By Nathalie Olson

Fires, wild or otherwise, need three things: an ignition source, air and fuel. Wildfires in interface areas are usually ignited in and fueled by surface vegetation.

Surface vegetation includes grasses, herbs, shrubs, dead and down woody debris such as logs, branches, and twigs. In the Valemount area, the prevalent jackpine tree cover generates much in the way of dead and down, dry, woody material. This material (fuel) and accompanying concentrations of fallen needles maintain hot surface fires that can initiate crown fires. What changes a “ground” fire to forest and crown fires—the most serious, costly and difficult to control, may depend on how property owners treat surface vegetation on their lands. The property owner can do much to lessen the danger of accidental wildfire by aggressively removing all surface, understory and ladder fuels and replacing them with less- or non-combustible materials

Short mowed green lawns are the least combustible surface materials on a property besides gravel or cement. A lawn properly cared for, can do much to limit the spread of fire. Raking up fallen cones, twigs, needles and other combustibles on the surface will eliminate fuel sources. Kinnickinick under pine trees, or green cover such as “dead nettle” or even “creeping Charlie” where lawns don’t grow well, serve as great “green” fire retardants and should be encouraged rather than removed. They look good too, and require no care or attention!

Understory vegetation is a primary source of fuel for spreading fires, so all or most of it should be removed except for green ground covers as mentioned above. Spacing green shrubbery 5 to 10 metres apart is a good strategy if visual qualities absolutely require that some shrubbery be left in place.

Ground fires use “ladder” fuels as pathways to the upper canopies. These are shrubs, immature trees, and branches that extend near the ground within 2 metres. Trees with branches extended near the ground within 2 metres have ladder fuels. Cutting back and clearing away all ladder fuels to the height of about 2 metres reduces the likelihood of crown fire development, and creates an airy, tidy area that looks like natural parkland.

Removing surface, understory and “ladder” combustibles is something all property owners can do to ensure wildfire safety, but, what to do with the removed natural materials?? Burning within village limits is not an option most of the year for village residents, and village garbage service is not equipped to take it away, so the most practical and green option for all residents, is to haul it away to the landfill. There, the attendant will direct the owner to unload it in a special marshalling area where it will be sorted, chipped, and finally composted into useable mulch—all for free.

The responsibility for fire-proofing homes and land lies with all residents in the wildfire interface. Checking for surface vegetation, understory hazards, and ladder fuels to ensure a “fuel-smart” property is being “fire-smart.”

Nathalie Olson is Valemount councillor who is part of the Wildfire Planning and Prevention Committee.