Living on the Wildside

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LIVING ON THE WILD SIDE The worst U.S. wildfire season in years forces thousands of people to evacuate communities bordering wildlands

MARCH/APRIL 2003 WWW.NFPAJOURNAL.ORG FIRSTWORD

ANYONE WHO ENJOYS visiting the wildlands Firewise Communities/USA Program, NFPA of the United States can probably tell at least one and its partners educate Americans about wild- tale about a benign hike in the woods that sud- fires and help communities develop programs denly brought them back in touch with the tailored to their needs. realities of nature. On more than one occasion, I The Firewise Communities/USA Program pro- have begun a hike in the White Mountains of jects vary from community to community. In New Hampshire on a warm spring day, only to Briargate, Florida, for example, the program was find myself fighting through a snowstorm an used to develop strategies that will help the com- hour or two later. munity avoid a repeat of problems faced when Many of the thousands of Americans who wildfires hit the area in 1998. A million-gallon choose to live in areas abutting our nation’s (3,785,344-liter) water tank is now available for wildlands have also learned that, along with the fighting fires, dirt from excavated lakes was used Making wildfire prevention a life safety priority

beautiful views and to establish firebreaks, and pine forests have been peaceful surround- thinned. At River Bluff Ranch, near Spokane, ings, comes the threat Washington, roads have been improved, utilities of wildfire engulfing are now underground, and covenants require their communities. fire-resistant roofing, deep side-yard setbacks, This problem has got- and the maintenance of defensible space. And in ten a lot of attention Sundance, Utah, spring and fall chipper/clean-out recently, as droughts days are becoming annual events. in the West continue This community leadership is central to the to contribute to large, deadly wildfires. program’s success. By creating a framework in For years, NFPA has worked hard on the spe- which fire and emergency management officials cial fire problems of those areas where wildlands work with concerned citizens, communities most and development intersect. Since 1986, NFPA at risk from wildfire can put plans in place to has had a cooperative agreement with the deal with one. That means that the more USDA Forest Service to develop and implement involved a community is, the more lives will be fire protection and prevention programs to saved and property preserved. reduce the nation’s wildfire losses. That relation- We can’t change the laws of nature. Wildfires ship grew into the National Wildland/Urban will continue to shape and reshape our environ- Interface Fire Protection Program, sponsored by ment. But that doesn’t mean we should the Forest Service, the Department of the Inte- withdraw from wildland areas. It does mean that rior, the U.S. Fire Administration, the National we must take special steps to live responsibly in Association of State Foresters, and NFPA. those areas, to protect both the environment and Out of that relationship, a new public-private ourselves. That’s what the Firewise Communi- partnership, The National Firewise Communi- ties/USA Program is all about, and that’s why ties/USA Recognition Program, was launched. we at NFPA are proud to be involved with it. On behalf of NFPA, I signed an agreement last November with the Forest Service and the James M. Shannon National Association of State Foresters to pro- President, NFPA mote and encourage this innovative program, which encourages communities to develop local solutions to unwanted wildfire. Through the PHOTOGRAPH: KATHY TARANTOLA PHOTOGRAPH: KATHY

WWW.NFPAJOURNAL.ORG NFPA JOURNAL MARCH/APRIL 2003 3 REMOTE BUILDING A HOME IN A REMOTE REGION WITH SPECTACULAR MOUNTAIN SCENERY OR WITH THE SPLENDID ISOLATION AND TRANQUILITY OF THE DESERT IS A DREAM COME TRUE FOR MANY URBAN DWELLERS. BUT IT’S A DREAM THAT CAN RAPIDLY BECOME A NIGHTMARE IF HOMEOWNERS AREN’T WILLING TO CHANGE THEIR ATTITUDES TOWARD FIRE PROTECTION. CONTROL

Chris Heftel, a Washington state land developer, has seen how destructive wildfire can be. So he wanted to minimize the chances that such a disaster would destroy his latest project, an upscale, gated community of $500,000 single- family homes on Lookout Mountain, about

