What Kennewick’s destructive wildfire teaches us about living on the edge

Sept. 01--KENNEWICK, Wa. -- Kennewick, WA

Gusting wind drove the Bofer Canyon Fire across open land and the treeless foothills of south Kennewick.

Fueled by dry grass and sagebrush, the blaze roared with a vengeance into the Canyon Lakes and Inspiration Estates neighborhoods.

Five homes, including the one moved to the hillside after the Columbia River floods of 1948, were destroyed. Three more damaged.

The loss was devastating to the homeowners.

To everyone else, it is a vivid reminder of the destructive threat of wildland fires to houses, garages and more built on the edge of town.

Firefighters call it the "urban-wildland interface."

"If you lost homes, you've got a threat," said Tom Welle, the Denver-based field manager for the National Fire Protection Association.

The global nonprofit focuses on reducing fires through prevention.

Its "Firewise" program focuses on neighborhoods in transition zones, whether they're edging into forests or into desert landscapes.

In Washington, 152 neighborhood groups and communities have embraced Firewise.

The Kennewick Fire Department web page has started linking to the Firewise program for advice on protecting homes from wildfires.

It's not a minute too soon, says Pasco Fire Chief Bob Gear, who regularly deploys to fire wildfires throughout the country as an incident commander.

With little significant damage from wildfires in some 20 years, the Tri-Cities got complacent, he said.

The Bofer Canyon blaze changed that.

"This is really a wake-up call for us," he said.

Richland and Kennewick, in particular, are developing as much upward as outward as home builders add more houses on the foothills.

"As the cities are moving farther out and people are building on the canyon sides for the view, there's a risk," Gear said, who knows those areas well after leading Benton County Fire District 1 for 24 years.

Gear personally favors xeriscape landscaping modeled on the Mid-Columbia's natural shrub-steppe habitat --basalt and other rocks, sand and native soil and native plants and woody shrubs such as sagebrush.

The Washington State University Extension offers advice on xeriscaping gardening in the desert.

Gear also endorses Firewise.

Those standards work passively to halt fires by depriving them of fuel through smart development and smart landscaping management.

"It's a great opportunity for the community as Richland and Kennewick grow into the hillsides," he said.

Kennewick officials say they'll consider Firewise as part of a fire prevention program that works with property owners to reduce risks.

Where it is working

Scottsdale, Ariz., population 275,000, is a Firewise community that proves it works.

Set in a desert with upscale neighborhoods climbing its treeless hills, it is a useful example for the Tri-Cities.

Although land use laws and building materials are different, the Salt River Valley and the Mid Columbia have a hot, dry climate and a propensity to burn in common.

Thanks in part to Firewise and public education, Scottsdale has not lost a home, even after several significant fires, said Mark Zimmerman, deputy chief for the Scottsdale Fire Department.

The city, which borders Phoenix, embraced Firewise to protect its hillside neighborhoods, as well as the McDowell Sonoran Preserve, a desertscape popular with residents and visitors.

"People come here for it," he said. "It makes sense to preserve it and avoid having a wildfire start."

Scottsdale is no stranger to wildfire.

In July 1995, lightning touched off the Rio Fire, a 23,000-acre conflagration that sent residents fleeing for their lives. The fire spared lives and structures and when a local newspaper recalled the event 20 years later, one official deemed the dramatic blaze "inconsequential."

Scottsdale adapted Firewise principals to suit its desert landscape.

How it works

In a nutshell, Firewise communities reduce the amount of flammable debris and vegetation around homes and buildings. Less fuel means fewer embers to ignite structures.

Trees are trimmed to six feet -- high enough to allow firefighters to easily pass beneath them.

Only indigenous plants are allowed in some areas and roadsides are scraped to bare dirt. If a passing vehicle throws off a spark, there isn't anything to ignite.

"We take a blade down and get most of it," he said.

Seven communities have been certified and two more are going through the process.

Insurance companies are increasingly interested in the proactive measures. USAA Insurance discounts insurance premiums in Firewise communities in Arizona and six other states, including Oregon.

In Washington, Firewise is administered through the state' Department of Natural Resources.

The agency encourages residents living in the danger zones to employ its principles, noting that 80 percent of homes that burn could be saved with more defensible spaces.

Similarly, the office of the Washington Insurance Commissioner counsels property owners to ensure they have the right coverage and to take the next step to reduce potential for fire.

Typically, home owner associations or small groups of neighbors form groups to join Firewise. Once certified, they have to keep working to maintain their status. Growing vegetation and changing weather have a way of amplifying risk, said Welle, the NFPA manager in Denver.

Welle said he looked up Kennewick when the Herald called. His search yielded a photo of juniper planted next to homes.

"Juniper is just gasoline on a stick," he said.

Arborvitae bushes are another popular landscape plant that burn like torches, officials said.

Unlike floods, earthquakes and hurricanes, homeowners can reduce the risk of fire, if they recognize the danger.

"All you need is drought conditions to set up for a little while and you are in trouble," he said. "You're in Eastern Washington -- dry conditions are not anything new to you. "

Wendy Culverwell: 509-582-1514

___

(c)2018 Tri-City Herald (Kennewick, Wash.)

Visit Tri-City Herald (Kennewick, Wash.) at www.tri-cityherald.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.