Deer Canyon Preserve Ice and Fire

Deer Canyon Preserve Ice and Fire

Presented 10/20/18 by: Shelley Rossbach The Placitas Goup, Inc. Shelley0424@gmail.com Funded by Claunch-Pinto Soil & Water Conservation District Dee Tarr, Program Manager

Don t Ignore Winter Perils Storms are getting bigger and weirder In March of 2003, eight feet of snow fell in three days on my house in Evergreen, Colorado. Unheard of, before or since. There was a snow emergency in Santa Fe in 2006. The City and County were unprepared and it was a mess. If power goes out, you lose heat and water, maybe for days It may take days to get the County road plowed, and even longer to plow all of Deer Canyon Preserve

Be Prepared to Take Care of Yourselves Food (make sure you always have enough on hand for at least a week) Prescriptions Water supplies and purification methods. You can melt snow or get water from storage tanks, but you may need to purify it. Boil water on your grill? Generator or solar power bank Blankets, sleeping bags, etc.

Be Aware of the Weather ALL of the Time If a snowstorm is predicted and you don t want to be stuck at your house, take a trip! If Red Flag conditions are predicted by the National Weather Service in ABQ, and you don t want to deal with a possible fire, take a trip! Don t hang around if you re not comfortable.

Wildfire in DCP MY OBJECTIVES TODAY : Teach you a little bit about fire, particularly in your neighborhood Discuss evacuation and shelter-in-place

Ecosystem Disturbance Every ecosystem has its disturbance regime and return intervals. Along rivers, floods tend to be the disturbance In western forests, fire and insects/disease are the predominant disturbances and the historic return intervals are longer the higher you go (generally). Ponderosa Pine 7 to 35 year returns (low intensity) Mixed Conifer - 35 to 150 year returns Spruce-Fir 300 to 700 year returns Piñon Juniper fire regimes are poorly understood, but the latest research indicates that fire is not historically important. Bark beetles are.

High Severity Burn, Ojo Peak Fire, Torrance County, Fall 2007 Source: Krista Bonfantine, Torrance County Community Wildfire Protection Plan, Page 130, SWCA Environmental Consultants, May, 2008

Moderate Burn, Ojo Peak Fire, Torrance County, Fall 2007 Source: Krista Bonfantine, Torrance County Community Wildfire Protection Plan, Page 130, SWCA Environmental Consultants, May, 2008

Fire Triangle HEAT FIRE OXYGEN FUELS Remove any side of the fire triangle and the fire goes out! Firefighters in the wildland fire environment concentrate on removing the fuels side of the triangle.

If something doesn t ignite it won t burn

Ignition Sources Structures are vulnerable to ignition during a wildfire from both firebrands (conduction), and radiant and convective heat. Understanding how a wildfire ignites and spreads can help you make changes to your home and surrounding area, making it less susceptible to ignition. Homes often do not ignite from the fast moving flaming front of a fire. Homes often catch fire from the heat of a nearby burning structure or from firebrands that land on vulnerable areas of the structure.

Convection The transfer of heat by the movement of a gas Convection Column: The rising column of gases, smoke, fly ash, particulates, and other debris produced by a fire. Preheats fuels up slope Convection can transport firebrands that can land on a home from a great distance away from a fire.

Conduction - Firebrands Heat transfer from one material to another. Firebrands are pieces of burning material carried by the wind. Hot firebrands can land on a firewood pile or a roof covered in pine needles and ignite these materials. Reduce risk of ignition with fire resistant roofing and siding. Minimize highly flammable material adjoining the home.

Radiation Transfer of heat by electromagnetic waves ( the fire feels hot ) The closer the flames the more radiant heat is transferred to the adjoining surface. A house can ignite even if the flames do not touch the structure The longer the home is exposed to heat the greater the chance for ignition. Remove heavy fuels that can burn a long time

Windows are very vulnerable. Vegetation burning near a window can transfer heat inside the structure to curtains or furniture. Choose building materials that resist fire. Keep grass, weeds and shrubs trimmed. Keep roofs clear of debris. Prevent ignitions. Radiation

Dr. Jack Cohen Researcher at the Missoula Fire Lab USDA Forest Service Talks about radiant heat and how homes burn on the website below https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_co ntinue=39&v=dq6wy_tffpg

Wildland Fire Environment TOPOGRAPHY Fire Behavior WEATHER FUELS Fire behavior is influenced by these three factors. Topography such as slope or terrain changes over distance. Weather factors such as wind speed and direction can change rapidly in time. Fuel factors such as amount and arrangement can be modified

Weather Wind trumps everything. Winds quickly increase a fire s rate-of-spread and intensity Thunderstorms produce powerful local wind. High temperatures heat and dry fuels. Low humidity dries fuels and fires burn hotter and more intensely

Fire intensity and spread increases with the steepness of the slope. Flames preheat the fuels above. Topography can channel wind strength and speed. Embers can roll across fire lines. Firebrands can land down slope and ignite fire that burns upslope. Homes on a slope need additional defensible space. Topography

Fuels Fuels factors include: Size & Shape Fuel Loading: Density & Amount Vertical Ladder Fuels Horizontal : Uniform vs. Patchy Fuel Moisture of Dead & Live Fuels Fuels can be modified to reduce the rate-of-spread and fire intensity.

Fuels Size and Shape Two general categories: light and heavy fuels. Light fuels: grass, needles, leaves, small brush Light fuels burn fast and less intensely. Fire spreads more effectively in light fuels. Light fuel carries the fire. or spreads the fire.

