The fire hazard in Blaine County remains high, and local fire agencies are warning residents not to get complacent just because fall is arriving.
"Though the temperatures are cooling down, we're not seeing the humidity rising," said Wood River Fire & Rescue Chief Bart Lassman.
Lassman pointed out that temperatures still remain higher than normal for September.
He said the county's two biggest fires preceding the Castle Rock Fire started in the fall. The Roe Fire, which began in Croy Canyon in late September of 1992, burned about 30,000 acres. The Tip Top Fire, which began in a tributary creek of Croy Canyon in October 1997, burned 16,000 acres.
Long-range weather forecasts predict little precipitation. Lassman reminded homeowners that a yard burning ban remains in effect and reminded hunters that campfire bans may remain in effect through most of hunting season.
Rick Tharp, owner of Flame Safe of the Rockies, a company based in Jackson, Wyo., that applies fire retardant for roof shingles, advised homeowners to keep their roofs freshly treated. Tharp said wood shingles are the most vulnerable part of a house whenever there are wind-blown embers.
"People get a false sense of security when their roofs are factory treated," he said. "They think the treatments last as long as the roof lasts, but they don't."
Tharp recommends that the builders of new homes get the factory treatments, which impregnate the shingles with retardant unlike subsequent treatments, which only coat the tops of them. However, he said, even the factory treatments wear off after six or seven years.
Tharp said the retardant on houses at high altitudes and in dry climates, like those in the Wood River Valley, is especially vulnerable to wear due to the strong UV light here.
He said subsequent treatments should be reapplied about every five years.
Tharp pointed out that fire retardants help considerably, but do not make a roof fire-proof. He said homeowners should do all they can to reduce the fire hazard on their properties.
Fire-fighting agencies recommend that homeowners:
· Create a buffer of irrigated, green grass or of non-flammable materials, at least 30 feet wide, between the house and natural vegetation, which dries as the summer progresses.
· Remove standing dead trees, dead branches and all low branches.
· Plant small trees far enough from the house that they will not act as a fire conduit as they grow bigger. Remove trees that have grown too close.
· Keep firewood piles away from the house.
· Rake up fallen leaves and pine needles near their house.
"You don't have time to do these things once a fire is underway," Tharp pointed out.