7 miles (11 kilometers) from Spokane. >>

by BILL FLYNN ❚ illustration by JEFFREY FISHER

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At first, he was inclined to suggest River Bluff Ranch covenants are used to convince homeowners to (0.3-centimeter) that prospective buyers follow the con- paved two-lane roads, secondary evac- change their building material and mesh to keep fronds cepts outlined in the Firewise uation roads, and a network of forest construction habits. Frenchtown, Mon- from entering open- Communities/USA program as part of roads. Also required are underground tana, with a population of 1,700, ings in the structure. their development contract. But when utilities; a series of non-potable-water adopted NFPA 1144 in 1998. The research also he was ready to start building last storage tanks with dry hydrants; fire- “One of the things I like about the seems to suggest summer, Heftel decided to require resistant roofing, double-paned code is it’s a standard we can refer to,” that contemporary prospective buyers to sign a covenant windows, deep side yard setbacks, says Frenchtown’s Fire Chief Scott Wal- methods of fighting legally binding them to use fire-resis- defensible space, and vegetation main- dron. “Except for the cities, there’s no wildfires by reduc- tive building materials and follow tenance; and an on-site caretaker, building code in Montana, so NFPA ing the fuel load wildfire prevention practices modeled equipment, and shop. 1144 is a tool that we use with builders may not be as effec- after those in the Firewise program. The covenants further require that and homeowners to change their habits tive as believed When fully built, the development’s the community’s homeowners’ associa- regarding the materials they use and because thinning nearly 100 homes will all be struction, when formed, enforce the the need to cut back on fuels.” fuels on public turally fire-resistive and have a covenants, educate the residents, main- NFPA 1144 provides those responsi- lands does little to defensible zone around them. tain the roads and water storage ble for fire protection, land-use reduce the ignitabil- It was a bold step, but, Heftel says, facilities, manage an ongoing forest planning, property development, prop- ity of a home on no one buying into the River Bluff stewardship program, and implement erty maintenance, and others private land. It also Ranch development has refused to sign. suggests that the “We made it clear to everyone how wildland/urban important it is to use fire-resistive interface zone does- building materials and to be commit- NFPA 1144 PROVIDES THOSE RESPONSIBLE FOR FIRE PROTEC- n’t fully take into ted to fuels maintenance in an TION, LAND-USE PLANNING, PROPERTY DEVELOPMENT, account the area of environment such as this,” Heftel says. prime fire risk and Firewise Communities/USA is an PROPERTY MAINTENANCE, AND OTHERS RESPONSIBLE FOR, OR A family watches from their front yard as the Missionary Ridge wildfire rages out of control north of Durango, fuel hazards: the education program sponsored by the Colorado. Veteran Forest Service worker Terry Barton was charged with deliberately setting the wildfire south- house and sur- National Wildland/Urban Interface INTERESTED IN, IMPROVING FIRE AND LIFE SAFETY IN WILD west of Denver that destroyed at least 25 houses and forced 7,500 people from their homes. rounding vegetation. Fire Protection Program, a consortium FIRE-PRONE AREAS WITH MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS FOR PLAN- Cohen further made up of the USDA Forest Service, secure extra help for a fuels-reduction Sciences Laboratory in Missoula, stresses the importance of the conditions the U.S. Department of Interior, the NING, CONSTRUCTION, MAINTENANCE, FIRE PREVENTION, AND program. “We’ve managed to do Montana, a fire-resistive wooden struc- that exist when a wildfire is raging. National Association of State Foresters, about 200 properties so far,” he notes. ture surrounded by a 100-foot “When an extreme event, such as the U.S. Fire Administration, and MANAGEMENT. Before new homes can be constructed, (30-meter) area in which fuels have an intensely hot wildfire occurs, many NFPA. The consortium’s covenants, the prospective owners must obtain a fire been thinned has a good chance of hundreds of structures may be which require fire-resistive building safety permit from the fire