24 Summer 2017 Applegater
Look who’s reading the Gater
Take us with you on your next trip. Then send your favorite
“Reading the Gater”photo to gater@applegater.org or
mail to Applegater, PO Box 14, Jacksonville, OR 97530.
■ THINK EMBERS
Continued from page 1
many new folks move to the Applegate
each year, I’m thinking it’s time to bring
back those messages for a quick review.
After all, with all the rain we got this
winter, the fine fuels, grasses, and weeds
are already tall and plentiful.
You may remember that statistically,
most homes are destroyed in wildfires
because embers or firebrands flying ahead
of the fire land on fine fuels that catch
and ignite the home. (A wildfire roaring
through the forest is not the most common
cause of homes burning—it moves too
quickly.) However, if the home is covered
with pine needles, has leaves in the gutters,
or firewood stored underneath the deck,
rest assured those flying embers will start
ignitions everywhere. The photo on page
1 from the 2002 Missionary Ridge Fire in
Colorado illustrates how a home with fine
fuels on and around it can ignite, while
the thinned mature trees are still standing.
Studies from large fires as far back as
1961 have shown a 95 percent survival
rate in homes with two things: a (well-
maintained) fire-resistant roof and 30-60
feet of vegetation clearance (Stanford
Research Institute, Howard et al. 1973).
However, a 30- to 60-foot vegetation
clearance is not a hard and fast guarantee
that your home will survive! There are
other sources of burnable materials besides
vegetation. “Fire spreads as a continually
propagating process, not as a moving
mass” (Reducing the Wildland Fire Threat to
Homes: Where and How Much? by Jack D.
Cohen, PhD). If there are any fuels leading
to your home, the fire can and will spread.
So think about things like your garage,
carport, or a neighboring house, the old
wooden fence around the yard, or even a
wood mulch pathway to the front door.
If you live in a neighborhood with homes
close together, fire could spread from house
to house. What if a neighbor is burning a
slash pile on their property and your wood
fence catches fire? Could it lead to your
house? Or if the school bus stopped to drop
off the kids and the exhaust pipe spewed
embers onto your mulched pathway,
leading right up to the front door?
Yes, I’m describing a “home ignition
zone” or HIZ—the area surrounding your
home that has fuels that could lead a fire
to the house itself. Every HIZ is different,
and it is possible (and common!) to share
an HIZ with a neighbor. Break up the fuel
lines, make them “discontinuous,” and
maintain this work over time. You’ll be
better prepared for fire season, and your
local firefighters will thank you!
Sandy Shaffer
sassyoneor@gmail.com
For more information on the HIZ, contact
me via email or check in with the Applegate
Fire District. Free pamphlets are available!
Fire season is approaching:
Be ready, be set, go!
Photos, clockwise from top left:
—Diana Potts was pleased to find a review in the Gater restaurant section of a hot tapas bar
in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico.
–Karen Giese, stranded on Whidbey Island, searched the Applegater for rescue services.
–Annette Parsons and Jim Clover checked the Gater events calendar to see who’s on the
bill at the Amargosa Opera House in Death Valley Junction, California.
—Kiana and Andres Raber traveled safely to Cloud Gate, aka “The Bean,” in Chicago’s
Millennium Park, thanks to the Applegater’s updated GPS application.
Keep those articles, letters, opinions, and
“Reading the Gater” photos coming in. You are the Gater!
The Applegate Valley Fire District No. 9 reminds us that every year homes in
southwest Oregon are threatened by wildfire and other emergencies. Follow the Ready,
Set, Go evacuation process provided by the Rogue Valley Fire Prevention Cooperative.
Ready…make copies of important papers, set aside a supply of water and food,
designate a place to go, and plan a way for friends and family to find you.
Set…pack your emergency kit, water, and food; point your car so it’s facing out the
driveway; and monitor local news stations for updates.
Go…act quickly, close all windows and doors, and leave for your designated location
in a safe manner. Do not return home until told to do so by incident officials.
You are responsible for your family’s safety. Be prepared, stay informed, and remember:
Ready, Set, Go! Visit the Rogue Valley Emergency Management website at rvem.org
to learn more about the Ready, Set, Go evacuation process.
Meat Bonanza!
and Produce Sale
June 9th & 10th
SHOP LOCAL. BUY FRESH. LIVE WELL. ™
Expanded Fresh
Produce Department
Organic
Local
Bulk Foods
HiddenValleyMarket.com
7200 Williams Highway
· Murphy, Oregon