Protracted drought conditions coupled with hot and dry winds which frequently blow over the mountains and across the plains make Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas and Oklahoma susceptible to wildfire conditions. Since these areas are ravaged by large and destructive fires, it property owners have been prompted to look for ways of mitigating the risk resulting from the damage. Efforts aimed at protection against wildfire begin with an individual. However, community-wide approach to fire protection is highly effective. The mainstay intent of this paper is to illustrate the responsibility property owners have towards their property. In addition, this paper also explains responsibilities of the community emergency manager. Further, this paper seeks to offer a clear explanation about hazards that apply to homeowners in Southwest. Lastly, the paper seeks to describe the interaction that exists between home owner in Southwest with the local, state, and federal government.
According to Institute for business and home safety, wildfire research has clearly illustrated that individuals and families can shield their property against wildfire by addressing three clear sources of vulnerability: the business or the home, the landscape adjacent to the building as well as the general vegetation cover in the region adjacent to the building. These three sources can be dealt with through structural improvements, maintenance, as well as vegetation control. Performing this project is affordable and exercise can be done in not more than two days. Some of these projects are advantageous since they help in improving energy efficiency of business or homes .
Understanding Effective Wildfire Protection
According to Institute for business & home safety (n.d), there are two key areas of concern when limiting ignition from exposure to wildfire. Firstly, a number of features, materials as well as design details of the structure can expose it to a wildfire. Secondly, the surrounding vegetation and wild lands adjacent to business or home can give a pathway to a wildfire flames to touch the structure, radiant energy to preheat a structure, or embers from a fire may fall onto the structure causing it to catch fire.
Manage Your Business or Home
The roof is the most vulnerable part in any structure. A flammable roof exposes the structure to burning in case of a wildfire. Other essential risk elements include vents which allow embers to get through the attic, decks and fences. These elements can ignite and cause fire in the building. Further, debris which pile in gutters and in various locations along the wall lines and roof can also cause fire.
Manage Vegetation and Fuel Sources around the Property
It is recommended that there should a vegetation management zone of at least 100 feet or even more depending on the vegetation type in the wildland areas, near the structure, and the slope of land adjacent to it. Actions taken to modify vegetation adjacent to the structure are geared at reducing the severity of fire. Additionally, it reduces the likelihood of flames coming into contact with any part of building or structure. The zone is also referred to as “defensible space,” helps in creating an area for firefighters to help keep the wildfire at bay and stop the embers from reaching an adjacent structure.
Improve Structure’s Wildfire Resistance
Improving structures resistance to wildfire is fundamental in management of wildfire since this will help in ensuring that the structure is less receptive to fire. This entails replacement of materials that were used in construction of the structure. In most scenarios, roofs are more receptive to fire; therefore, they ought to be first on the priority list. Replacing roofs is a key project with much financial implication on the owner of the property. However, it yields significant benefits to the property owner. Roof shapes plays a significant role in determining whether a structure will catch fire or not. Roofs with valleys and ridges or roof segments which intersect with the walls of the building makes are more vulnerable to wildfires since vegetation debris readily collects in the intersections. As such, roofs should always be kept free from debris unless they are made of noncombustible materials.
Maintain Eaves, Soffits and Attic and Crawlspace Openings
Vented openings ought to be covered with 1/8 inch metal mesh screens since embers large enough to cause fire can pass through ¼ and 1/8 inch mess screening. Even though screening may be helpful, it may not be best option. Although, finer mesh screen may shield the structure from embers, it calls for extra effort in order to keep it free from debris. If a property owner has eaves, he can enclose the underside of the roof overhand to aid in keeping embers from lodging there. To achieve this, sheathing made from noncombustible materials should be fastened.
Community Emergency Manager Responsibilities
The community emergency manager is involved in a number of strategies. These strategies are mentioned below.
Prevention or mitigation
In this strategy the community emergency manager is entirely involved in assessing and minimizing disaster risks. The main activities include not only doing research on natural but also man-made disasters, developing physical mitigation measures, developing warning systems, and building codes.
Preparedness
This involves preparing the community to be ready for any disaster. It entails developing emergency plans, training first responders, educating community members on how to prepare, and what to do during a fire outbreak.
Response
This entails responding to the emergency. There is a significant need to ensure availability of enough resources that can be used during emergencies.
Recovery
The community emergency manager will help in ensuring the afflicted victims are back to their normal lives. Recovery entails collecting and distribution of donations and basic needs to the victims .
Man-Made Hazards
Man-made fire
In Southwest wildfire are pervasive and a permanent fact of life, like taxes and death. Fire hazards have ravaged the region for more than a thousand years. However, the fire which burned hundreds of square kilometers between October and November 2007 during the disasters peak. There were 18 separate fires that were burning. The worst of the fires was in San Diego which killed ten people and resulted in more than 500,000 displaced of people from their shelters and homes. The fire was not natural since some of the fire was deliberately set.
Global warming
It is quite clear that global warming results from man’s activity on the environment. For a long time, this disaster has been unfolding at a snail pace that it has been invisible . However, global warming impacts are evident in Southwest. This region is a semi-arid to arid climate. Nonetheless, there are some states that experience large amounts of snow. For instance, Arizona and Nevada are within arid and mountain. The higher elevation areas receive large amounts of snow.
Natural Fires
Ordinary changes in the seasonal climate make the Southwest environment ripe for fires. During winter, precipitation catapults plant growth. However, during dry months from April to June the vegetation turns into tinder. During dry seasons, the vegetation catches fire easily. The convective monsoon storm generates lighting which provides the match. The wildfire has numerous ramifications on the environment, for instance, it burns homes. It has also resulted in siphoning of more than $1 billion annually from federal land-management agencies.
Interactions
There are a number of interactions that occur between a home owner in Southwest with the local, state and federal government. Firstly, the local government may be involved in various ways. For instance, prevention of hazards, mitigation of hazards, responding to hazards, as well as recovery after a hazard has occurred, for all this to take place residents must be educated on a number o issues regarding wildfire. The state and federal government may be involved in release of funds to help the victims .
In a nutshell, property owners in Southwest have a responsibility of protecting their property against wildfires that are persistent in the area. Community emergency manager is involved in several roles, for instance, reducing, preparedness, response and recovery. Global warming, man-made and natural fire hazards have also been explained in the paper. Interactions between homeowners and the local, state and federal government have been enhanced by the numerous hazards that strike residents living in Southwest. Most of the interaction comes in form of aid and education to the Southwest residents.
References
Archer, D. (2011). Global Warming: Understanding the Forecast. New York: John Wiley & Sons.
Fagel, M. (2012). Principles of Emergency Management: Hazard Specific Issues and Mitigation Strategies. New York: CRC Press.
Holladay, T. C. (2012). The Handbook of Crisis Communication. New York: John Wiley & Sons.
safety, I. f. (n.d, n.d n.d). Protect your property from wildfire. Retrieved February 9 , 2013, from DisasterSafety.org: http://texasforestservice.tamu.edu/uploadedFiles/FRP/Predictive_Services/Prepare%20Your%20Home%20for%20Wildfire%20-%20Southwest%20Edition.pdf