department. surviving a fast-moving crown fire. destroyed,” he says. “The involvement materials and defensible zones around the recommended Firewise Communi- responsible for, or interested in, At this point, Waldron uses NFPA 1144 However, Cohen’s research seems to of urban fire apparatus at this point is properties, are a new concept in the ties budget—currently $2 per person—to improving fire and life safety in wildl- to inform the homeowners what they indicate that the principal cause of pretty much ineffective.” wildland/urban interface. However, be used for future Firewise efforts. fire-prone areas with minimum need to do to before construction. home losses during wildfires isn’t nec- He points to the Los Alamos, New community adoption of wildfire stan- “No one balked at committing to the requirements for planning, construc- “And we go back and check before essarily the buildup of fuels. Rather, Mexico, fire in 2000 as an example. dards such as NFPA 1144, Protection of Firewise covenants,” Heftel says. “They tion, maintenance, fire prevention, and the permit is issued,” he says. it’s the degree to which a home is vul- “At one point the fire was threaten- Life and Property from Wildfire, is becom- view it as physical protection for them- management. “I think one of the biggest mistakes nerable to ignition, a factor that’s often ing 1,000 structures. How does fire ing common in many areas, as selves and their property, and an Waldron, whose department covers we make in the business of fighting overlooked when determining the apparatus cope with that?” he asks. residents realize that the most effective enhancement to the value of the house.” 150 square miles (388 square kilome- wildland fires is telling people that we cause of property loss during a wild- “Under these extreme conditions, we way to avoid destruction from wild- It’s an attitude that Heftel views as a ters), says that, after adopting NFPA will be there to protect them, because land fire. don’t have a choice over the fire’s fires is proper construction and fuels remarkable change. 1144, the community applied for grant that’s not always true,” Waldron says. “A home’s ignition zone is pretty behavior. Where we do have a choice maintenance. “Only about five years ago, a simi- money to do risk assessments through- “But in the past few years, I think much determined by the characteris- is the home ignition, that 100-foot (30- “This particular mountain has never lar, upscale development was out the town. we’ve made a lot of progress in edu- tics of its construction and its meter) radius around the house.” had a serious wildfire, but the forest is constructed several miles from here “We mapped high-risk areas using cating people on what they need to immediate surroundings, regardless of very vulnerable because unhealthy that wouldn’t allow anything but GPS (global positioning system) and do, not only to have a defensible what wildfire might be moving Florida uses Montana research growth has been allowed,” Heftel says. wood-shake shingles for the roofing,” targeted them for mitigation work,” perimeter, but to use building materi- through,” Cohen says. Jim Harrell, the wildland mitigation He says River Bluff Ranch is uphill he says. “Shakes won’t come any- Waldron says. “Then we went to each als that will allow a house to survive a Key elements in a structure’s ignitabil- coordinator for the Florida Division of and upwind from 1,000 acres (404 where near this development.” of the homeowners and explained the crown fire.” ity are flammable roofs; burnable Forestry, says his division uses hectares) of public land that hasn’t risks, both in fuels buildup and con- According to the Structure Ignition vegetation, such as ornamental trees and Cohen’s research to encourage home- been maintained and is overloaded Changing habits in Montana struction on the property that was Assessment Model (SIAM), a fire shrubs, close to the house; the lack of owners to create zones around their with fuels. Washington isn’t the only wildfire- putting the structure at risk.” model developed by Jack Cohen, a sci- tempered-glass or double-paned win- property to reduce ignitability. Among the requirements of the prone state in which NFPA 1144 is He says the grants also helped to entist at the U.S. Forest Service’s Fire dows; and the lack of 1/8-inch “We took a close look at what PHOTOGRAPH: AP/WIDE WORLD

