Crews work to put out flames on a property during a fire that occurred last July in Rochester.
More than 67,000 wildfires burned more than 5.5 million acres across the U.S. in 2016. That is the equivalent of more than a third of the entire surface area of Lewis County. As of this writing, more than 900 wildfires have burned more than 100,000 acres in Washington State just this year.
By comparison, 853 wildfires occurred in Washington in all of 2017. These fires are also happening here in Lewis County, too, with higher numbers and larger areas burned each passing year.
While people tend to worry the most about the fire itself, other wildfire-related issues — primarily air quality and access to drinking water — can be just as much of a problem. People with chronic breathing problems suffer from bad air, and every living thing needs clean water.
Wildfires can lower air quality over entire regions, even miles away from the fire. By definition, most wildfires occur outside towns and cities, either in rural areas or what is known as the wildland-urban interface area. This interface area starts on the edge of a town and extends outward to open country. However, because smoke travels in any direction and over long distances, even city dwellers can be impacted by poor air quality.
A good example of that occurred during the Southwest Washington Fair a few years ago when unusual wind currents blew smoke from eastern Washington fires back over to this side of the Cascades. Even though the fires were many miles away on the other side of the mountains, for several hours one afternoon, it was hard to see from one end of the fair Midway to the other.
It does not take much smoke and particulates in the air to cause problems for people with respiratory difficulties.
According to the Washington State Department of Health, one of the biggest “aha” moments for them in the 2015 wildfire season was how many people lost access to drinking water. Those fires burned through power lines over vast areas, leaving tens of thousands of people without water. Because most of these people lived in rural areas and pump water from their own wells, having no electricity also meant having no fresh water until electricity could be restored.
If you live in the country or a wildland-urban interface area and draw water from your own well, you should be prepared to have a back-up water supply available. This could mean a generator to run your well pump, neighbors sharing water from someone with a working well, transporting fresh water from a clean source, or arrangements with family or friends for someplace where you can go temporarily — a few hours to a few days — where water is available.
According to the National Fire Protection Administration, there are proven action steps to minimize the impact wildfires will have on your home.
First, clear leaves and other vegetative debris from roofs, gutters, porches and decks. This helps prevent embers from igniting your home.
Remove dead vegetation and other items from under your deck or porch, and within 10 feet of the house.
Screen in areas below patios and decks with wire mesh to prevent debris and combustible materials from accumulating.
Remove flammable materials (wood piles, propane tanks) within 30 feet of your home’s foundation and outbuildings, including garages and sheds. If it can catch fire, don’t let it touch your house, deck or porch.
Wildfire can spread to tree tops, so prune trees so the lowest branches are 6 to 10 feet from the ground.
Keep your lawn hydrated and maintained. If it is brown, cut it down to reduce fire intensity. Dry grass and shrubs are fuel for wildfire.
Don’t let debris and lawn cuttings linger. Dispose of these items quickly to reduce fuel for fire.
Inspect shingles or roof tiles. Replace or repair the shingles that are loose or missing to prevent ember penetration.
Cover exterior attic vents with metal wire mesh no larger than 1/8 inch to prevent sparks from entering the home.
Enclose eaves and screen soffit vents using 1/8 mesh metal screening to prevent ember entry.
