Fire Management – A Burning Issue

 

Research performed by Sarah Peterson

On any given day, the National Interagency Fire Center puts out hundreds of lightning fires which it tracks with high-tech imaging systems.  “Two hundred is nothing,” says a staffer at the NIFC. “Most of those fires get suppressed before they do much damage.”  Fires that aren’t successfully suppressed often turn into wildfires. These are the fires that get tracked by the NIFC. “If they put out a two‑acre fire, it doesn’t get reported” (a fire must impact at least 150 acres in timber or 300 acres in grass and brush to get tallied up as a wildfire).

The NIFC is not a single agency; it is a facility located in Boise, Idaho, that brings together five Federal land management agencies:  Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, Park Service, Fish and Wildlife Service, and Bureau of Indian Affairs.

According to the NIFC’s statistics on wildfires, 16,165 lightning‑caused wildfires destroyed almost 5.5 million acres during 2006. And contrary to what is generally believed, human-caused fires were six times higher than lightning fires: Over 80,000 human-caused fires occurred during that same period[1].

 

Started accidentally by people	65%
Intentionally set	25%
Lightning	10%

Consequences

The natural cycle of wildfires can be beneficial (hardwood trees like birch, aspen, and Douglas fir replace the black spruce, white spruce, and fast‑growing conifers; dead wood and tangled brush get removed; and charcoal enriches the soil); however, the cascading effect of wildfires is devastating to both the economy and the landscape. The loss in timber affects businesses (paper mills, lumber companies). Unemployment goes up. Homes are lost. Closed roads affect tourism. Animals lose their grazing lands and habitats. And watershed are destroyed.

·         Personal property losses

·         Increased insurance costs

·         Loss of grazing grounds

·         Loss of business and recreation

·         Increased utility costs

·         Destroyed watershed

Expenses

The cost of putting out wildfires in 2006 was $1.5 billion compared to $256 million ten years ago.  The National Fire Plan budget (which covers fire prevention, fire suppression, burned‑area rehabilitation, state/local assistance, and emergency appropriation) rose from $2.3 billion in 2001 to $2.5 billion in 2005.  Once the suppression budget is exhausted, money is redirected from other program budgets. This creates a viscous cycle. If funds are taken from the prevention budget, programs geared for preventing wildfires are jeopardized. And if prevention doesn’t get enough attention, then fires are more likely to occur. For example, $575 million was spent on fire prevention in 2000 compared to $297 million for suppression of fires. Five years later, appropriations for both prevention and suppression were similar: $969 million was spent on fire prevention compared to $907 million for suppression of fires.

The spiraling costs of wildfire suppression are causing serious debate. Some question whether the private home owners who choose to build homes in communities with high‑fire risk should foot the bill, rather than have Federal tax payers share the expense.

Fire Management

With fire seasons becoming increasingly severe, the western states have been organizing intricate fire management plans. Fire management plans are designed to guide wildfire preparedness and response, reduce forest fuel, conduct prescribed burning (the intentional setting of fire to deplete fuel), and deal with fire effects. Those putting together a fire management plan have lots to think about:[2]

·         Public and firefighter safety

·         Archaeological and historical resources

·         Native American traditional values

·         Wildfire risk to neighboring lands

·         Vegetation

·         Wildlife

·         Threatened and endangered species

·         Non-native, invasive plants

·         Water resources and riparian habitat

·         Air quality

·         Soil erosion

·         Natural scenery

High Tech

Geospatial technology, a technology that combines maps, geographic data, and descriptive information to form what is known as a geographic information system (GIS), gives twenty-first century fire managers a big advantage in managing forests. The high technology that is being used to prevent wildfires is extensive. The U.S.D.A. Forest Service currently uses remote sensing equipment to monitor forests around the clock. Satellites, airborne multispectral scanners, and thermal imagers are all part of their system.  Also, scientists are using high-tech fire modeling software to predict fire and atmospheric behavior. [3] Satellite imagery and automated stations provide up-to-the-minute weather forecasts. In addition, web sites and email provide instant access to critical information.

Thinning the Forest

The U.S. forest management policy is undergoing a revolution. The vast tracts of land set aside by President Roosevelt have many wondering whether “forest thinning” would help prevent wildfire since fire can’t spread from tree to tree in a forest with fewer trees.  Although controlled burns are not nearly as common as they once were due to nearby homes, many believe that a combination of controlled burning and mechanical thinning is essential and that if it doesn’t get done, then Nature will do the job herself.

Effective forest management is a lot less expensive than fighting wildfires (which cost millions of dollars). For example, thinning by hand or with machinery can cost $3,000 per acre (although too expensive for large projects) compared to a controlled burn which costs only $2 per acre.  Compare this to the cost of suppressing fire: Alaska, alone, spent $55 million last year fighting wildfires. Also, the commercial interests that result from the thinning process can also bring money into the forest.

Environmentalists aren’t entirely against the practice; however, they are concerned that the logging industry will go too far. Environmentalists have also commented that forest thinning dries out the forests, which may increase the chances of fire spreading. They are concerned that the big gaps created by logging and regeneration burns create a drier, more fireprone environment. The leftover debris and new road worry them as well.  Debris that is left on the forest floor after logging, if not cleaned up, adds to the fire hazard, and the new road that usually comes on the heels of a thinned-out forest will undoubtedly bring in more people (remember, people are the ones who start most of the fires). Learn more about the environmentalists’ position in “Setting the Record Straight”[4].