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began stressing the need to use build- houses because you’ll end up with False sense of security ing materials that give structures a mold and mildew and void the war- “No place in the United States is com- chance to survive a wildfire.” ranty on the new house,” Scott says. pletely safe,” says the NFPA’s James Scott says the use of fire-resistive His solution was to use 1/8-inch mesh Smalley, project manager for Firewise. materials was a “touchy subject” to cover such openings as crawl space “There are floods, hurricanes, bliz- because the fire department is in a dif- and attic accesses. It works. zards, tornadoes, and wildfires. Every ferent business than builders. “Flames in wildfires move so fast spot in the United States has the “We’re trying to produce a product that there’s not enough time for them potential to be affected by a force of that’s marketable and affordable, and to penetrate the much closer mesh,” nature, but wildfires don’t elicit the you have to be careful that you don’t Scott says. same attitudes of self-preservation that price yourself out of the market,” he “The mesh really works to keep out those other forces do.” says. However, he acknowledges that fire brands and sparks and still allows Smalley, a nationally recognized many of the things the Firewise pro- the house to be well-ventilated,” Willis expert on effective methods of mini- mizing the loss of life and damage caused by wildfires, believes many Americans, especially those new to the THE RESEARCH ALSO SEEMS TO SUGGEST THAT CONTEMPO- wildland/urban interface, have a false RARY METHODS OF FIGHTING WILDFIRES BY REDUCING THE sense of security borne of their previ- ous life in an urban or suburban FUEL LOAD MAY NOT BE AS EFFECTIVE AS BELIEVED BECAUSE environment. “So much of our population has THINNING FUELS ON PUBLIC LANDS DOES LITTLE TO REDUCE lived within 50 miles (80 kilometers) THE IGNITABILITY OF A HOME ON PRIVATE LAND. of a large or medium-sized city that we’ve become accustomed to expect- ing the local fire department to do it all,” Smalley says. “But it doesn’t hap- gram advocates are just common sense says. Because fire officials worked pen like that in areas near wildlands.” and don’t cost much. closely with the building community Smalley says the issue is no longer “Something as simple as making in developing a consensus approach to how to protect people and property. sure all soffits are fully enclosed (to choosing building materials, Scott says Effective methods have already been Glendale firefighters wrap up hose lines after they ran out of water fighting a house fire Saugus, California. keep out fire brands) is easily done,” he’s become an enthusiastic supporter identified. The primary issue now is he notes. “We were able to get closer of the Firewise program. educating people who live in the wild- Cohen found out in Montana to see of central Arizona. Since 1970, Prescott builders when workshops focused on to a balance between the need to use “The whole process has been very land/urban interface about these rules how it applies to Florida,” Harrell says. City’s population has almost tripled, from building materials.” fire-resistive materials and a desire of positive for our community,” he says. and procedures, and emphasizing how Over the last three years Florida, 13,000 residents to nearly 36,000. In 2002, Those workshops were Firewise homeowners to build attractive, afford- Even before a building permit is important it is that they be closely fol- which adopted NFPA 299, Protection of it grew at the rate of 3.3 percent annually, workshops, and concerned or not, the able houses.” issued, however, the fire department lowed. In addition, Smalley says, it Life and Property from Wildfire, (NFPA and federal census projections predict a community opted to pursue the pro- Scott says he now regularly uses fire- inspects the land and identifies the requires a change in attitude among 1144’s former designation) as a refer- population of 45,000 by 2014. gram, with as many people as possible retardant, Class A-rated shingles made of vegetation that must be removed these residents of remote regions. ence item in the state’s Fire Prevention Prescott City is located in Prescott involved in implementing Firewise asphalt or masonry on roofs, although he before construction can begin. “When living in the urban, built Code, has assembled fire management National Forest 75 miles (121 kilometers) techniques. Prescott City’s been an doesn’t often use treated wood because it “We go out and tell them what needs environment, people can get away teams to help the state’s 15 fire dis- north of Phoenix, 90 miles (145 kilome- active Firewise community since 1990, needs periodic maintenance. to be done, how far back they must cut with the attitude of ‘I’m not responsi- tricts reduce fuel loads, especially ters) south of Flagstaff, and about a mile and Scott and his fellow contractors, “Who’s going to make sure that the back the trees and brush and other ble for my own protection.’ But in the those near private property. (1.6 kilometer) above sea level. Its as well as newer and long-time resi- wood gets re-treated to keep it fire- fuels,” Willis says. “And we go back to wildland, you’re on your own,” he Harrell says that Florida has had rugged beauty and hundreds of square dents and fire officials from various retardant?” he asks. inspect and make sure it gets done before says. “City dwellers are taking city-liv- great success with Firewise workshops. miles of forest land is a magnet for thou- jurisdictions, participate in the effort to Because the Arizona climate is so we issue a building permit.” ing concepts to places where they “We’ve had 20 one-day workshops sands of new residents every year, most maximize the city’s fire resistiveness. dry, Scott says the use of wood on Willis says that, over the past two don’t exist. We need to learn a lot since August 2000, and we’ve had real with little or no experience living in the Throughout the 1990s, says Prescott exterior walls is uncommon. years, Prescott City has received grant more about living in the natural envi- good attendance from builders and wildland/urban interface. City Fire Chief Darrell Willis, the Fire- “It dries out quickly, rots, and then money from the federal government to ronment.” developers who are beginning to buy “Construction, especially new home wise Communities effort made slow, needs to be replaced.” help pay for a portion of the cost of That’s why the Firewise program into the Firewise concepts.” construction, is our biggest business,” steady progress, but it was the Cerro Instead, he usually applies one coat crews to remove vegetation and create and NFPA 1144 are playing such Builders in other states are showing an Scott says. “And people who buy prop- Grande fire near Los Alamos that gal- of stucco with a one-hour fire rating to defensible space on property occupied important roles in teaching people interest, too. Among them is Leo Scott, erty with plans to build a house have a vanized the community. exterior walls. by older homes. how to pick the right location for a who’s made a good living for 30 years as certain expectation that construction “That wildfire really got people’s Arizona’s climate also requires that “We’ve managed to treat more than house in wildland, how to landscape a building contractor in Prescott City, a costs will remain affordable. That’s attention, and we got much more seri- homes have excellent ventilation. 1,000 properties in two years,” Willis properly, and how to use fire-resistive

