PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: September 26, 2007
Contact: Shawna Meyer
Director, Forest Care
San Bernardino National Forest Association
(909) 382-2697, shawnameyer@fs.fed.us
Assessment Of Tahoe Fire Provides Valuable Lessons.
San Bernardino Mountain communities are being encouraged to learn from the lessons gleaned in the aftermath of the devastating Lake Tahoe fires last June. The U. S. Department of Agriculture recently made public a report documenting the impact of fuels reduction programs on fire behavior
(Report title: An Assessment of Fuel Treatment Effects on Fire Behavior, Suppression Effectiveness, and Structure Ignition on the Angora Fire, available at http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/angorafuelsassessment). In the majority of cases, areas which had undergone fuel treatment showed altered fire behavior, from destructive crown fire to less intensive surface fire.
“The overall effect was a significant reduction in radiant and convective heat and a reduction in the number of houses impacted by firebrands as the fire entered the residential area,” contends the report, which evaluated the effects of fuel treatments and fire behavior in treated vs. non-treatment areas. “The reduced intensity allowed firefighters to extinguish spot fires and allow safe ‘close-in’ engagement.”
Likewise, urban lots which had been treated saw greatly reduced ember production and reduced heat and smoke allowing firefighters to be more effective in protecting the structures present. Firefighter accounts indicate many structures were saved because landowners had removed fuels on the property. The report noted that even some properties which had received fuel treatments burned at higher intensity because they were adjacent to untreated areas.
“Historically, fire was a major component of these forest ecosystems,” explains Shawna Meyer, Director of the San Bernardino National Forest Association’s Forest Care Program, a grant-funded program which can reimburse eligible landowners for up to 75% of the cost of thinning their properties. “By suppressing the fires that traditionally maintained a more open forest, we have contributed to the overpopulation of trees across many of Southern California’s mountain communities, literally fueling any fire that comes through”.
“The Tahoe fire has presented a harsh verification to the fact that thinning programs such as Forest Care can make a significant difference in our ability to protect houses and effectively fight fires,” continued Meyer, “hopefully this news will encourage people to take advantage of the funds available”.
A healthy forest in this area may typically have around 100 trees per acre. Much of the Southern California forest stands have in excess of 400-600 trees per acre. With all of this excess fuel present the fires today are difficult to control, often burning so hot that the larger trees are killed, soil is scorched, and wildlife habitats are destroyed.
Forest Care can fund the removal of trees that are smaller than 12” in diameter, pruning, and brush removal. A professional forester assists the landowner with marking their trees and creating a removal plan. This program is available to landowners with less than 5 acres of property and a high tree density.
Contact Forest Care at 1-888-883-THIN or visit
www.sbnfa.org to schedule an appointment.
Forest Care is one of 6 programs managed by the San Bernardino National Forest Association (SBNFA), a 501(c) 3 nonprofit. The mission of Forest Care is to help create forest-friendly communities through reducing fuels in the short-term and instilling stewardship values for long-term change. Forest Care partners with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection and is funded through a U.S. Forest Service grant. For more information or to find out how you can support Forest Care or SBNFA, contact Shawna Meyer at (909) 382-2697.
ENDS
Photo caption: Before and After Forest Care – Thinning and pruning vegetation to create a healthy and fire safe properties.
