Managing Wildfire Risk:

Preparing for the

New Normal
Wildfire Potential: 2019 May & June
Wildfire Potential: 2019 July & August
source: Mark Finney and Charles McHugh, 2018
 Characteristic Fire

Infrequent – high
severity

Moderately frequent –
mixed severity

Frequent – mixed
severity

Very frequent – low

severity
Spies et al. 2018. Slide courtesy Josh Halofsky
Vector Source: Aiden Croquet, the Noun Project
94% of Western WA
and OR Fires:
Human-Caused
Vector Source: Aiden Croquet, the Noun Project
How the two halves differ
Westside
• Cooler/Wetter Climate
• Shorter Summer Fire Season
• Fewer Fires – Lightning
• Heavier Fuels-Brush/Timber
• More Intense Fires
Current:
• More Fires: > 94% Human Caused
• King, Pierce and Snohomish Avg.
2,500/yr. Natural Vegetation Fires

*Washington State Fire Marshal’s Office-Fires in Washington Report

 How the two halves differ
Eastside
• Warmer/Dryer Climate
• Longer Summer Fire Season
• More Fires - Lightning
• Lighter Fuels-Grasses/Timber
• Less Intense Fires
Current:
• More Intense Fires
• Northeastern Washington Avg.
600/yr. Natural Veg. Fires, Lightning
& Human
*Washington State Fire Marshal’s Office-Fires in Washington Report
 August 20, 2018

October 15, 2018

Source: Dave Lasky
Source: Dave Lasky
Source: Michael Ciaglo
Living with Wildfire

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B1Y2Hne1y3o
 Wendy Sammarco
Stewardship Forester
Vashon’s Historical Fires
(source: Bruce Haulman’s Historical Vashon Disasters)

1893 - Major forest fire burns from Center to Ellisport (2 churches saved)
1920 - Burton fire (3 buildings burn & linoleum plant destroyed)
1925 - Lisabeula (School destroyed)
1933 - Paradise Valley to Lisabuela (half of downtown burns also)
1939 - Heights, Rosehilla, Pt. Robinson
1945 - Paradise Valley (100 acres)
1958 - Maury (500 acres)
1977 – Vashon Fire (part of downtown burns)
 Burn Ban
Recreational fires not currently banned
-Must be built in metal or concrete fire pit
-Grow no larger than 3 feet diameter
-Located in area free of vegetation for at least 10’ in width
-Located at least 25’ from any structure
-Allow 20’ high clearance from overhanging branches
-Watched at all times by an alert person with fire extinguishing
equipment
-Barbeques are allowed
How about your property?
Do you think fire trucks can get to your home?

Do you have defensible space?et to your home? Is your home

“hardened”? Do you have “defendable space”?
 ) 100
0 feet feet

Defensible Space...
Wildfire Defensible
Space

• Zone 1: The Immediate Zone (0-5 feet)

• High Maintenance –High Impact
• Zone 2: Intermediate Zone (5-30 Feet)
• High Maintenance-High Impact
• Zone 3: Extended Zone (30-100 feet).
• Low maintenance
 Wildfire Defensible
Space
• Zone 1: The Immediate Zone (0-5 feet)
• Roof
• Decks and other attachments
• Around the exterior of the house
• Fine Fuels
• Leaves
• Twigs
• Needles
• Dead plants next to the
house and/or buildings
Wildfire Defensible
Space
• Zone 1: The Immediate Zone (0-5 feet)
• Continuously maintaining the fine
fuels
• Zone 2: Intermediate Zone (5-30 Feet)
• Identifying Dense vegetation along
with dead vegetation
• Prune trees
• Space between plants
• Keep grass short
Zone 1 and 2:Identify and remove
dense and dead vegetation
Wildfire Defensible
Space
• Zone 3: Extended Zone (30-100 feet)
• Identifying and remove ladder
fuels
• Break up continuous fuels
• Increase spacing between shrub
and trees
Zone 3: Identify and remove ladder
fuels
Before After
Regular Maintenance
King Conservation District’s
Wildfire Resiliency Services
QUESTIONS?