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Drought will dry up moisture from recent rain Mail Tribune / Drew Fleming Dennis Wolske, of Ashland, recently cleared three of his 10 acres of thick underbrush that would be strong fuel for a wildfire. Homeowners who would like to learn other ways of creating "defensible space" around their homes can call the Oregon Department of Forestry in Central Point at 664-3328 for a free consultation. Rural residents can protect their homes from wildfires By PAUL FATTIG Jim Wolf doesn't have any faith in the promises Mother Nature offers in the moisture-laden clouds floating over Southern Oregon's interior. Not a bit, given the entrenched drought. "We may be getting a little moisture but within one or two days that will all be gone," said the veteran wildlands firefighter for the Oregon Department of Forestry. "We're still going to have to deal with the effect of the prolonged drought, of the heavier fuels and the live vegetation being incredibly dry for this time of year, " he added. "This rain is doing very little to change that." 'Firewise' checklist The Oregon Department of Forestry provides a free "firewise" landscaping checklist for rural homeowners wanting to build a defensible space against wildfires. The list includes: Keep trees and shrubs pruned up more than 6 feet from the ground if possible. Remove leaf clutter and dead and overhanging branches. Mow your lawn regularly. Dispose of cuttings and debris promptly. Store firewood away from the house. Make sure the irrigation system is well maintained. Leave a minimum 30-foot clearance around the home to accommodate fire equipment. For additional information, check out www.firewise.org. Yet the fire prevention planner for the ODF's Southwest District says rural residents can do a lot to protect their homes from the ravages of a wildland fire. "There are even some things landowners can do if they only have an hour or so's notice," he said. "They can clean up light debris around a home. They can move lumber or firewood or lawn furniture - anything that burns - away from the home. "If they have water pressure and electricity, they can put out the sprinklers," he added. Wolf has more than 20 fire seasons behind him. As a fire prevention planner, Wolf and department employees will visit rural homes to tell landowners how to create defensible space. For a free consultation, call the ODF office in Central Point at 664-3328. Reiterating that the dark clouds are but a fleeting presence while the drought will likely increase the potential for more wildfires, Wolf urges rural landowners to be prepared for the worst. "They can do things that will really make a difference," he said. A case in point is a wildfire in Merlin a week ago that burned a half-dozen acres but didn't burn any houses because homeowners had built defensible spaces around their homes, he said. "The work the landowners did helped save the day," he said, although adding that local fire departments also did their part. Another example was a fast-moving fire near LaPine south of Bend last month that threatened a subdivision, he said. "The homeowners had reduced the vegetation - that stopped the fire from going into the subdivision," he said. "There does seem to be a heightened awareness," he added. "People are aware there is a real potential for wildfires this summer." As an example of that awareness, he noted that the department's public meeting about building defensible space around rural homes drew only one participant in Josephine County last year while a similar meeting this year drew 125 people. Though much of the heavier work of clearing brush and other large material should have been done this spring before high fire danger began, Wolf noted it's not too late to create defensible space. "Any work outside with power-driven machinery needs to be done by noon," and of course, debris can't be burned to get rid of it. But rural homeowners can take advantage of the current respite from the summer heat to do things such as remove ladder fuels - vegetation that provides a link between dry grass and trees, he said. "You can go out all day long with pruning shears," he said. Folks who live in rural areas need to prepare well ahead of time for a wildfire, he said. "That's really the most important thing you can do," he said. But they also need to heed the advice of firefighters on the scene, he said. "When they tell you it's time to evacuate, then it's time to get out," he said. Reach reporter Paul Fattig at 776-4496 or e-mail him at [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.