ASSESSING WILDFIRE HAZARD IN THE WILDLAND-URBAN INTERFACE

1. ASSESSING WILDFIRE HAZARD IN THE WILDLAND-URBAN INTERFACE Interface Fires 2000 Halifax, N.S., May 7-10, 2000 Kelvin Hirsch, Canadian Forest Service

2. Hazard Assessment as a Public Education Tool • Hazard Assessments can be used to inform individuals and communities about: • What is the problem • (raise people’s awareness) • What needs to be done • to reduce risk from wildfire • (direct people towards action)

3. PRESENTATION OUTLINE • 1. Introduction • Incidents and attitudes • Components of Fire Threat in the WUI • 2. Hazard Assessment System in FireSmart • 3. Hazard Assessment Form - Structure and Site Factors • 4. Questions/Discussion

4. INTRODUCTION Assessing Wildfire Hazard in the Wildland-Urban Interface

5. Wildfires in Canada • Wildfires are a natural part of Canada’s forest ecosystems • Average 10,000 fires/year • 0.2-7.5 million ha burned/year

6. Interface Incidents in Canada • Interface fires: • influence thousands of people each year • have significant social and economic impacts • Potential is for a major incident is rising • Recent Incidents • Burwash Landing, YK (1999) • La Ronge, SK (1999) • Beardmore, ON (1999) • Shelburne County, NS (1999) • Badger, NF (1999) • Salmon Arm, BC (1998) • Swan Hills, AB (1998) • Granum, AB (1997) • Timmins, ON (1997) • Ft. Norman, NT (1995)

7. Prevalent Attitudes/Comments “Reactive Behaviour” • “It won’t happen here” • “It won’t happen to me” • “We haven’t had a forest fire here for years” • “The fire department will take care of it (that’s why I pay my taxes)” • “I’ve got insurance” • “No one told me about forest fires”

8. “I am living and/or working in a flammable forest” “Wildfires do occur and fire suppression is not always 100% effective” “As a homeowner/community there are actions that I/we can take to reduce the risk from wildfire before an incident ever occurs” Preferred Attitudes/Comments “Proactive Behaviour”

9. Ignition Spread Suppression Structural Susceptibility Intensity Components of Wildfire Threat in the WUI What is the chance/likelihood of your home burning down?

10. WILDFIRE HAZARD ASSESSMENT SYSTEM Assessing Wildfire Hazard in the Wildland-Urban Interface

11. Higher Hazard Lower Hazard Definition WUI Hazard Assessment - An assessment of the physical characteristics of a structure and its surroundings as it pertains to forest fire behaviour and structural ignition potential (without regard for weather/climatic conditions, ignition sources, etc.)

12. Wildfire Hazard Assessment Forms FireSmart Approach • Characteristics • Simple • Numerical • Relative - based on key known factors • Separates suppression • and ignition sources from hazard

13. Area Hazard • Assesses site characteristics beyond 30 m of a building Wildfire Hazard Assessment Forms Structure and Site Hazard Evaluates building and adjacent site characteristics up to 30 m from a structure

14. Wildfire Hazard Assessment Forms • When to Conduct a Hazard Assessment? • Before new development occurs • All existing developments • Who can conduct the Assessment? • Agency personnel and interested individuals • Where You Should use it? • Residential, industrial, agriculture, and recreational structures.

15. STRUCTURE AND SITE HAZARD ASSESSMENT - FACTORS Assessing Wildfire Hazard in the Wildland-Urban Interface

16. Factors 1 and 2 Roofing Material and Roof Cleanliness • Roof is one of the most important factors due to ignition from firebrands (untreated wood shakes are volatile; non-combustible roof is desired) • Leaves, needles on a roof will increase fire hazard.

17. Factor 3 Building Exterior • Wood siding is most susceptible to ignition. • Log structures are somewhat flammable. • Brick, stucco, concrete, or stone is • not-combustible.

18. Factors 4-7 Eaves/Vents/Openings Windows-size/type Location of Combustibles Deck/Balcony/Porch

19. Factor 8 Setback from Edge of Slope • Buildings that located at the middle or top of a slope or that hang over a slope have a higher hazard. • Structures that are setback from the slope will be less susceptible to convective heat and firebrands.

20. Factor 9 Forest Vegetation (Overstory) Deciduous - Low Mixedwood - Moderate Coniferous - high

21. Factor 10 Surface Vegetation Wild grass - Moderate Lawn or non-combustible - Low Dead and down woody material (abundant) - high

22. Factor 11 Ladder Fuels Scattered - Moderate Absent - Low Continuous - High

23. SUMMARY Assessing Wildfire Hazard in the Wildland-Urban Interface

24. Key Take Home Messages 3. Give your home a FireSmart Exterior

25. Key Take Home Messages 2. Create a FireSmart Landscape “break the chain of fuel”

26. Key Take Home Messages 1. Install a FireSmart Roof “protect the roof over your head”

27. CONTRIBUTORS • Hazard Assessment System • Don Mortimer • Al Westhaver • Stew Walkinshaw • Jack Cohen • Presentation • Brian Mottus Assessing Wildfire Hazard in the Wildland-Urban Interface

28. Questions • Comments For More Information or to conduct On-line Hazard Assessments www.nofc.cfs.nrcan.gc.ca/fire/frn/ Assessing Wildfire Hazard in the Wildland-Urban Interface