Firewise of Southwest Colorado has teamed up with Southwest Conservation Corps to defend rural homes and neighborhoods from wildfires.<\/p>\n
The project is funded by a $23,000 grant from the Colorado Department of Natural Resources, and targets low-income residents.<\/p>\n
Last week, crews created fire breaks on homes near Narraguinnep Reservoir and on Lebanon Road.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe focused on elderly homeowners for part of this project,\u201d said Firewise coordinator Rebecca Samulski. \u201cThey understand the work needs to be done, but can\u2019t afford it and need help with the heavy work.\u201d<\/p>\n
At Pumpkin Yeager\u2019s property, overgrown oak brush, pine and juniper trees were selectively cleared away from the home.<\/p>\n
\u201cI had too many trees,\u201d Yeager said. \u201cI signed up for the program because if a lightening strike hits here, it threatens my homes and my neighbors. The help has been a real blessing.\u201d<\/p>\n
Crews use chain saws to create breaks in vegetation and tree stands to eliminate a fuel path to the home.<\/p>\n
Firewise works with landowners on which trees and shrubs to save.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe homeowner is elderly and still cleans her own gutters,\u201d Samulski said. \u201cShe has been a pleasure to work with.\u201d<\/p>\n
Yeager took time to control buildup of pine needles, which can catch fire and travel on wind currents for miles.<\/p>\n
Properties with defensible space are more likely to be spared fire damage because the fire will be low-intensity and burn near the ground.<\/p>\n
To prevent more destructive crown fires, trees and shrubbery were cut back to reduce ladder fuels. Growth and pine needles around propane tanks are reduced.<\/p>\n
Slash piles are chipped and composted at the Montezuma County landfill, which waived tipping fees. Trees are also cut and stacked for firewood.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou could not see the house yesterday from all the brush,\u201d said field crew leader Zach Cardosi. \u201cOur work has a lasting impact, and the homeowner is very grateful.\u201d<\/p>\n
A 15-acre field break will be created on the south and west sides of the Vista Verde Village mobile home park in Cortez. Sagebrush there is a fire hazard, and will be reduced into a mosaic pattern, Samulski said.<\/p>\n
In Towaoc, fields between neighborhoods will receive brush mitigation this fall.<\/p>\n
Samulski said public education is needed regarding the risk of wildfire to homes.<\/p>\n
\u201cEmbers from a distant fires could easily ignite old wooden fences that act like fire wicks,\u201d she said. \u201cIt can then spread to firewood stacks, onto decks and homes. Better planning and awareness can prevent catastrophe.\u201d<\/p>\n
Southwest Corp members seem to relish the work<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re out here to improve the safety of the community,\u201d said Andrew Olegario, 24, of Seattle. \u201cA hundred years of fire suppression has created forests that are too dense and vulnerable to large fires. We\u2019re here to thin them out and create a more natural landscape.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hannah Green, 18, of Vermont, headed west for the adventure and outdoor work.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy mom told me about it and so I applied and drove out,\u201d she said. \u201cWe went through a lot of safety instruction and learned how to use chain saws to make different cuts.\u201d<\/p>\n
Firewise is looking for volunteers. If interested, call Rebecca at (970) 564-7860.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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