Hi Steve,
I am so sorry for your loss. Wildfires and what you call a fire storm differ
only in magnitude and location. In some areas, there is hardly any significant
dollar loss even with a bigger fire simply because it burns in an area with
fewer or no manmade structures. Eastern Nevada is a good example of this. At
the wildland/urban interface (WUI), however, it is a much different case. The
fires last year in Texas, this year in Colorado and many years ago on the
outskirts of Boise, ID, and Reno, NV, are prime examples of this type of fire.
As we move out into the countryside, this type of danger becomes ever more
present.
The sites I listed do not assure that you will never suffer loss, but in some
cases it will give you and the firefighters a fighting chance. Building
materials and landscaping are of prime importance in the WUI. Another important
thing is getting in and out of the property. In the WUI, your road or driveway
should be a loop with an entrance and an exit or should be wide enough for two
firetrucks to pass each other and brush should be cleared back from each side
to the recommended distance. In many cases, if the road is not big enough or
you have a bridge that is not strong enough to hold a firetruck, crews may pass
your property by.
One of my lasting memories of how important preparedness is was a TV news story
many years ago about a fire in a WUI near Los Angeles. It had hit a cul de sac
and run up to the top of a ridge. Only one house was left standing and
relatively undamaged. It was concrete dressed to look like adobe with a tile
roof, low-growing plants around it, ice plants on the downhill slope and a
swimming pool in the backyard which had been used in fighting the fire. The man
whose house it was stood there in tears looking at the devastation of his
neighbors' homes. An extreme form of survivor's guilt for doing the right
thing. It broke my heart.
I hope all of you will take care and live safely.
Louise
> Date: Sat, 4 Aug 2012 20:22:03 -0500
> Subject: Re: [Texascavers] How to save your house from wildfire
> From: skese...@gmail.com
> To: power_lou...@hotmail.com
> CC: texascavers@texascavers.com; jpme...@lavernia.net
>
> I guess a wildfire is different than a fire storm of burning volatile
> gas.After sustaining a direct hit of over 6500 acres of burning state
> park pines,yaupons and cedars and losing every thing. I know that
> there was nothing but Gods right hand that could have stopped it.I've
> helped rebuild at least one home that was in the middle of 100 acres
> of cleared land.When the sky is on fire 75 to 100 feet in the air and
> raining sparks and embers over ten miles away there isn't much you can
> do but get out of the way.I would encourage every one to follow the
> tips listed and also up your home owners insurance.The wound is still
> fresh,but I did get to live in paradise for 28 years and am still
> alive because it wasn't a surprise after the drought and 45 mile an
> hour winds.Steve
>
> On Sat, Aug 4, 2012 at 6:33 PM, Louise Power <power_lou...@hotmail.com> wrote:
> > I know that last year's fires caught most of you by surprise and some of you
> > lost most of your belongings or everything. I have worked for the Bureau of
> > Land Management for more than 30 years during which time I was an
> > information officer and information officer instructor for a multiagency
> > group. I don't have a lot of money to pass on to those of you who had
> > losses, but I do have information which can be almost as valuable. I would
> > like to refer you to the two sites below as a jumping off place for those of
> > you who are rebuilding and those who want to know what to do to help
> > safeguard your property. There are other links on these sites which can also
> > be valuable.
> >
> > http://www.firewise.org/
> >
> >
> > http://www.nifc.gov/prevEdu/prevEdu_main.html
> >
> >
> > I hope none of you ever have to go through this again.
> >
> >
> > Louise