PHOTOGRAPH: AP/WIDE WORLD fast-growing community in the high desert why there was concern among ous about our Firewise program and “You can’t eliminate ventilation in says. “We’re making a pretty good dent.” building materials.

8 NFPA JOURNAL MARCH/APRIL 2003 WWW.NFPAJOURNAL.ORG WWW.NFPAJOURNAL.ORG NFPA JOURNAL MARCH/APRIL 2003 9 by RICK COOK ashroizwo lnowa inferno EVACUATION LESSONS LEARNED IN THE RODEO-CHEDESKI FIRE

When fire broke out on June 18, 2002, near the Cibique rodeo grounds on the Fort Apache Indian Reserva- tion in east central Arizona, no one knew what was coming, but fire officials were afraid of what might happen. “We had a couple of small fires prior to this that gave us a heads-up and scared us to death,” says Ben Owens, chief of the Show Low Fire District, about 20 miles (32 kilometers) north and west of the fire’s point of origin. “The fire behavior was so erratic and extreme. We felt we were going to have an event this year, and unfortunately, we were right.” Four years of drought had left Arizona’s forests so dry and fuel loads so heavy—up to 25 tons per acre (22. 7 met- ric tons per 0.4 hectares)—that officials from the U.S. Forest Service, state agencies, and local fire departments and districts had worried about a monster fire for months. They had reacted vigorously to threats all summer, trying to keep the wild fires contained and hoping for the best. >>

