There is work to be done by us all to be better prepared for future events.
Two days later, driven by 50 mile-per-hour winds, the smoldering Tunnel Fire reignited. Being less than two miles from the nearest homes, the “Ready, Set, Go” evacuation orders all happened in a matter of minutes at about 11 a.m. Residents had no time grab anything but the most essential of their belongings including pets and livestock. By 4 p.m., approximately 30 homes had been lost to the fire and many lives had been changed forever.
The folks who lived in the path of the Tunnel Fire were not new to forest fires. In 2010, many of them watched as the Schultz Fire consumed 15,000 acres behind their homes. That event was a life lesson that resulted in the neighborhoods being better prepared than most, should another fire occur. Despite that, the losses in the Tunnel Fire are yet another lesson for others. What did we learn?
We learned that fires today don’t behave the way they have in the past. Fire behavior experts were amazed at how fast the Tunnel Fire went from a small, controlled event to a raging inferno racing across the forest and into the homes. In the future, fire managers will have to plan for behaviors they have not seen before and develop a strategy that will better mitigate the risks of fires like the Tunnel.
As residents, we learned that sometimes there is almost no time to evacuate. This fire occurred before our typical “fire season,” so folks were not yet fully in the mindset of being fire aware. With less than an hour from first notice to the evacuation order, little could be done to protect property and belongings that had to be left behind. There was only time to grab the most essential of items and then leave the rest behind.
What Should Be Done?
The erratic fire behavior shown by the Tunnel Fire demands changes in a number of areas. As mentioned, wildland fire fighters need new tactics and training to address fires like this. Fires that in the past may not have been considered too threatening will need to be aggressively fought and then continuously monitored to ensure they are completely out.
New homes should be designed from the beginning to be firewise. Using non-flammable siding and roofing materials should be the standard. Non-ventilated attics that don’t suck burning embers from a fire inside your home should also be designed into new homes. Owners of existing homes need to be aware of how to reduce the vulnerability of their homes to fire. While wooden decks are a popular feature to enjoy the natural beauty surrounding us, they also act as a wick, bringing fire into our homes.
Now is the time to check your homeowner’s insurance policy coverage. Unfortunately, some of our neighbors who lost their homes were hit a second time when they learned that their policy covered the value from 10 years or more ago. With the dramatic increase in value of our homes and the cost to replace them, make sure your policy is keeping up.
We need to recognize that time may be very short to evacuate; or worse yet, we may be out of town when the next fire hits. In these cases, it is especially important to protect your most valuable possessions in place. A good quality safe with a fire rating of at least 75 minutes is a great investment (and is tax deductible). I’ve assisted folks in opening safes after the fire and they were extremely gratified to see that the investment they made paid off and protected their property. Two lessons on safes have been learned. First, make sure you invest in a high quality safe with the proper fire rating. Some safes have been opened only to find more ashes. Second, storing ammunition in your safe is not a good idea, as the heat can cause it to cook off.
There is work to be done by us all to be better prepared for future events. You’ll thank yourself if sometime in the future you return from an evacuation to a home still standing or at least a safe ready to be opened. FBN
By Rob Wilson
Rob and Elise Wilson own Timberline Firearms. Both their business and their home were in the Tunnel Fire evacuation zone. While their home suffered significant damage from the heat of the fire, they are extremely thankful that it was not lost.
