CONTRIBUTED CONTENT: Urban interface fire

Chris Brookshire is a Certified Arborist on our team who spent over a decade fighting wildland fire, three years with the Forest Service and nine with Idaho Department of Lands on the Helitack Crew before joining Grace Tree Service. Over the years together, I have learned so much from his time battling the blaze. Last week, in discussing the Spokane Fires, he confirmed what I was thinking regarding urban sprawl. I looked up the history of the Indian Trials area and, like I speculated, its name comes from Native American trails. It was a key pathway for travel, trade and movement of indigenous people connecting the routes to and from the Columbia River, Spokane House (fur trading post) and the confluence of the Spokane and Little Spokane rivers. Once a mosaic of open ponderosa pine stands and grassy meadows, its modern overlay became neighborhoods of homes.

The area my family resides just west of the Chilco Mill has greatly changed in similar fashion. When we moved here six years ago, deer, moose and elk could be seen frequently crossing the road from the forest between us and Brunner Road. Nightly, the chilling song of coyotes echoed through the trees. Now, between 50 and 75 homes are up or being built throughout that tract of land and wildlife sightings and sounds are much less frequent. Where fire has historically burned has not changed, but where we live has. More and more of us are living in high fire zones.

Upon reading “lessons learned” by those who have experienced wild fire recently, I decided we needed to call our homeowners insurance and learn the reality of our coverage. Shocked but not surprised was how I would describe it. “Yes you are covered as well as living expenses elsewhere during the rebuild but only because you moved there six years ago. We would not cover you if you had moved there this year and we will not cover you if you move anywhere in your current area.”

This stark reality is the boat in which many of us in urban areas sit. Many, likely unaware. It is not the occasional small “whoops” fire in calm conditions that I fear but the wind-driven crown fire that would easily roll over our entire region that keeps me up at night. Defensible space, a green lawn and sprinklers will be like spitting into the wind. I have pushed back the woods, thinned the trees, removed the ladder fuels but at this point, having a plan to get out seems the wisest, albeit a last-resort measure, I can only hope and pray is never needed.

More about our plan next week and as always, for further questions, quotes and consultations, give us a call today, 208-762-5800!

For more information on Grace Tree Service, check out our website at gracetreeservice.com.