Wildland-Urban interface areas are most impacted from fires started naturally such as lightning strikes or accidentally from unattended fire pits or burning brush during high risk times.  SVFD makes all attempts to extinguish these fires quickly before they consume homes or property.  Our firefighters complete annual training based on methods to attack and extinguish these wildfires with as little property loss as possible.  We also strive to prevent future fires from occurring through pro-active education, newsletters and Wildland-Urban Interface Pre-Planning available to all homeowners in the district (call 928-1700).

We urge residents to help us protect your home from wildfire by making your home more defendable. Ideas include:

• Clearly mark your home address on your house and next to the road – we want to find you quickly in an emergency!
• Prune back overgrown bushes and trees so lowest tree branches are 6 to 10 feet from the ground
• Create a defensible space at least 30 feet around your home by keeping a green manicured lawn or watered area (clear at least 100 feet if your home is on a hillside)
• Clear leaves, dry pine needles and other debris from roofs, gutters, eaves, porches and decks
• Move flammable materials such as firewood stacks, propane tanks and dry vegetation away from your home
• Choose heat- and flame-resistant construction materials for homes, decks, porches and fences

In high risk Wildland-Urban Interface areas it is best to know more than one exit point out of your subdivision in the instance that a fire blocks your primary route you are able to safely exit out the other.  SVFD will continue to train it’s personnel to defend your homes against Urban Interface Wildland fires and we encourage you to create and use the defensible ideas listed above.  A defensible space could just save your home or property.

Learn more about creating a defensible space around your home

Valleyview Fire:

12 homes and several out buildings were destroyed. The fire broke out the afternoon of July 10, 2008. Winds were reaching 50 mph and was a major factor contributing to the loss of the homes and approx. 1000 acres burned. Several area fires were already burning when this fire broke out and local resources were already depleted, which slowed the response to this incident. Resources and firefighters from all local departments assisted as well as several state resources, and a WA state Type 2 incident management team.

All SVFD firefighters are certified to combat wildland fires. The Department is capable of deploying one specialized wildland engine, three Wildland-Urban Interface (UWI) Brush Trucks and a Communications Trailer to combat these specialized types of fires.  Additional support for combating UWI fires comes from neighboring fire agencies and in significant events, through a State of Washington mobilization process that can deploy teams from departments throughout the state.  SVFD provides personnel and equipment to support the mobilization process as part of a regional Spokane County effort to combine resources from many different departments in a coordinated manner.

Video on Spokane Valley’s 2008 Valley View Fire and the FireWise program to create defensible space: http://wsm.wsu.edu/s/we.php?id=288