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On June 18, however, their luck ran summer and retirement homes, and the wildland fire, providing lessons that will out. At the Cibique rodeo grounds, the area is full of small communities and sub- affect the way we deal with future fires. drought and fuel loads combined with divisions. Much of the settlement is Some lessons, like the need for prepara- high winds and terrain to produce some- scattered, and the overall population den- tion, are perhaps obvious. However, thing that was simply unstoppable. sity is low, although many individual others, such as the problem of pets and When the fire near the rodeo grounds developments are quite closely packed. livestock left behind, are less so. was reported at 4:11 p.m., firefighters As much as they could, developers and Perhaps the biggest lesson gleaned were just wrapping up operations at a homeowners have preserved the trees from the Rodeo-Chedeski evacuations, all smaller forest fire nearby, and they that, along with the cool temperatures, the participants agree, was the impor- responded aggressively to the new threat. attract people to the area. Even the tance of preparation at all levels. In a An air tanker and a helicopter, both mobile home parks preserve as many wildland/urban interface fire involving already in the air, were immediately dis- trees as possible. evacuations, that means preparing both patched, along with an engine, and “We have people saying, ‘We bought firefighters and the public, and planning dropped the first load of water on the fire the trees up here, and that’s why we for the event with the other agencies that at 4:23 p.m. By that time, the “Rodeo” moved,’” says Owens. will be involved. fire was already estimated at 15 acres (6 That attitude may be natural for peo- It’s important for fire agencies to be hon- hectares). By evening, it had grown to ple who normally live in a desert city est with themselves about their capabilities. between 100 and 300 acres (40.5 to 121 such as Phoenix, but it makes it difficult “Something like this is a major self- hectares). By 5 p.m. the next day, it had to reduce fire danger by effectively thin- assessment of who you are and what you burned more than 16,000 acres (6,475 ning the trees around homes. can and can’t do,” says Owens. “As a fire hectares)—and it was just getting started. The front of the Rodeo-Chedeski fire department, are you prepared for some- Two days later, on the morning of June roughly followed state Route 260 as it thing like this? Do you have the 20, a stranded motorist trying to flag down swept through the wooded Mogollon manpower, the training, and the certifica- a news helicopter started a signal fire at Rim country from the subdivision of For- tion in place to integrate with the Forest Chedeski, about 15 miles (24 kilometers) est Lakes on the western side of the fire Service systems? As a community, have northwest of the Rodeo fire’s point of ori- to the town of Show Low on the east. In we been good stewards of the commu- gin. The helicopter pilot called in the fire some places, the fire was halted at or nity?” Stewardship includes making sure before the motorist even scrambled down before the highway. In others, notably that fire apparatus can get into subdivi- the slope where she had set the fire, and near the communities of Heber and sions and to individual homes in Aerial view of a burning wildfire near Heber, Arizona. firefighters responded promptly. Despite Overgaard in the east-central part of the threatened areas, Owens says. their efforts, the fire took off and jumped area, the fire jumped the highway and An evacuation is a coordinated effort, them and things to do with their homes are likely to be occupied, but only about few people,” says Owens. But, he adds, it the ridge, covering 2,000 acres (809 burned well north of the line. In general, and fire departments aren’t usually the when they left.” 200 people live there year-round. paid off. hectares) in a matter of hours. the areas to the northeast and east were lead agencies in getting people out of an “In a community where you’ve got a “You’re trying to get word to people “We’re confident that 99.9 percent of On June 22, the Rodeo and Chedeski most immediately threatened, while the area. During the Rodeo-Chedeski fire, wildfire threat, the community is remiss if who don’t come to meetings and things the community up here had an evacua- fires joined to become what would become danger to communities such as Forest that role fell to the local sheriff’s depart- it doesn’t have some kind of evacuation like that,” Scholl says. The community tion handout in their homes,” he says. the worst forest fire in recent Southwest Lakes on the western side of the fire ments, which decided when and how drill at least once a year to let people newsletter ran an article about evacua- history. Before it was contained on July 2, came days later. much territory to evacuate. That meant know what they need to take, what to tions a couple of years before the fire, Communicating during a fire the Rodeo-Chedeski fire would burn The timing helps explain the relative that fire departments had to plan the leave, and what route to take,” says Larry and Scholl says it would be a good idea Keeping the public informed is even more 468,000 acres (189,395 hectares) of brush destruction the fire caused. Heber, Over- evacuation with the sheriff’s department Humphrey, incident commander for the to run such an article annually to get important once a fire breaks out. One and Ponderosa pine, destroy nearly 500 gaard, and nearby communities were and other agencies. National Interagency Incident Manage- word out. way to do this is to use a series of alert structures, and force 32,000 people from threatened early, evacuated on June 20, The Show Low Fire District worked ment Team during the first days of the Show Low, with a larger population levels to warn residents how great the their homes in about a dozen communities. and were relatively hard hit. Overgaard closely with the local police, sheriff’s fire and, later, one of four incident com- and more year-round residents than For- danger has become. Humphrey says that Some of them wouldn’t return home for and the nearby community of Aripine department, and the state highway depart- manders. Humphrey, who normally est Lakes, was in a better position to get alert levels work well in moderation. nearly two weeks. lost 251 homes and 16 businesses. Forest ment to plan for a possible evacuation. works as a fuels specialist with the the word out, and the Show Low Fire “I don’t think people can memorize Lakes was also evacuated, but the fire Among other things, they conducted table- Bureau of Land Management’s Safford, District pushed hard. more than three alert levels,” he says. Summer and retirement homes was stopped short of the community, top exercises well before the fires broke Arizona, office, suggests that the begin- “We did mailers and had a constant Because no one was prepared for a fire The area in which the Rodeo-Chedeski thanks in part to the extra time residents out to determine how a fire might develop ning of the fire season is a good time for information program on radio and televi- that moved as quickly or got at big as burned is a study in wildland/urban inter- had to prepare. and how to conduct an evacuation. such a drill. sion and with handouts,” says Owen. Rodeo-Chedeski, communicating with face. Most of Arizona is either “If that fire had hit us like it did in The third major task was preparing Evacuation education isn’t easy in the The county’s emergency services the evacuees and the people in the threat- government land, such as the Apache-Sit- Heber-Overgaard, where they had a the public. kind of communities affected by the department provided the money for the ened communities was a problem. graves National Forest; Indian day’s notice, well, they had no chance,” “Early last spring, we started preparing Rodeo-Chedeski fire because of their mailers. In addition, the fire district sent “There were never enough avenues to reservations, such as the Fort Apache says Keith Scholl, chief administrator for people that this event was inevitable,” resort-like nature. speakers to homeowners’ organization get information out,” says Jim Paxon, the reservation; state land; or otherwise the Forest Lakes Fire District. says Owens. “We started early on evacua- “Most of our residents are summer meetings and to retirement communities information officer for Humphrey’s initial unavailable for development. Private land The fire was also a study in commu- tion education and how people should be people,” says Scholl. On summer week- to spread the word. incident management team who became in forested areas is eagerly sought for nity evacuation in the face of a major prepared and what they should take with ends, most of Forest Lakes’ 900 houses “It was just about a full-time job for a the “voice” of the fire to the media. “We PHOTOGRAPH: AP/WIDE WORLD