Wood Chippers

A typical forest thinning includes logging equipment, chain saws, and wood chippers. Wood chipping machines, alongside the logging operation, are especially advantageous because they turn debris left by loggers into useful product. Wood chippers are useful for destroying old, diseased trees scattered all over the forest floor. Also, their standardized size and packaging give them an added convenience.

·        Wood chippers turn debris left by the loggers into useful product.

·        Wood chips are a lot more convenient than logs.

·        The standardized size of wood chips makes more attractive than logs or split wood.

·        Wood chippers cull old, diseased trees from forests.

·        BUT, wood chips are bulky and are 50-percent water; therefore, hauling woodchips long distances (by road or rail) is not feasible for fuel.

·        Wood chippers shred leaves and twigs (this depletion necessitates spreading furnace residues around the trees).

 

Fire Prevention

According to the National Interagency Fire Center[5], people cause the majority of fires. Most of these fire could be avoided. Consult the forest fire management staff in your community to determine the fire danger in your area.

Campfire Safety

Careless construction and use of campfires can lead to the development of a wildfire. Follow these simple steps when building a campfire.

·        Sand/gravel:  Start fires on a sand or gravel base. Keep all burnable materials (wood, moss, and twigs) away from the fire.

·        Always keep campfires small – they are easier to extinguish and control.

·        Flammable structures: Build your campfire away from flammable structures (tents, trees, and buildings).

·        Extinguish the fire when leaving or turning in for the night.

§         Pour water onto the fire until smoke and flames are gone.

§         Stir the pile with a stick or shovel and continue adding water.

·        Ten feet of safety:  Before starting the fire, clear the area around the pit (10 feet in diameter). Make sure it is free of all woody or organic surface debris. A ring of rocks can be used as a guard against escaping sparks, coal, and other fire hazards.

·        You must never leave a fire unattended.

Homes in the Forest

A growing number of people are leaving crowded cities and heading to rural and forest areas. When woodland areas meet with residential homes and subdivisions, also known as the “wildland-urban interface,” homes are at greater risk of wildfire. Wildfire does not differentiate between wildland, landscape, or structure fuels.

Those who live in these once-wildland communities often become part of organized groups that teach home owners how to protect themselves from the risk of fire. Also, educational programs like Firewise[6] teach communities how to reduce wildfire threats through landscaping techniques and fire‑resistant home construction.

Anyone planning to build in a rural area needs to take the necessary precautions:

·         Use fire-resistant materials for the roof and exterior of the home (tile, slate, sheet iron, aluminum, stone, brick). Treat all other materials (wood siding, cedar shakes, wood paneling) with fire‑retardant chemicals

·         Keep roof, gutters, eaves, and yard free of flammable materials (leaves, sticks, pine needles).

·         Create a 10-foot fuel break around your house by keeping all flue openings at least 10 feet away from trees or limbs of trees. Cut limbs back if necessary.

·         The Cooperative Extension at the University of Colorado offers instructions for fire‑resistant landscaping.[7] They suggest that homeowners plant dogwoods, sycamore, magnolia, oaks, black cherry, and azalea in place of pines and palmettos. However, some have cautioned against the “myth” that fire-resistant plants and greater clearance distances protect the homeowner when in actually these high-risk areas are “indefensible from wildland fire”[8].

·         Ensure that your driveway is at least 12 feet wide (with 15 feet of overhead clearance) so that  emergency vehicles can gain access to your home.

·         Properly dispose of waste and other materials (see your local regulations).

·         Trim all tree branches that hang over the house or are lower than 6 to 10 feet from the ground.

·         Develop your own disaster plan so that you can evacuate your home in case of an emergency (provide at least two routes of exit).

For more information about fire safety in rural developments, see St. Johns County Department of Emergency Management

Miscellaneous Safety

Be extra cautious when using power equipment (chainsaws, welding torches). A single spark can ignite a forest fire.

Never drive your vehicle through tall grass.

Cigarette Safety

Always use ash trays.

·        Do NOT throw a lighted cigarette from the window of a vehicle.

·        Do NOT walk off and leave a burning cigarette.

·        Be aware of smoking restrictions when on Federal and State public lands.

·        Follow all local smoking restrictions and guidelines.

For more information on safety and fire prevention, see Wildfire Prevention Tips at the National Interagency Fire Center’s web site.[9]

The Language of Wildfire

So you think you know a lot about fire and forests? Take a look at the few terms below. This is the language of fire managers and all those working to prevent and suppress wildfires. How many do you know? For the complete list of terms, see NIFC’s complete list of wildland fire terms:[10]

Bambi Bucket: A collapsible bucket slung below a helicopter. Used to dip water from a variety of sources for fire suppression

Bladder Bag: A collapsible backpack portable sprayer made of neoprene or high-strength nylon fabric fitted with a pump.

Candle or Candling: A single tree or a very small clump of trees which is burning from the bottom up.

Fingers of a Fire: The long narrow extensions of a fire projecting from the main body.

Fuel: Combustible material. Includes, vegetation, such as grass, leaves, ground litter, plants, shrubs and trees, that feed a fire. (See Surface Fuels.)

Slop-over: A fire edge that crosses a control line or natural barrier intended to contain the fire.

Fingers of a Fire: The long narrow extensions of a fire projecting from the main body.

Smokejumper: A firefighter who travels to fires by aircraft and parachute.