Eastside Fire & Rescue: Take Precautions Now to Reduce Summer Fire Risk

With summer weather conditions just around the corner, Eastside Fire & Rescue is urging residents to stay vigilant as temperatures and humidity levels can quickly change, posing a risk and potential concern in many of our neighborhoods and communities.

Urban wildfires usually located in other parts of the country or state can happen in Western Washington and the potential for increased brush fires along highways, roadways, neighborhood greenbelts, and park settings is greatest during the summer months, according to a public safety press release. 

Protecting your home from urban brush fires is your responsibility. There are several safety precautions you can take now while the weather is still fairly cool and humidity level is high. You need to consider the fire resistance of your home, the topography of your property, and the nature of the vegetation close by. 

You can help protect your home by following the suggestions on this checklist. Some you can implement immediately, while others need to be considered at the time of construction or remodeling.  

Defensible Space Practices:

• Rake leaves, dead limbs, and twigs.  Clear all flammable vegetation and remove vines from walls of the home, remove rubbish from around the structure.
• Thin a 15-foot space between tree crowns, and remove limbs within 15 feet of the ground.  Thinning is simply reducing the density of vegetation between trees in your yard. Prune tree branches and shrubs within 15 feet of a stovepipe or chimney outlet.

• Ask the power company to clear branches from power lines.
• Mow grass regularly.
• Clear a 10-foot area around propane tanks and barbeques.  Place a screen over the grill using non-flammable material with mesh no coarser than ¼ inch.
• Regularly dispose of newspapers and other flammable materials to an appropriate site.
• Place stove, fireplace, and grill ashes in a metal bucket, soak in water for two days, then bury the cold ashes in mineral soil.
• Store gasoline, oily rags, and other flammable materials in approved safety cans that can be purchased at your local hardware store.  Place cans in a safe location away from the base of buildings.
• Stack firewood at least 50 feet away and uphill from your home.  Clear combustible material within 20 feet. Use only UL-approved wood burning devices.
• Create a 30-foot safety zone around your home.  Keep the volume of vegetation in this zone to a minimum.  The greater the distance between your home and vegetation, the greater the protection.
• Remove debris on rooftops, in gutters, under sun decks and porches.
• Enclose eaves and overhangs.  Like porches and balconies, eaves trap the heat rising along the exterior siding.  Enclose all eaves to reduce the hazard.