By Stephen Smoot
“If you live in a rural area near a forest or other areas of heavy vegetation, you need to be aware of the Firewise program,” said Bruce Minor with the Pendleton County Office of Emergency Management.
Minor’s 56 years of service to fire and emergency medical service companies, as well as emergency management, makes him one of the most experienced officials in the state in terms of dealing with such threats. He added, “It’s a basic and common sense program and people need to heed it.”
That advice is not for some point in the future, but today.
The PCOEM and Pendleton 911 Facebook page shared a warning on Monday. It stated that “the combination of dry fire fuels, relative humidities around 20 to 30 percent, southerly wind gusts around 20 to 25 miles per hour, and temperatures in the 80s will lead to an increased risk for the rapid spread of wildfires today.”
The post containing the warning stated “reminder that we are in fire season. We are in an elevated fire danger alert.” This comes on top of the fact that part of Pendleton County is officially experiencing drought conditions. Most of the county south of US Route 33 and east of US Route 220 is in D1 Moderate Drought conditions. All of the remainder of the county is classified as D0 Abnormally Dry.
The National Weather Service describes Abnormally Dry as “going into drought; short-term dryness slowing planting, growth or crops or pastures. Coming out of drought, some lingering water deficits; pastures or crops not fully recovered.”
Moderate drought is described by the National Weather Service as “some damage to crops, pastures, streams, reservoirs, or wells low, some water shortages developing or imminent; voluntary water use restrictions requested.”
Neither situation, however, rises to the level of triggering drought-related aid packages from the state or federal government.
The forecast for the next week indicates mild spring like temperatures with rain likely only on Friday. With the region in danger of experiencing wildfires, Minor emphasizes that the program “teaches you how to protect your property and your life.”
The nationwide program comes from the National Fire Protection Association and is promoted across the state by the West Virginia Division of Forestry and also state and local office of emergency management personnel.
West Virginia’s Division of Forestry website has a page dedicated to Firewise. Toward the bottom of that page is a link to the brochure for the program that provides a 30-point plan. Structure owners and residents who follow this plan will reduce the risk that a nearby wildfire will spread to the home, the barn, or other structures on the property.
That said, nothing can completely eliminate risk.
Advice includes clearing a vegetation barrier to 30 or more feet away from the structure, properly storing and disposing of combustibles, and safety tips for both in and outside the home. As the division of forestry describes, West Virginia Firewise offers different opportunities for learning as well. These include “informational presentations for community groups, including HOAs, technical assistance with hazard mitigation projects in cooperating communities, training opportunities for volunteer fire departments concerning fire risk assessments, fire operations and mitigation” and more.
It even offers a list of fire resistant plants, such as dogwood trees and azalea bushes, which can help protect a home or other structure. Plants with a high moisture and also low resin content tend to be good selections.
When landowners and residents do their part to make their own property more “firewise,” it helps in different ways. It reduces the risk to structures, reduces the burdens on first responders during fire outbreaks, and, as Minor explains, “helps the homeowner protect his valuable investment.”