Fuels Size and Shape Heavy fuels: trees, woodlands, slash, large brush. Heavy fuels burn with great intensity and support crown fires and torching. Thinning in heavy fuels can create a lot of slash or chips. Chip depths over 3 inches can burn very intensely like heavy fuels

Fuels -Vertical Arrangement Aerial Fuels: Tree Crowns, Tree Stems & Branches, Large Brush Ladder Effect: Fire climbs up from the ground into the aerial fuels. Intense flames extend above the crowns of trees, creating firebrands and resisting control. Ground Fuels: Grass, Needles, Small Brush Surface Fuels: Duff, Roots

Fuels Fuel Moisture As air temperature goes up, relative humidity goes down and light fuels quickly dry out. Cool, moist morning temperatures can slow a fire s spread. Every fire looks good in the morning. Heavy fuels takes longer to dry out. Seasonal moisture is a critical factor. During drought years homes can dry out like heavy fuels.

Fuels Horizontal Arrangement Patchy vs. Uniform Fuels Historically fuels were much less uniform because of the frequency of wildfire.

Ignition Sources in DCP Lightning: especially in drought conditions, aggravated by wind Human activities: campfires, devices without spark arresters, heavy equipment, charcoal grills, catalytic converters in tall grass, etc. Loss of control of planned (prescribed) burns on adjacent lands Arson: willfully set; more than one-fourth of all U.S. fires each year

Fuels in DCP Grasses and Shrubs light fuels, burn quickly. Need continuous ground cover to move across the land (except in exceptional wind) Piñons and Junipers live trees when they are extremely dry are the things to be most concerned about. Their needles are extremely flammable and will carry fire to interconnected vegetation with or without wind. Dead trees will hold fire and burn, but will generally not carry the fire

Monthly Fire Occurrence in Torrance County, 1970 to 2007

Where Could a Wildfire Start and How Might It Move in DCP? Lightning might strike a tree and cause it to burn, but in the absence of wind, the fire won t move very far. Much of the ground is broken, without continuous cover, so sustained surface fire is unlikely. Fire can move up into the crowns. Firebrands, even from a distant fire, should be your biggest concern.

Video of Juniper Torching (fire doesn t move in the absence of wind and/or slope) can be found on the website below https://www.youtube.com/watch?v= RQc2xaDBrtE

What Can You Do As a Homeowner? Three areas right around your house: Built Zone (also called the Home Ignition Zone) Defensible Space Zone Wildland Fuel Reduction Zone In the Home Ignition Zone, during fire season: Be aware of all flammable things ( wood mulch, wood furniture, chair cushions, etc.) close to the outside of your home. Change them if necessary.

Provide Defensible Space Thinning around homes will decrease the risk of property and resource loss. Reducing structure ignitability is accomplished by considering construction techniques and materials and by reducing fuels in zones around a structure to create a defensible space.

Defensible Space Defensible space must be created and maintained This is an example of thinning around a structure and pruning of trees to prevent ground fire from climbing into the crowns.

Wildland Reduction Zone Hazardous Fuels Treatments

How Ready is DCP For a Fire? Many homeowners have already created defensible space working with Claunch-Pinto SWCD. Most, if not all, homes are ignition resistant, built with modern construction materials. There are water sources, but if a structure ignites, adequate water will be a problem.

How Ready is DCP for a Fire (cont d)? There have been several projects completed in the wildland areas to reduce the risk of a fire moving in from adjacent lands, and more are planned. Claunch-Pinto SWCD is currently removing trees from the sides of the road on the NE corner to strengthen its possible use as an evacuation route.

What You Should Do During Fire Season Be aware of the weather Pay close attention to Red Flag Warnings, which are a signal that conditions are right for a wildfire: High temperatures Low relative Humidity (less than 15%) High winds (usually windy vs. breezy ) Dry fuels (no rain for quite awhile)

During Fire Season (cont d) Follow the Fire Danger Ratings for Mountainair Low Moderate High Very High Extreme Consider the Energy Release Component (ERC) percentages. It s one of the measurements that firefighters use to plan for fires.

What Should You Do if a Fire Starts? Don t panic. People get hurt in chaos. Find out exactly where the fire is in relation to you (via your eyes, phone, radio, Internet, etc.) and do NOT leave your house until you know. EVACUATE towards Mountainair if you have time. Do not take other roads without assistance from local officials. If the fire is moving too fast, or it is ahead of you, stay in your home.

Evacuating Safely This is ALWAYS your first choice. However, cars do not provide good protection for human beings from smoke and heat, so take time to make a good decision. Leave gates open. Drive slowly with headlights on. If it is smoky, turn off ventilation and keep windows closed.

Fire Readiness - Evacuation Remember the 5 P s Phone Pills Pets Papers Pictures

What if You Have to Shelter in Place? This is your last resort. It potentially puts first responders at risk, as well as your family, but it is safer than getting caught in a fire in your car. Move fabric covered furniture away from windows. Gather your family, fire extinguisher, water (drinkable and in buckets), and flashlight in an interior room away from the fire. Don t panic. The fire will pass quickly.

Sheltering in Place (cont d) Let the fire department and sheriff know you re okay (we ll work on this as part of the emergency preparedness plan) Cover your mouth and nose with a DRY cloth, and wear cotton or wool clothing. After the fire passes, check inside and outside to see if anything is burning that endangers the house. If so, put it out with water.

Some Final Thoughts Knowledge and awareness about fire and weather empowers you to make good decisions. You know more about fire than you think you do! Our culture decries people who stay in their homes during a disaster (no matter the reason), but it s your life. Do what is best for you and your family. Life Safety is Priority #1 for everyone.