Conference highlights wildfire awareness
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POLSON — Spring is the season when people are burning ditches and fields, raking out flowerbeds and cleaning pine needles out of their gutters. To take advantage of this spring cleaning and help people “reduce the potential loss of life and property from wildfire,” FireSafe Montana, in conjunction with the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, held a Communities and Wildfire Conference at the KwaTaqNuq Resort on April 10 and 11. The plan was to present more information about FireSafe Montana councils.
A private nonprofit organization, FireSafe Montana targets landowners, homeowners, county commissioners, city planners and business owner and urges them to form FireSafe Councils within their own neighborhoods. The councils work on project-oriented mitigation, such as connecting with local fire personnel for assessment of their property in case of fire, clearing out brush and vegetation around homes, preparing exit plans and getting acquainted with neighbors.
On Monday evening, representatives from the Lake County Fuels Program; the Polson, Whitefish and Libby Fire Departments; CSKT Fire Prevention; CKST Forestry; Bitterroot Research Conservation and Development Area; Lincoln County FSC; Whitefish Area FSC; Flathead Forestry and Fire Consulting; Painted Rocks FSC; Blackfoot Challenge and the Seeley Swan Task Force were available to visit with the public.
Tuesday presenters shared their stories of getting started with FireSafe Councils, mitigation work, information from established councils, social aspects of wildfire preparedness, insurance, and ended with information on how to form and maintain a FireSafe council.
Rick Trembath, veteran firefighter and owner of Flathead Forestry and Fire Consulting, suggested practical ideas such as widening driveways so fire trucks can get into a property, trimming branches on trees high enough so they clear fire vehicles and fuel reduction.
Jeff Matilas, Captain of the Cabinet View Fire Department, said he had been attending FireSafe Councils off and on for about two years. His fire department is planning a pancake breakfast to introduce the idea of a FireSafe Council and property assessments by fire department personnel to help make homes and properties safer during fire season.
Matilas has a lot of work ahead of him at his own property, he said, since his house is west-facing, with cedar siding and vegetation around the foundation and borders a forest.
Including Matilas, about 75 people signed up for the conference, according to FireSafe founding member Pat McKelvey of Helena.
He wants to see more local FireSafe councils formed.
A program he’s utilized in his home FireSafe council is the “Montana Map a Neighborhood” program, administered by Jo Radtke.
Instead of a regular map, McKelvey described the program as “knowing who your neighbor is and what you have as resources.” For example, one neighborhood McKelvey helped with FireSafe Council formation had many doctors and nurses living there. Also, people need to know if any neighbors have special needs, such as requiring oxygen or a wheelchair.
Curtiss Matt, CSKT Division of Fire and Flathead FireSafe Council, said the councils’ first priority is safety.
A house or a patch of timber is not worth someone’s life, he added.
“The FireSafe councils are the bridge between professionals and communities,” said conference panelist Ron Hvizdak, Fire Management specialist for the USDA Forest Service.
For information on forming a FireSafe council, go to the website at www.firesafemt.org.
