By Dustin Tetrault EBS CONTRIBUTOR
Last year, three large wildfires burned
dangerously close to Big Sky. The Bacon Rind Fire to the south and the Monument
and Wigwam Fires to the west were all large, intense fires that burned nearly
20,000 acres in total. Their elevation, terrain and fuels were similar to that
of Big Sky’s.
With the imminent change in seasons, it
is time to start thinking about the wildland fire season again.
As development continues to boom in Big
Sky, we need to ask ourselves: Are we building a resilient community? Can our
community withstand the economic, social and cultural impacts of a large-scale
wildfire?
New research points to why and how homes
burn in wildfires. The vast majority of homes ignite due to embers that land
on, or embed in, flammable materials on or in a home. Embers can travel more
than a mile ahead of a wildfire front. Once one home has ignited, the fire
spreads from house to house, resulting in large-scale conflagration fires like we
have seen in California in recent years.
Today’s wildfires are more disastrous
for a variety of reasons—a warming climate, a century of fire suppression and
fuel accumulation, and because we are putting more people and homes in harm’s
way. In Big Sky, the majority of new development is conducted in the moderate
to high wildfire risk areas, known as the wildland-urban interface (WUI). We
have a golden opportunity to make a stand and be smarter about how we are
building and placing these structures in the WUI.
Fortunately, a decade of research,
post-fire analyses and laboratory experiments have led to new science on how to
avoid such disasters and build wildfire-resilient communities.
It starts with where and how we build
homes.
A few simple, affordable modifications
to a home’s roof, walls, windows, deck and landscaping can be the difference
between the home’s survival or demise during a wildfire. For example, home
survival increases when homes are built with ember-resistant, finer-mesh attic
vents, noncombustible gutters and fire-resistant decking. Maintaining a
noncombustible landscaping zone immediately around the home and conducting
general maintenance such as cleaning out gutters, cleaning pine litter off of
the roof and removing lawn debris can reduce the likelihood of embers igniting
the home.
A study released in 2018 by Headwaters
Economics found the cost of constructing a home to such standards was roughly
the same as a typical home. Using wildfire-resistant materials can also reduce
maintenance needs and have a longer lifespan compared to traditional building
materials.
Too often we believe our community will
never face wildfire, but such willful blindness does us all a disservice. When
flammable homes are built in wildfire-prone areas, taxpayers end up shouldering
the burden, economies are disrupted, and people and wildlife suffer.
We have the knowledge, technology and
power to avoid wildfire disasters through better building practices, planning and
individual preparedness. Let’s get started.
Join us for Community Wildfire
Preparedness Day in Big Sky at the Lone Peak Brewery in the upstairs foyer on
Saturday, May 4, from 1:00-5:00 p.m. Meet local wildfire experts from the
Montana Department of Natural Resources, U.S. Forest Service, Gallatin County,
Madison County, Big Sky Fire Department and Montana State University Extension
Fire Service Training School. We will also air the acclaimed documentary, “Era
of Megafires,” that has been featured all over the country. A portion of cash
generated by pint sales will go to the Keep Montana Green Association to
Prevent Wildfires. So bring your family out for a great educational experience
and have some fun.
Dustin Tetrault is the Deputy Fire Chief of Community Risk
Management at Big Sky Fire Department and serves in a multitude of roles on
wildland fires and home wildfire risk mitigation throughout Montana.
