Do you get the shakes over wildfire danger?

As summer arrives in the Spokane Valley, it brings our cherished and long-awaited warm weather and sunshine.

But summer also brings with it the threat of wildfire.

The Spokane Valley has already lived through one disastrous firestorm in 1991. There have been others in the Spokane area during the past several years.

When I walk or drive down our tree-lined neighborhood streets, safe roofing is an issue that comes to mind.

Are we just waiting for another turn with disaster?

We have a proliferation of wood shake roofs in some of our Valley neighborhoods, including my own. As any fire official will tell us, these roofs are just kindling.

After Firestorm '91, most of the homeowners in the Ponderosa neighborhood who had to rebuild their homes did so using alternative roofing and siding materials.

Because of our long months of cooler weather, compared to some other areas of the western United States, we tend to put the issue of wildfire on the back burner until early summer.

Relatively frequent summer thunderstorms do produce lightning that lashes out at our telephone poles, trees and dried ground cover, and could easily serve as a catalyst for another serious fire in our valley.

Even one of our favorite summertime rituals, the backyard barbecue, could be an innocent threat. Ever flame-broil a couple of burgers on a windy afternoon? An out-of-control ember from the grill could easily fly up and land on your roof or in a tree.

In the 1970s and '80s, wood shingle roofing was a popular trend.

It gave neighborhoods that rustic ambiance that nicely blended with the surrounding landscape. The popularity of these roofs has endured in the Valley and throughout the Northwest.

Every year, roofing contractors are busy pressure-washing the roofs, and treating them with the oil that brings back their original natural beauty.

But I can't help wondering if, in an effort to enhance the appearance of a neighborhood in the environment we all seek to preserve, we are just flirting with disaster.

Today, many families enjoy the lifestyle afforded by building and buying homes in the hillsides that ring the Spokane Valley. It is noticeable that most of these new homes have fire-retardant roofing, and fire-retardant siding as well.

However, take a look at some of our older neighborhoods and you will see that wood shake roofs remain a steadfast reminder of earlier times.

On streets where the homes are closer together, and every back yard boasts a half-dozen pine or fir trees, the sight of an aging and needle-covered wood shingle roof serves as a grim reminder of past disasters in our valley.

Some of our older neighborhoods have been relatively fortunate in the past few years. With dried shrubbery hugging the wood siding of these homes, and juniper on the perimeter of the properties, it would be easy for wind-driven flames to get the upper hand.

It's hard to think about fire danger when the temperatures are in the mid 40s and there is a damp mist hanging in the air.

Valley residents, summer is looming ahead.

When the life expectancy of your roof is in question, and those leaks begin to be a problem, it might be a wise idea to start thinking about peeling off those wooden shakes and replacing them with a fire-retardant material.

There are many attractive roofing alternatives to wood shakes on the market today. They range from the most-affordable three-tab composition to the more-expensive shake look-alike that are all Class A rated and safe.

We do not have to make a choice when it comes to safety.

Every once in a while, the Spokane Valley is going to be reminded that Mother Nature is all around us.

And I always go by the adage "Better safe than sorry."

Copyright 2000 Cowles Publishing Company
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