Safety Tips

SPRING & SUMMER SAFETY TIPS

(Editors note: Many of these suggestions may seem like just common sense, but as you travel to and from your home, look around! If you see unsafe conditions, please let us know. Perhaps we can help your neighbors with some tips to keep both you and them safer in the event of a wildfire on the Ranch)

Defensible Space:

• Clear an area of at least 30' around you structures (more is needed if your home is on a slope!) - Remove dead grass, fallen limbs, needles, and other combustible material that can be a source of ignition or can spread fire to your structures in the event that a wildfire occurs on the Ranch.
• Tree Limbs - Remove any tree limbs that overhang your structure. Remove lower limbs on trees around your property to keep grass fires from igniting the limbs and catching the tree on fire, and then spreading to other trees.
• Wood Piles - If you have a wood stove, do not store your firewood near a structure. Piles of wood, including lumber, provide a great place to trap hot embers that may have traveled some distance from a large fire, or for that matter, from your own burn pile or barrel. These embers can smolder unseen for quite some time, and then burst into flames, catching the structure on fire.
• Roofing - Take a look at your roof. Most homes on the Ranch have composition shingles, or metal roofing. Of course metal roofing is the safest, but composition shingles provide a fair amount of protection against a roof fire from hot embers. Make sure there is no build up of combustible material such as needles, leaves, etc. on your roof. Also check your gutters, if you have them, for combustible materials, and make sure they are clean. If you have a wood shake roof, you are at the highest risk that hot embers may land on and ignite your roof. Shakes can be treated with fire retardant material, but if your roof is older and dried out, it may be a good idea to consider replacing it with a safer roof material.
• Porches - Wood porches can present a hazard in a wildfire situation. This is especially true when porches sit up off the ground, and do not have blocking around them. Burning embers can be blown under the porch, and like with woodpiles, these embers can smolder unseen for quite some time, and then burst into flames, catching the structure on fire.

We have information available at the Fire Station on "Creating Defensible Space", and can assist you by looking at your property and giving you suggestions on how to make your home and property safer. Please call us at 923-6776, or stop by the Fire Station during regular business hours.

Another resource is the Internet. There are many websites with information on "Creating Defensible Space", but a couple of the best sites we've found are www.firefree.org, developed here in Central Oregon, and the other is www.ext.colostate.edu/Pubs/natres/06302.html, put together by Colorado State University. A bit of the information at this site is specific to Colorado, but the majority applies anywhere.

Outdoor Burning:

• Check the Signs Posted As You Enter the Ranch, and on the Home Page of This Website: - They will tell you whether or not outdoor burning is allowed. The decision whether or not to allow outdoor burning is based on many factors including temperature, humidity, wind, etc. as determined by the Fire Chief of our District, as well as Fire Chiefs throughout the area, and officials with BLM and the Forest Service. Please do not try to second-guess them. Remember, you can be held financially liable for any damage done to neighboring property by a fire that you caused. Burning regulations are posted on this website for your information. They tell you what is considered "outdoor burning", what is allowed, and what is not allowed. Also, in order to be able to conduct outdoor burning, you are required to obtain a burn permit, and to call in when you plan to burn. You will also receive a copy of the burning regulations with your permit. Pay attention to them! They are for your safety as well as your neighbor's safety.
• Generally speaking, NO OUTDOOR BURNING IS ALLOWED DURING THE SUMMER MONTHS! Again, check the signs, or call the "burn information line" prior to conducting outdoor burning to make sure that it is still allowed. If not, don't burn!
• On any day that burning is allowed, be aware that our grasses can be very dry, especially in the Spring. It only takes a few days of dry, windy conditions to make these grasses every bit as dry and dangerous as in the summer months. So whether you are trying to burn away grasses, or burning in a pile, be aware of what is around you, where the hot embers are going, and by all means, have a water source available. Remember, you are liable for any damage you cause to your neighbors' property.

FALL & WINTER SAFETY TIPS

(Editors note: Many of these suggestions seem like just common sense, but none the less have caused house fires!)

Wood Stoves & Fireplaces:

• Clean flues and chimneys annually before the first use of the year - flue fires are all too common and can lead to structure fires. If you do your own cleaning, be sure to inspect the flue or chimney in that attic space for clearance from combustible material (this includes fiberglass attic insulation which will burn) and/or leaks in the flue or chimney (check for grout that has crumbled and fallen out from between bricks).
• Removal of ashes - DO NOT PLACE IN A COMBUSTIBLE CONTAINER! Use a metal bucket to remove the ashes, place the bucket outside, away from combustible material, and be careful when & where you dump the ashes.
• Do not overload your woodstove at night - Be sure you have a good seal on the stove door. Air leaks around the door can circumvent your controls and allow the fire to build to a higher temperature than you want (Personal experience), causing flue fires, and igniting adjacent material.
• Keep combustibles a safe distance from the stove - Be sure to keep all combustible material (including firewood) at least 3 feet away from all surfaces of a wood stove. This includes that carpet or flooring in front of the stove. Make sure you have a hearth of non-combustible material in front of the stove. Some stoves are considered "zero clearance" which means that the stove can be placed closer to the walls, etc. But, better safe than sorry - keep combustible material away from the stove!

Wall & Baseboard Electric Heating:

• Keep combustibles a safe distance from the heater - Be sure to keep all combustible material at least 3 feet away from the top and front surfaces of a baseboard heater. Keep all combustible material at least 3 feet away from in front of a wall heater. All too often, the bed is placed close to the heater. This is a disaster waiting to happen. Bedding or other items may fall onto the heater unseen by the homeowner. The heating elements in baseboard heaters get hot enough to ignite cloth. Don't be a victim of this common mistake.

Auxiliary Heating Equipment:

• Portable Heaters - Like woodstoves, make certain that all combustible material is well clear of the heater. This applies to any heater, regardless of the fuel source - electric, propane, kerosene, etc. Even if the heater does not seem to get "hot to the touch", it is just a good idea to keep the area around the heater clear. Be aware that propane and kerosene heaters give off carbon monoxide. DO NOT USE TO HEAT YOUR HOME! Propane and kerosene heaters should only be used with adequate ventilation, maybe for temporary heat in a shop, etc.
• Heat Tape for Pipes - Do not use heat tapes on plastic plumbing. Heat tapes can melt the pipe causing a leak, which may then short circuit an electrical system causing a fire. If you have exposed plumbing that cannot be drained, wrap the pipe with insulation. If you are going to be away from the home for a prolonged period of time, drain the plumbing, and be sure to shut off the power to your hot water heater.
• Heating Outbuildings - If it is necessary to have heat in a small outbuilding, such as a pump house, the best method is to install a small electric baseboard heater with a thermostat. (Of course a licensed electrician should be hired to do any electrical installation). The use of heat lamps and portable electric heaters in unattended buildings is not recommended since should a problem arise, it may not be found until a fire has started.

WINTER DRIVING TIPS FROM OREGON DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION (ODOT)

Here is a link to some good winter driving tips from ODOT:

http://www.oregon.gov/ODOT/COMM/winterdriving.shtml