather.
"The moisture we got this spring won't make a dent," Bandelier Fire information Specialist Jim Whittington said.
While most wildfires are caused by dry lightning in western states, an alarming number of fires were ignited by careless human acts this year, according to the NIFC.
With fire conditions so extreme on public lands, the NIFC is urging visitors to take precautions and be aware of restrictions and closures.
Here are some helpful tips to follow when visiting public lands or other areas where wildland fires can ignite.
The safest way to build, maintain, and extinguish a campfire is to clear the campfire sight down to bare soil, circle the pit with rocks, build campfires away from overhanging branches, steep slopes, dry grass, and leaves, keep a bucket of water and a shovel nearby, never leave a campfire unattended and when putting out a campfire, drown the fire, stir it, and drown it again.
To prevent a wildfire when smoking-always use an ashtray. Never throw a lighted cigarette from the window of a vehicle, never walk off and leave a burning cigarette and be aware of smoking restrictions when recreating on Federal and State public lands.
The NIFC includes the Los Alamos Cerro Grande fire in its list of 34 of some of the most serious wildland fires in U.S. history. They mention there have been larger fires, but few or none with greater impact on lives and resources. "The Cerro Grande fire was a harbinger of one of the most difficult seasons in the last half
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