| Wildfire Awareness Week 2008 |
 |
|
 |
|
|
|
|
The aftermath of an escaped debris burn
|
2008 is the fourth consecutive year that Governor Kulongoski has proclaimed the first full week of May - this year, May 4-10 - as "Wildfire Awareness Week". This week is set aside each spring to remind everyone that we live in a beautiful, but high wildfire-risk state.
Living here comes with a price. And if we’re going to "Keep Oregon Green" we need to do a better job of acting responsibly when living and recreating in Oregon's forests or rangelands.
And, speaking of being responsible, backyard debris burning - which includes burn piles and burn barrels - is the leading careless human behavior that causes wildfires in Oregon. In 2007, 273 of these types of fires burned 1,828 acres. As noted in the Governor's proclamation, backyard debris burning is the focus of this year's Wildfire Awareness Week campaign.
|
| Safe Debris Burning |
|
|
|
Community disposal of woody vegetation
|
Spring is the perfect time to remove dead vegetation and limb up trees to reduce the threat from wildfire. By following a few simple steps to get rid of brush and yard debris, we can all rest a bit easier. The Keep Oregon Green Association recommends chipping your debris. But if you must burn, do so responsibly.
In many rural areas, pile burning and burn barrels are viable ways to get rid of debris – tree branches, brush cuttings, needles and leaves. And with proper site preparation and forethought, people can burn this sort of debris with reasonable safety.
Taking the time to plan an open burning project and equipping yourself with basic fire suppression tools before lighting the match will dramatically reduce the chance of a burn pile fire getting out of control.
Following are five simple tips you can follow to ensure you have as safe and effective debris burn as possible.
|
| Burning Safely - Tip #1: Call before you burn! |
|
|
|
An escaped burn of of illegal materials
|
Many Oregonians dispose of their yard debris by burning it. But, get a little careless, and that backyard burn can become a costly wildfire. Over the past five years, runaway debris burns torched more than 6,000 acres and cost nearly $5 million to put out.
In some Oregon communities, there is an alternative to debris burning. Yard waste, such as tree prunings, can be chipped or otherwise recycled. Check with your local fire department or Oregon Department of Forestry office to find out if this alternative is available where you live.
But if burning is your only option for backyard debris disposal, before you plan to burn, follow these steps:
- Make sure burning is allowed - Call your local fire department or Oregon Department of Forestry office to learn whether or not a permit is required. On the day you plan to burn, call to ensure burning is allowed that particular day. Fire agencies may suspend burning on short notice due to a change in weather conditions.
- Check the weather - Even on an allowed burning day, local weather fluctuations could make it too dangerous to burn. Gusty winds, for example, could carry sparks from your burn barrel or pile to flammable brush or grass a considerable distance away.
- Follow the rules - Comply with the burning regulations of your local fire department or district.
- Always stay with your fire - Until it is dead out.
|
| Burning Safely - Tip #2: Prepare the burn site! |
|
|
|
DFPA officer Karen Swearington writes a burn permit
|
Before burning backyard debris in a pile or burn barrel, prepare the site to reduce the risk of the fire escaping. Otherwise, flame or sparks may ignite nearby vegetation and cause a wildfire.
Follow these simple steps:
- Choose an appropriate burn site - Select an area where flames, radiant heat, and airborne embers won't set nearby vegetation afire. Vertical clearance needs to be at least three times the height of the pile. A burning pile of tree branches will send visible flames several feet into the air above the pile, but the invisible heat influence will go even higher. There should be no overhanging limbs or power lines above, and the site needs to be well away from buildings and autos.
- Clear the ground - Horizontal clearance should be twice the height of the pile. The ground around the burn sites should be cleared down to mineral soil or gravel out to at least 10 feet in all directions.
- Assemble necessary equipment - Have a charged garden hose or a fire extinguisher and a shovel available at the site, and keep the surrounding area well watered down during the burn.
|
| Burning Safely - Tip #3: Burn barrel safety! |
|
|
|
A proper burn barrel is essential
|
Using a burn barrel to dispose of backyard debris can reduce the risk of wildfire. But make sure that your burn barrel has these features, as illustrated:
-
All-metal construction in good condition - In addition to inspecting the walls of the barrel, check the bottom to ensure that it hasn't been weakened by rust.
-
Proper ventilation - Three evenly-spaced, three-inch sqaure vents spaced evenly around the rim near ground level. Each vent must be backed by metal screen.
