Tag: surviving wildfire articles

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Wildfire Information Leaders

National Leadership

Eric Norland, USDA
NIFA National Program Leader Advisor to eWIN

Community Leadership

Glenn Nader, University of California Cooperative Extension
eWIN Chair
ganader@ucdavis.edu
Jan Gonzales, University of California Cooperative Extension
eWIN Program Coordinator
jggonzales@ucdavis.edu

eWIN Subject Matter Leadership

Yvonne Barkley, University of Idaho
Chair
After Fire: Returning Home
After Fire: Assessing Damage
After Fire: Landscape Recovery
Janean Creighton, Oregon State University Extension
Chair
The Human Factor
Glenn Nader, University of California Cooperative Extension
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What You Should Do Before Evacuating Your House

Article Written by:
Glenn Nader, University of California Cooperative Extension, Yuba City, CA
Ed Smith, University of Nevada Cooperative Extension, Reno, NV

 

Do to Home B4 Evac 300x72.jpg

The first step is to make sure every body and everything is ready to leave. Park the vehicles facing toward the road and load important documents and items. Prepare elderly, children, pets and any livestock for evacuation. If there is enough time, prepare the house for exposure to embers and flames. Accomplishing these items will be doable only …

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Predicting the Mortality of Conifers After a Wildfire

Article Written by:
Yvonne Barkley, University of Idaho Extension, Moscow, ID

 

Predict mortality med 300h 72dpi.jpg


Predicting the mortality of conifers after a wildfire is important for post-fire planning and management. Fire resistance varies greatly with plant species and factors such as age. In general, young, fast-growing trees on good sites will be better able to withstand damage from fire than over-mature, slow-growing trees on poor sites.

Additional general statements that hold true across species are:

  • as the percent of crown scorch increases, mortality increases.
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Targeted Grazing for Fuel Reduction

Article Written by:
Glenn Nader, University of California Cooperative Extension, Yuba City, CA

Targeted grazing is the intentional use of livestock to modify vegetation by consumption to accomplish management goals. In terms of wildfire fuel reduction, targeted grazing is often used to reduce the amount, height and continuity of vegetation. For targeted grazing to be effective, it should be tied to fuel management objectives and tightly managed. Because targeted grazing focuses on modifying fuel characteristics and not animal production, it …

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Ensuring Firefighter Access and Your Escape During a Wildfire

If there is a wildfire in your area you may need to get out and firefighters may need to get in, so build fire safety into your road or driveway designs and make plans for evacuation and access.

First, the road. Having more than one way into and out of a residential area is good in case one road gets blocked. Roads should be at least two lanes wide, with gentle curves and with enough space at the end for …

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Using Mulch to Control Erosion after a Wildfire

Article Written by:
Yvonne Barkley, University of Idaho Extension, Moscow, ID

 

 

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Using mulch to control erosion after a wildfire is a very common practice. Research has shown that mulching is the only treatment which consistently and significantly reduced erosion rates after a burn by immediately increasing the percent of ground cover, compared to gradually increasing cover by growing vegetation such as grass.

Mulch is used to cover the soil, thereby reducing rain impact, overland flow, soil erosion and the rapid …

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Evacuation Preparations for Your Livestock


Photo source: Susie Heffernan

Prepare before the fire occurs by keeping the corrals and barns free of fuel (vegetation or hay) and have halters or facilities to load and remove the animals. Have an evacuation plan for livestock, including routes, transportation needs, and host site. Share your plan with your neighbors in case you are absent. Do not wait to the last minute to transport livestock as roads can become clogged and difficult to maneuver with a trailer. Make sure …

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The Healthy Forest Restoration Act

Article Written by:
Janean Creighton, Oregon State University Extension, Corvallis, OR

Photo by Andy Perleberg, WSU


The Healthy Forests Restoration Act (HFRA) was signed into law by President George W. Bush in December 2003. The legislation is intended to reduce the threat of destructive wildfires while upholding environmental standards and encouraging public input early in the planning process. The HFRA strengthens public participation in developing high priority areas, uses the best science available to actively manage public lands, allows for …

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What To Do if Trapped in Car by Fire While Evacuating

Fire near dirt road

A structure offers more protection than a car, so if there is a building nearby, get inside it. If there is no building, then stay in your car. It will be safer than being out in the open with direct exposure to flames and radiant heat.

  • Park the car in a safe place that has little or no vegetation.
  • Turn on headlights and emergency flashers to make your car more visible during heavy smoke.
  • Close all windows and doors, shut
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