12 NFPA JOURNAL MARCH/APRIL 2003 WWW.NFPAJOURNAL.ORG WWW.NFPAJOURNAL.ORG NFPA JOURNAL MARCH/APRIL 2003 13 SHOW LOW ARIZONA INFERNO used law enforcement officers, and we on. There were many false reports, things “When you have to evacuate people understand their concern, but we’re going looked by the sheriff’s office and others,” used Navajo County’s 911 rollover dial like the fire had gone right through the LESSONS LEARNED from the same point twice, it really turns to be going to memorial services if people Humphrey says. “They’ve got places for system. We had door-to-door contact, center of town, the fire station was gone. ugly,” Humphrey says. continue to do that and get caught,” people to go, but they don’t think about and we used community television, but The news companies were putting stuff • Hold drills and exercises. One way to roughly measure the suc- “If we have another evacuation this the horses, cows, and cats and dogs. I that was still one of the real problems.” like that on the 6 p.m. news.” cess of pre-evacuation education and summer, I’m going to be curious as to think we had more problems with people The rollover system calls a list of num- Because the firefighters from the • Provide the community with planning is to count the number of traffic how many people won’t leave,” Epps trying to get back through the roadblock bers in succession and delivers a recorded Heber-Overgaard area were so busy information on evacuation. accidents during the evacuation. Even a says. “That will compound our problem because their cat was locked in the house message. Unfortunately, the telephone fighting the fire, they didn’t realize that minor accident can cause major problems and make things critical for us.” or their rabbits were out of water,” system proved completely inadequate, false reports were getting out. • Warn the community as early on the two-lane roads that predominate The other problem with people who Humphrey says. “It got to be pretty time- particularly since less than half the evac- “We should have known better than as possible. in the fire area. don’t leave is that they put firefighters’ consuming, escorting people back in.” uees stayed in the evacuation centers. that,” Epps said. “I was the public infor- “We were pleased with the way the lives at risk if they become trapped. Volunteers who went in to feed and There were only two information lines mation officer for the city of Mesa, • Don’t establish more than three evacuation went,” Owens says. “There “We’re going to put firefighters at risk water animals and rescue pets helped, he the public could call to get information, Arizona, for a year and a half, and I stages of alert. were no accidents, no injuries, and no because they’ll try to rescue those people, says. In addition, animal shelters as far and they were jammed. should have realized what was going on.” bottlenecks. It went just like clockwork.” even if the command says no,” Paxon away as Phoenix cooperated in housing “Navajo County is working on its Epps believes that the media should • Set and publicize trigger points, says. “That is just plaguing me. pets separated from their owners. phone system and using grant money to have been allowed into the area earlier. and revise them if necessary. Coordination “Do we just say to these people ‘Okay, One of the most remarkable things enhance its 911 call out system,” Paxon “I think we need to conduct them in Any wildland/urban fire is an exercise in you’ve made a personal decision and we about the Rodeo-Chedeski fire was that says. “They’re consulting Ruidoso and ourselves, and [in the future] we’ll take • Don’t evacuate too early. coordination, and this is doubly true of respect that, but we’re not going to go in no one was killed or seriously injured, in Los Alamos (sites of recent major wild- responsibility for doing that,” he says. evacuations. Although the fire team and get you [if the fire endangers you]?’ I spite of the fire’s size and intensity. land/urban interface fires) to see what Because the communities were so hard • Coordinate with other agencies advised evacuating the communities, the don’t think we’ve crossed that threshold “National Incident Management Teams technology they’re using.” hit, people from the Heber-Overgaard and respect each other’s actual decision as to what areas to evacu- where we won’t go in and get someone,” have lots of experience and make safety In fact, one of the most important area were desperate for information. expertise. ate and when were left to the sheriff and he says. first and foremost in their minds,” lessons of the Rodeo-Chedeski fire was After the fire had passed through the the other local law enforcement officials, This problem is likely to be worse in Humphrey says. There are 17 National that it’s worth making a great effort to communities, but before evacuees were • Plan for pets and livestock. whose decisions didn’t always coincide the next big Arizona fire because a num- Interagency Incident Management Teams find out where evacuees are going and allowed back in, Epps says the people at with the recommendations. ber of people from the community of across the nation, generally consisting of how to reach them after they leave. the evacuation centers were “like a bunch “For the Pinetop-Lakeside area, the Clay Springs who defied evacuation 35 members from fire and emergency “I don’t think we did enough there,” of children, they were so eager to find them informed,” says Owens. “We kept incident management team recommended orders and stayed behind to save their management agencies. These teams usu- Paxon said. out what was happening.” them aware of what was happening with evacuating Show Low but not Pinetop or houses have become something of heroes ally manage large and complex wildland The Web can be important in getting Because the towns don’t have local the fire so it