-
Metal top screen - With mesh size of one-fourth inch or finer to keep sparks from escaping and lighting nearby vegetation on fire.
-
Layer your materials and stir often - Put the smallest twigs and branches – which will ignite quickly - on the bottom of the pile, and stir it often to introduce new oxygen. Keep leaves, needles and bark in an adjacent pile so they can be added to the burning pile after a vigorous heat source has been created. It is illegal to burn plastic, tires, and just about anything else that isn’t from a tree or shrub.
|
| Burning Safely - Tip #4: Think small! |
|
|
|
An escaped debris pile burn in east Lincoln County
|
When burning backyard debris, think small.
- Limit the quantity of materials - Whether its a burn barrel or a pile, limit the quantity of limbs, twigs, and other yard waste that you put on the fire at one time.
- Add small additional amounts - As material is consumed, adding small additional materials will keep the flame lengths short and reduce the chance of sparks carrying off-site.
Even though a burn barrel does a better job of containing sparks, a small fire is still the way to go. Flame length is not curtailed by the top screen. And building the fire too large can raise the burning temperature, shortening the service life of the barrel.
|
| Burning Safely - Tip #5: Make sure your burn is really out! |
|
|
|
This escaped debris burn occurred in southwestern Oregon
|
Like a campfire in the woods thought to have been put out, a burn to dispose of backyard debris can rise from the ashes unexpectedly. Every year in Oregon, wildfires are kindled from debris burns that homeowners thought they had extinguished.
Where there’s no smoke, there can still be fire. Days or even weeks after the flame and smoke have gone, a burn pile or burn barrel may still hold heat. A drop in the humidity brought on by a warm spell, combined with a little wind, can reignite the embers and quickly propel them into a damaging wildfire.
To ensure that a backyard debris burn is really out, follow these steps:
- Drown the fire with water, turn over the ashes with a shovel and drown it again. Repeat several times until it is dead out.
- Check the burn area regularly over the next several days.
- At the onset of warm, dry weather, especially when accompanied by wind, check the burn area again, even if it is weeks after the burn.
|
| Safe Debris Burning Public Service Announcement |
|
|
|
An example of a poorly cleared debris burn location
|
Many of us understand something better when we see it in action. The Oregon Department of Forestry and the Lane Fire Prevention Cooperative have developed this very short Public Service Announcement that illustrates the steps for a safe debris burn.
Public Service Announcement - Safe Debris Burning [wmv; 30 seconds; 4 MB]
|
| Wildfire Home Awareness Contest 2008 |
|
In conjunction with Wildfire Awareness Week 2008, private businesses and the Oregon Department of Forestry and other public fire agencies are sponsoring a Wildfire Home Awareness Contest in 12 northwestern Oregon counties.to encourage homeowners in the wildland-urban interface to make fire-safing improvements before the 2008 wildfire season.
Beginning May 3, four contestant homes will be selected each week through June 27 to compete against each other. Each week, the home judged to be the best prepared to survive a wildfire will receive a $500 cash prize. The three runner-ups will also receive cash prizes ranging from $50 to $200, depending on how their homes score for survivability.
Weekly winners will be announced on the Dave Schmitke Home and Garden television show on KPTV Fox 12 on Saturday mornings between 8:30 and 9:00 a.m. You can also find out more information on the contest and tips for making your home more fire defensible by watching the Dave Schmitke Home and Garden Show starting on Saturday, April 12.
In addition to the cash prizes, contestants that earn $200 or more will be entered into a grand prize drawing that will be held on July 2 for an all-expanse-paid vacation to Kah-Nee-Ta High Desert Resort & Casino - an estimated value of $500.
Visit the department's Wildfire Home Awareness Contest web page for more information on the contest and how to enter.
|
| Learn more . . . |
|
For more information on Wildfire Awareness Week 2008, including promotions and events, and safe debris burning and other important wildfire prevention tips, visit Keep Oregon Green Association or call 503-945-7499.
|
|
|
This information was developed by the Wildfire Awareness Week Steering Committee. Tom Fields is a member of the Wildfire Awareness Week steering committee and a public affairs officer for Douglas Forest Protective Association, 541-672-6507. Mary Ellen Holly is chair of Oregon Wildfire Awareness Week 2008 and president of the Keep Oregon Green Association, 503-945-7499. Brian Ballou is a wildfire educator with Oregon Department of Forestry, 541-665-0662. Rod Nichols is an information officer with the Department, 503-945-7425.
|
|
| |
|
|
