If you have ever wondered if your home would be safe in the event of a forest fire, help is now available from fire mitigation professionals working in conjunction with the Blaine County "Firewise" public information campaign, called Communities at Risk.
The federally funded effort, managed by the Bureau of Land Management to the tune of $800,000, includes a county assessment of fire risk where private residences are adjacent to forest and range lands. The study was completed this year by Alpine Enterprises, a Ketchum-based surveying and mapping company. It pinpoints areas of high risk, typically where private land abuts federal property in the county.
The money will also go to public education and mitigation, said Wood River Fire and Rescue assistant chief Jeff Nevins, speaking at the Old Blaine County Courthouse. Nevins also announced publication of a new Web site, www.bcfirewise.com, that has been posted to help homeowners avail themselves of risk assessment and mitigation help that is to be paid for by the federal grant money. To better inform second-home owners who may not live in area, the organizers also are providing a toll free information line, (877) 578-FIRE (3473).
"This is an unprecedented opportunity for Blaine County," Nevins said. "When communities move into wildland (areas), there are problems with fire. If we don't knock (on your door), reach out. Call the 800 number or contact us through the Web site."
But the county will be knocking, Nevins said. Homeowners can expect to see door hangers, fliers and mailings announcing the program and opportunities for risk evaluation and mitigation services. A fire mitigation plan is being developed for all counties in the state. Blaine County is one of the last to be assembled, said Curtis Jensen, a Bureau of Land Management fire mitigation specialist, who is working with county fire districts on the wildfire protection program.
The key to the program is to eliminate "ladder fuels" around homes and create defensible spaces on the borders to public lands.
Fire consultants Cindy Hillmeyer and Angie Grant Kettelband, who can be reached at 309-2006 and 309-2007, are coordinating home reviews and crews to assist homeowners with mitigation and hauling of debris.
Nevins said 1,770 homes in Blaine County fit the profile for fire mitigation assistance.
