Community fire prevention group takes first steps to protect homes

A group of homeowners piloting a novel project to protect their homes from forest fire will take its first tangible steps at managing local forest lands July 13 as workers begin thinning trees east of Carnation.

The effort is one of several pioneering efforts to help improve forest health and reduce fire risk developed by the Tolt Triangle Fire Council, a group of local citizens aiming to minimize the mounting fire danger near their homes. The group developed a community wildfire protection plan with the help of King County's Forestry Program.

"After the Carnation fire and then the ice storm of 2003, we knew we needed to do something as a group to try and avoid a future catastrophe," said Jeff Madden, a Tolt River Highlands resident. "Many area residents have completed both Forest Stewardship and Firewise training and are working on their individual properties. But since fire doesn't recognize our boundaries, we decided to work together to come up with a plan that would help educate all the property owners as to what they can do to reduce the risk of wildfire and take better care of their forests."

The effort was started after a 2003 forest fire just east of Carnation brought home the threat posed by the growing amount of dead and tinder-dry forest debris. The King County Rural Forest Commission stepped in to help after residents worried that the new Critical Areas Ordinance might prevent them from managing their forests to reduce fire risk. The ordinance aims to protect drinking water supplies, wetlands, streams and habitat from irresponsible development.

King County Executive Ron Sims directed the Fire Marshal's Office, in conjunction with King County's Forestry Program and Rural Forest Commission, to develop several ways within the ordinance for homeowners to reduce their fire risk.

The Tolt Fire Council's Community Wildfire Protection Plan has just been approved by Washington Department of Natural Resources and is the first of its kind west of the Cascade Range. The council hopes to share what it has learned so surrounding communities can follow their lead.

Experts recommend several first steps for defending a home from forest fire. They include creating a "defensible space" of 30 feet around the home, clearing flammable debris from roofs, gutters, and decks, and maintaining landscaping as native healthy vegetation.

The health of forestland surrounding a home and community also has an impact on the spread of wildfire. Healthy trees require space to grow. If trees are over-crowded they become stressed and more drought-prone.

To assist landowners in managing their forests for health and fire-risk reduction, King County, in partnership with Washington State University Extension, provides forest stewardship classes, workshops, and on-site forestry technical assistance throughout the year. Tolt Triangle Fire Council staffed educational booths at community fairs and events.

To learn more, arrange a site visit, or sign up for a forest stewardship class, visit the King County Forestry web page at: http://www.kingcounty.gov/environment/wlr/forestryprogram.aspx.

The King County Rural Forest Commission plans a field tour July 13, 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., of thinning being conducted in a cooperative effort across several forest landowners in Tolt River Highlands. Both ground based and tower cable thinning will be occurring. The commission will be talking with landowners about how to support and improve their forest management efforts.

The Carnation wildfire which resulted in evacuation of the area was caused by fireworks in August of 2003. Tolt Triangle Fire Council is the first Western Washington community to have a state approved Community Wildfire Protection Plan. The council wants to encourage other communities to complete wildfire plans and thinning of over-dense young forests.