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Fire is a natural part of our environment. In Spokane County, the grasses and pine forests have been subjected to fires every 3 to 30 years. This is a normal part of our Eco-system. There are more than 300,000 people living in Spokane County and many live in or adjacent to forestland. Understand the steps you can take to create a FireSafe environment, making it safer to live, work and play.
Clearing flammable materials from around your home creates a defensible space. A minimum 30-foot buffer reduces the chance of wildfire from spreading to your home. On steeper ground, as much as 100 feet of clearance may be necessary. FireSafe Spokane and your local fire department provide courtesy inspections to help you determine your needs.
A key step to creating a defensible space is removing dry grass, brush, dead leaves and pine needles. Replace highly flammable plants with fire resistive, high moisture content varieties. Some good choices are Barberry, Rose of Sharon, Sedum and
Spirea.
Remove or thin overcrowded or weakened trees. Prune low-hanging branches to keep a ground fire from climbing into upper branches.
Stack wood, construction debris, and other flammable materials at least 30 feet away from your home. Keep flammable vegetation 10 feet away from woodpiles.
Clean pine needles, leaves and debris from your roof, gutters, decks and yard. Remember to clean up after storms. This is especially important during the dry summer months when a single spark can ignite a fire.
Make sure firefighters can find you. Easy to read signs and addresses will help with this. Your driveway needs to be wide enough for emergency vehicles to safely pass and turn around at your home. Driveways should be trimmed of vegetation to allow emergency equipment to reach you. Bridges should be constructed to support the weight of emergency vehicles.
Your roof is the most vulnerable part of your house in a wildfire. If you have a wood shake roof consider treatment or replacement with a fire resistive material.
Use alternative disposal methods like composting or recycling to get rid of yard and garden debris. Burning vegetation is restricted in parts of Spokane County. Always contact the Department of Natural Resources or Spokane County Air Pollution Control Authority for current burning regulations.
Your home must have smoke detectors and should have fire extinguishers. Keep garden tools like rakes, hoses and shovels easily accessible. Make sure everyone in your home knows where this equipment is, and how to call for help in the event of an emergency.
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