Vancouver city officials are urging residents to water their lawns, “don’t do stupid stuff” and clear debris away from homes to reduce the risk of a blaze after months of drought.
Unlike many other communities across the region that are encouraging water conservation, Vancouver doesn’t have a water shortage, City Manager Eric Holmes told the city council on Monday. Residents should try to keep their vegetation green because it will suppress fires, he said.
“Vancouver is in the luxurious position of having a tremendous water supply. We do not need to conserve,” Holmes said. “So if folks are choosing not to water their lawns or allowing things to go brown because they think there’s a water supply problem, that is not the case in Vancouver.”
It’s been a challenging summer for the Vancouver Fire Department, Fire Chief Joe Molina told the council.
“It’s more activity than I’ve seen in recent years,” he said Monday. “We just haven’t had this many fires this close together as we have in the last two weeks.”
Many of the fires that have scorched Clark County could have been prevented if people had been more cautious, Molina said.
“It’s really going to take everybody looking at each other and saying, ‘Don’t do stupid stuff,’ ” he told the council. “Help your neighbor recognize if you see somebody out there doing something unsafe, flicking a cigarette. Anything with a flame right now puts the whole community at risk.”
One fire that caused $750,000 damage to two homes in the Old Evergreen Highway neighborhood July 15 was likely caused by a person using a propane torch to kill weeds, witnesses told fire officials. (Not only is there a countywide burn ban in effect, but also, burning vegetation in Vancouver is not allowed.) Another fire in east Vancouver’s Parkside neighborhood that caused an estimated $250,000 damage Thursday night was ruled accidental, probably lit by an ember from a recreational fire or someone carelessly disposing of a cigarette, fire officials said.
Here are some tips to protect property from brush fires:
• Keep grass watered and mowed. If it’s brown, mow it short to reduce fire intensity. Dry grass and shrubs are wildfire fuel.
• Keep a clearing of at least 30 feet around your house, and keep a thin and trimmed zone of reduced brush beyond the 30-foot zone.
• Clear leaves and debris from roofs, gutters, porches and decks to prevent embers from igniting your home.
• Remove dead vegetation and other items from under porches and decks and within 10 feet of the house.
• To prevent combustible material from accumulating, screen in areas below patios and decks with wire mesh.
• Wildfire can spread to tree tops. Prune trees so the lowest branches are 6 to 10 feet from the ground.
• Clean up lawn cuttings and yard debris quickly to reduce fuel for fire.
• Replace or repair missing or loose roof shingles to prevent embers from penetrating them.
• To prevent sparks from entering the home, cover exterior attic vents with metal wire mesh no larger than 1/8-inch wide.
• Enclose eaves and screen soffit vents using 1/8-inch metal mesh screening to prevent ember entry.
