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Wildfire
Prevention: We're All In This Together
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Firefighters work the
Indian Gulch Fire
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By
Sheriff Ted Mink
On
March 21, I enacted a temporary fire ban for Jefferson County. That
weekend, three human-caused wildfires had sparked in Jeffco, including the
1,500-acre Indian Gulch fire near Golden. The Indian Gulch fire burned for
a week and required over 460 firefighters and support staff to suppress
it.
Climate experts are predicting a bad fire
season, with the number of wildfires statewide far outpacing anything seen
in recent years. In March alone, 64 wildfires burned in Colorado. Months of
dry weather have made grasses and fuels downright crispy. An act that might
not have started a fire last year -- like a tossed cigarette -- now has
greater potential to ignite a fire, with potentially devastating effects.
Fire experts recommend preparation, mitigation and prevention.
How to Prepare
Don't assume it won't
happen. Homes in the foothills are most vulnerable, but suburban homes near
open space can be at risk as well. Create an emergency plan with your
family. Where will you go, how will you reach each other, and what will you
bring? How fast can you get out if your neighborhood is evacuated? Can you
help deputies identify elderly or disabled neighbors who may need
assistance?
Register your mobile or VOIP phone to receive e911 calls from the Sheriff's
Office in an emergency: http://jeffco.us/sheriff/sheriff_T62_R259.htm.
Traditional land-line phones in unincorporated Jeffco are automatically
registered to receive e911 calls. Our call won't get through to you if you
have a solicitor-blocking service.
How to Mitigate
Now is the time to clear firewood, brush, and grasses from around your
home. Remove pine needles from roofs and decks. Move cut firewood away from
your house. Cut down trees that are close to the house. Don't wait until
it's too late! Creating "defensible space" around your home may
keep fire from reaching it, and may also give fire crews the room they need
to defend it.
When you've made a pile of logs, brush, pine needles and branches, you've
got what firefighters call "slash." Next step: remove the slash
from your property. Don't burn it! A list of community
slash-collection sites for 2011 is available on our website. Your
local fire department can help you put together a plan for both short- and
long-term mitigation.
Rally your neighbors to help protect your community. Identify those who
could benefit from a community work day to help protect their house. By
helping each other, you help yourselves.
Fire Ban: Part of
Prevention
Enacted to prevent new wildfires, the current fire ban prohibits the
following behaviors:
- Anything
which produces an open flame or could create an uncontrolled fire
- Using
fire to burn trash, debris, or vegetation
- Any
campfire, warming fire, or charcoal fire
- Smoking
outdoors, except in an area that has been cleared of all combustibles
- Any
fireworks
- Chainsaw
use, except when equipped with an approved spark-arresting device and
other accessories
The full text of the fire
ban is linked from our homepage, jeffcosheriff.com,
and will remain in place until the ban is lifted. To report fire ban
violations, call 303-277-0211. In the case of a lit cigarette discarded
from a vehicle, try to provide a license plate number and vehicle
description.
Spread the Word
Wildfire doesn't discriminate -- it may take anything in its path. For
residents of the wildland/urban interface, it means we're all in this
together. We've got to educate ourselves, share resources, and help our
neighbors. Please share this Behind the Badge column with your friends and
neighbors. For additional information about preparedness, mitigation and
prevention, visit our Ready Jeffco web
page, or call our Emergency Management office at 303-271-4900.
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