REGION – The Huron-Manistee National Forests reminds residents that the weather may be deceiving; however, wildfire season is upon us! While firefighters respond to emerging wildfires, the Forests reminds residents to focus on mitigating the potential spread of wildfires by hardening their homes.
“While we are experiencing precipitation in the form of rain and snow, conditions can easily change from no fire danger to low fire danger,” said Huron-Manistee National Forests Acting Deputy Fire Management Officer Kevin Sherretz. “With winds and sunshine following the rainy days, surface fuels will dry quickly and be susceptible to wildfire,” he added.
Sherretz explained how the sandy soils of Michigan drain moisture away from the surface fuels. Surface fuels are lightweight fuels that dry in a short period of time when exposed to sunshine and wind, such as, small branches, grasses and leaves. When plants have not gained their leaves back in spring, they can carry fire across the surface of the landscape very quickly. “With inadequate snowfall, most of the surface soils have already drained and contribute to dry fuels,” he said.
The Eastern Area Coordination Center’s Predictive Services reported this week moderate to high drought conditions in the Northern Lower Peninsula, affecting the Manistee Zone of the National Forests. Currently, low fire danger still has wildfire risk. “We began running initial attack on wildfires in early February this year. This is much earlier than past years where our fire season starts in late March,” said Sherretz. Since that initial fire, the Forests responded to a total of seven fires for almost nine acres.
“It’s very important that residents adhere to the burn permitting system set by our state partners pertaining to burning their brush,” Sherretz emphasized.
As the Forests prepare plans for prescribed fire to help manage fuel breaks and wildlife habitat, they are keeping their eyes on weather trends and working cooperatively with partners at the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and the National Weather Service in both Gaylord and Grand Rapids. “Staying ahead of the weather with weekly briefings helps us to coordinate resources for suppression efforts,” Sherretz noted.
“Residents can still do other activities to prepare for when the burn permits resume issuance,” stated Forest Fuels Officer Brian Stearns. “For instance, regardless of the burn permit status, it is always in a homeowner’s best interest to harden their home with easy, no-expense tactics to reduce the potential loss from wildfire.”
Cleaning debris from rain gutters and roof valleys, removing dead brush in flower beds around the home’s foundation, knocking down last year’s wasp and bird nests, moving the wood pile away from the house and removing those piles of leaves and needles accumulating on and under patio decks can reduce the risk of an ember starting a house fire. Even thinning brush, trimming trees and vines close to the ground can reduce the spread of wildfire.
“When homeowners create a 30-foot defensible space area around their home, they are creating a buffer for firefighters to protect their home from a wildfire or protect the wildland from the potential spread of a house fire to the wildland,” Stearns stated. These practices are called home hardening and are very effective.
Keeping the buffer lean, clean and green also provides first responders a safe area in which to operate when fighting fires close to your property. “It’s important to keep your lawn mowed, wrap up that garden hose, put away those tools and dispose of those scrap metal pieces or abandoned mechanical items that can pose a larger threat to first responders if wildfire ignites near the home,” Stearns warned. “The smoke from wildfire is full of harmful gases already. Once inorganic things like plastics and other synthetic materials start on fire it creates more dangerous conditions for firefighters.” Stearns also noted keeping your lawn watered helps to lessen the impact of fire embers landing and igniting dry grass.
By properly addressing anything that can burn within 100 feet of a home, homeowners can reduce the risk of a wildfire spreading to their home. “At a minimum, residents should at least check their 911 identifiable house number to ensure that it is in good condition and located at the end of their driveway. It must be visible to emergency responders from the road. Having the number anywhere but your driveway can lead to confusion and delay emergency responders,” reminded Sherretz.
Debris burning and unattended campfires are not the only cause of wildfires this time of year, Stearns said. “Powerlines pose a threat this time of year when winds pick up and potentially down weakened limbs or trees causing powerlines to arc or snap, leading to a potential wildfire. Never attempt to resolve the issue yourself,” Stearns said, “Call your local power company to report the hazard.”
