BISMARCK, N.D. – Spring officially arrives March 20 and the City of Bismarck Fire Department would like you to be prepared and keep you informed about the potential threat of fire and how the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) fire affects your home and property.
According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) a WUI is not necessarily a place but a set of conditions that can include flammable vegetation and their proximity to combustible structures. Other factors can include weather patterns, climate conditions and topography.
These concerns are heightened in the spring before vegetation starts to grow, in the summer when hot and dry conditions affect the moisture content of the vegetation, and again in the fall as vegetation dies off for the winter.
Some ideas for making your home safer are:
1. Use non-flammable roof coverings since the roof is the most vulnerable part of your home.
2. Clean out your gutters and downspouts of dried leaves and twigs.
3. Clean out under, around, and on top of decks and porches.
4. Maintain a 3 to 5 foot space around your home of any flammable material or vegetation such as mulch, woodpiles, or plants that allow fire to touch your home.
5. Trees and shrubs within 30 feet of your home should be healthy, spaced apart, and not overhang the roof of your house.
6. If you live on a slope or hilltop thin our vegetation to a distance of 50 to 100 feet to slow a fire’s uphill spread.
Another concern of WUI type fires are windblown embers. Embers are carried by heat and wind over long distances and precede the fire front. These embers fall, or are wind-driven, into receptive fuels and structures and ignite more fires.
One thing homeowners can do to protect their family and home is to prepare a defensible space around their home. There are many resources that show how to create a defensible place around your home or business and lessen the potential fire damage during these types of fires. One great resource is NFPA Firewise Community resources. http://www.firewise.org/
Make this information a priority for you. The best way to fight a fire is to never let it start in the first place.
Watch for upcoming informational announcements within the next 30 days at local media outlets.