Today’s newsletter covers the following:
- Harrowing Fort McMurray wildfire escape
- Lessons learned from the Fort McMurray Fire
- October is Wildfire Awareness Month!
- FREE Wildfire Partners Assessments
- Insurance industry participation in Wildfire Partners helps residents
Please forward this newsletter to individuals, groups and organizations you know who may be interested.
Harrowing Fort McMurray wildfire escape
Via CBC News: https://youtu.be/7E_OLgC4nV0
Lessons learned from the Fort McMurray Fire
A preliminary report
(1.3MB PDF) looked at how the Fort McMurray Fire destroyed more than 2,400
structures—the largest ever insured loss in Canada—in Alberta in May 2016.
Below are key excerpts from the report:
“After
evaluating the fire environment and clearances between homes and the
forest edge, the investigator discounted direct contact from flames or
radiant heat of the forest fire as being significant sources of home
ignition at Fort McMurray. Instead, it was concluded that wind-driven
embers were the most probable cause for the majority of early home
ignitions in the zone where the fire made its transition from forest
into neighborhoods. Once established, the fire would have spread from
structure to structure as a conflagration, accounting for the majority
of home losses.”
- In all neighborhoods studied, homes whose owners
had adopted FireSmart guidelines—actions to reduce wildfire losses
similar to Wildfire Partners—survived much more frequently than homes
where they had not, despite the extraordinarily harsh conditions.
- Recommended
FireSmart guidelines work. They are effective in reducing the
probability of home ignition and wildfire losses. Home survival does not
appear to be random or a matter of luck.
- Home survival depends on conditions in the home ignition zone, for which owners are responsible.
- While low total hazard rating is important, a single critical weakness can lead to home loss.
October is Wildfire Awareness Month!
Every
October residents in Boulder County learn how to prepare for wildfire,
take action to protect their homes, and work with neighbors to reduce
their risk. View the events and activities schedule that includes a photo contest and prizes, and the program “Burning Questions: Living with Wildfire in Boulder County” on Saturday, October 15 from 8 a.m. – 1 p.m. followed by a Firefighter Appreciation Luncheon at the Nederland Community Center. More info at: www.wildfirepartners.org/wildfire-awareness-month
FREE Wildfire Partners Assessments
Know
your risk! Everyone who applies to Wildfire Partners in October 2016 (and is accepted into the
program) will receive a free home assessment—a $75 value. We are
offering this promotion because we have 100 spots still available for
2016. Assessments may be completed in 2016 or 2017 depending on weather
and availability of our Wildfire Mitigation Specialists. Free
assessments will not be offered again during 2017 October Wildfire
Awareness Month because of grant funding deadlines. Act today!
Insurance
industry participation in Wildfire Partners helps residents
Outside of
Boulder County, homeowners are faced with conflicting mitigation
standards and uncertainty. Because select insurers recognize the
Wildfire Partners Certificate, our participants know in advance the
mitigation they perform will be accepted. Insurance companies are among
Wildfire Partners strongest supporters. They see the program as a
national model that they want replicated because it effectively reduces
risk. They do not use the program to drop customers. We do not share
(and insurers do not ask for) participant addresses. Participants who do
not obtain the gold standard of certification are not targeted for
non-renewal.
See the FAQ on our website for messages from the insurance
industry that dispels the myth that by participating in Wildfire Partner
you could somehow negatively impact your insurance coverage.
Thanks for reading, and we hope to see you at a Wildfire Awareness Month event. Please share with your friends and neighbors!
Cheers,
Rick, Kyle, Chris and Jim
Boulder County Land Use Department
303-441-3930
WildfireMitigation@bouldercounty.org