wasn’t a surprise.” Lakeside,” says Humphrey. “The sheriff’s in news stories. That, together with the fires, floods, earthquakes, and other nat- information to evacuees, Paxon says, television stations, the Heber-Overgaard However, Humphrey says trigger office decided to evacuate all three com- loss of houses in the Rodeo-Chedeski ural disasters. pointing out that the fire district for Fire District is trying to work with local points shouldn’t be set in stone. Chang- munities.” The sheriff was concerned fire, is likely to encourage others to stay Although some communities, such as Pinedale had a very good Web site, ham operators to put a radio in the fire ing conditions may require changing about looting, access control, and other behind the next time. those around Overgaard-Aripine, were which became an important resource. station that firefighters can use in the trigger points. issues not directly related to the fire. The Further complicating the issue is the hard hit, many others were saved. Days However, the Web requires a different event of another evacuation. The fire dis- Humphrey recalls working the Moose difference, Humphrey says, was that “we fact that Arizona law doesn’t allow people of intense effort halted the fire within a approach, one that Paxon says fire orga- trict plans to issue reports hourly to the fire in Glacier National Park in Montana were looking at it from a fire manage- to be ordered to leave their homes. If quarter of a mile (0.4 kilometers) of Show nizations are still learning how to use. evacuation centers. in 2001, where the trigger point was set ment standpoint, and the sheriff was someone insists on staying, there’s noth- Low, for example. Likewise, the commu- “We’re used to the information organi- at a creek. If the fire jumped the creek, looking at it from a people standpoint.” ing the fire teams can do about it. It nities of McNary, Hon Dah, Lakeside, zation pushing information out,” he said. Trigger points the people in the fire’s path would be “That’s where you need to have a good might be possible to change the law to Forest Lakes, and Heber remained “Now with Web sites, people can pull it Another important tool in managing evac- evacuated. However, the fire stopped on discussion with the people responsible for force people to obey an evacuation order, undamaged. in. That’s something we’re going to have uations is trigger points. A trigger point is the far edge of the creek and stayed there the evacuation,” Humphrey says. “You’ve but observers familiar with the Arizona Communities from Forest Lakes to to get better at. We’re just learning how a clearly defined location or landmark with for several days. Eventually, the trigger got to let them know what the problems legislature are skeptical that it would Show Low are now working on their to use hot links and other ways to use the which residents are familiar and against point was moved from the creek to a and dangers are, and they have to make a make such a law. What’s more, such a evacuation plans and educating resi- technology.” which they can measure a fire’s progress. ridge, but Humphrey says it should have decision on who is to be evacuated.” law would be very difficult to enforce in dents about evacuation, but this isn’t a For Mel Epps, chief of the Heber- Using a landmark as a trigger point helps been moved sooner. The key to a successful relationship is forested terrain spiderwebbed with dirt case of locking the barn door after the Overgaard Fire District, communicating everyone gauge when an evacuation will “We kept people in a state of suspense so to acknowledge each other’s expertise roads and few natural choke points. horse is gone. with the public was such a problem that be ordered and allows the public to moni- long the edge wore off,” Humphrey says. and respect one another’s concerns, Paxon said the fire teams and other “We could be right back in the same he isn’t going to leave it to outside agen- tor the need to evacuate. Humphrey also stresses that evacuations Humphrey says. officials are still working out what to do business next year,” Humphrey says. “We cies in the future. Part of setting a good trigger point is should be done early, but not too early. If Another problems was people who when people refuse to evacuate. have a lot of drought-stressed and bug- “Our biggest lesson was that we left technical. It is the job of the fire behavior an evacuation is ordered too soon, taking refused to evacuate. killed trees out there waiting for an the public information job to someone analysts and the meteorologist to estab- people out of their houses for several days “Everyone remembers Harry Truman Pets and livestock ignition event. We could be in the same else, and it seems they dropped the ball lish the fire’s probable behavior, including before the fire arrives, pressure to get back and Spirit Lake at Mount St. Helens,” Not all lessons are as obvious as prepara- or worse situation next year.” and that created a lot of havoc,” Epps the speed at which it is likely to move. into areas that haven’t yet been hit will says Paxon, referring to the man who tion. Take the pets and livestock left says. “The people handling the informa- “We told the community up front we build, he says. If people are allowed back refused to evacuate before the volcano behind, for instance. RICK COOK is a freelance writer living in Phoenix, tion didn’t do a good job. The evacuees were setting trigger points, and as the fire in and the fire picks up, they may have to erupted and died in the blast. “We had “In a lot of community evacuation Arizona. He started covering fires and fire issues were not kept abreast of what was going approached these trigger points, we kept be evacuated again. some evacuees who refused to leave. I planning, [animals] are quite often over- as a newspaper reporter and editor in the 1960s.