‘Learn to live within wildland fire zones’: Firefighter weighs in on wildfire mitigation to prevent disaster
Jan 19, 2025, 5:06 PM | Updated: 5:08 pm
Pedestrians help a firefighter stretch a hose as an apartment building burns, Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025, in the Altadena section of Pasadena, Calif. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
Credit: ASSOCIATED PRESS
(AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
SALT LAKE CITY — As the Greater Los Angeles wildfires continue to burn, a Utah State University Extension professor said wildfire mitigation could help prevent disaster in Utah.
In a post on USU Extension’s website, Professor J. Bradley Washa wrote “Those who live in the wildland/urban interface have a shared responsibility with those around them to learn to live within the wildland fire zones.”
Washa is also a wildland firefighter. He worked to combat the 2012 Waldo Canyon Fire in Colorado.
While firefighters are there for emergencies, Colorado State University said homeowners are responsible for mitigating ignition risks. Fire fuel, such as dry plants and wood, should consistently be cleaned up. They can gather on the ground or the structure’s roof.
Washa’s experience fighting the Waldo Canyon Fire prompted him to examine his home for areas that could use improvement.
“Following wildfire mitigation standards, I did not plant any trees or shrubs within 30 feet of my home, and I used river rock instead of wood chips next to the base of the house,” wrote Washa.
According to the National Interagency Fire Center, combustible materials, like firewood, should be kept away from buildings.
Second examination
He later worked to fight the 2021 Parley’s Canyon Fire. As it burned, his home, along with others in Salt Lake and Summit Counties, were evacuated. Before going to work on that fire, he assessed his home and its surroundings for a second time.
Washa said there was a pile of wood chips near a wood fence connected to his home. There was also a pile of firewood on the patio. In his USU Extension piece, he said he was concerned that an ember could ignite the pile.
Orange County Fire Authority said embers can travel as far as five miles.
“Before evacuating, I removed the fence connecting to the house, opened the gate, and positioned a garden hose in the front yard,” wrote Washa. “I also moved the firewood away from the house.”
In contrast to the Waldo Canyon Fire, which burned 346 homes, the Parley’s Canyon Fire was contained before any homes were damaged.
Construction materials can help wildfire mitigation
While home maintenance is important in protecting homes from wildfire, Washa said steps can also be taken by architects and builders.
He cited a report from Los Angeles news outlet KTLA TV. They spoke to Santa Monica Architect Greg Chasen, the designer of a home that survived the Palisades Fire.
Chasen told KTLA that some of the design choices made on the property helped save the home. They included:
- Lack of brush near the structure
- Fire-rated building materials
- Concrete
- Tempered glass windows
However, in a post on X, Chasen also said luck was a factor in the house’s survival.
“When weather, topography, and fuels align, wildfires will behave on their own terms, no matter how many engines, crews, or aircraft are available or how ample the water supply is,” wrote Washa. “This extends from developers using hazard mitigation methods in laying out a neighborhood with sufficient water supplies to homeowners implementing firewise home and defensible space measures.”
Related: Utah sees busy start to 2024 wildfire season, draws comparison to record-breaking year
