Don't let best intentions burn up in a wildfire

The dog days of summer are upon us. Here in the Inland Northwest, many of us are conscious of the very real and inherent danger of wildfire in our abundant forests of pine.

And in the Spokane Valley, many of us still have vivid memories of Firestorm '91, when wildfire swept through the Ponderosa neighborhood, destroying so much property.

A recent jaunt along Upriver Drive serves as a grim reminder to me that it could happen again.

Ice Storm '96 damaged thousands of pine trees, many of which still stand like dead sentries in the miniforests that surround various Spokane Valley neighborhoods. Another area of concern is the area just below the Gunatorium along Argonne Road, where numerous dead pines bend over, brown and lifeless since Ice Storm.

Over the past few years I have noticed that much of the neighborhood of Northwood is literally drying out. The dead and dying pine trees sit, a forest of deadwood just waiting for a lightning strike and a stiff wind to turn their branches into torches, carrying their burning needles and branches into the heavily populated area.

It is a sobering thought, but are we ready for another firestorm?

Have you thinned the foliage and trees surrounding your property, enabling firefighters to put up a decent fight to save it, if your street was in the line of a fast-moving fire?

Have you thought about replacing juniper and evergreen bushes with the more flame-retardant ones that foresters recommend?

Do you have about 100 feet of clearance between your home and surrounding trees?

And what about your roof? Is it at least Class A fire retardant?

Homeowners consider these measures during our hot dry summers, but for most of us, they are put on the proverbial back burner during the cooler months.

I grew up in Southern California, where wildfire is a year-round reality. Constant Santa Ana winds and dry underbrush contribute to the season we called "fire season," which often lasts from late summer through November.

Often, homeowners will remain steadfast on their roofs, with a hose in their hand, hoping to stave off the approaching flames, only to be ordered to leave in order to save their own lives.

Does your family have an evacuation plan?

One of the first things on my list is to always have a full tank of gas in my car. While stuck in a string of slow-moving traffic inching its way down a road is not the time to be thinking about the needle on that fuel tank resting on "E."

How about your pets? Have you a plan in place for evacuating your dogs and cats if you had to leave home in a hurry?

I keep a couple of pet kennels in my garage for that purpose. Our pets would have to share cozy accommodations, but it beats trying to calm a frightened dog or cat while you're trying to evacuate to safety. Have you considered a central meeting place, should you become separated from your family members?

If you own a cell phone, do you keep it charged? And do you have phone numbers of family and friends in a handy place where you can get to it quickly?

Do you know where your important documents are? Could you grab prescriptions and eyeglasses in a hurry if you had to?

Often, evacuees are crowded into a central location for days without the comforts of home. That's a bad time to be without those reading glasses or that medication you need daily. And where do you keep those family photos and videos?

Most of us do not consider a safe deposit box for those things we like to enjoy looking at every day. I keep our videos in a storage box, all in one place.

During some of Southern California's serious wildfires, I discovered that panicked evacuees will grab almost anything from their homes in order to preserve a part of their lives.

Clear thinking and planning should be done before the situation arises and not during an emergency when seconds count.

I think residents of the Spokane Valley should be prepared for the worst and hope for the best.

Copyright 2001 Cowles Publishing Company
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