The fire smart home handbook : preparing for and surviving the threat of wildfire

Title:

Author:

Soles, Clyde, 1959-

ISBN:

9780762796908

Personal Author:

Soles, Clyde, 1959-

Publication Information:

Guilford, Connecticut : Lyons Press, 2014.

Physical Description:

268 pages ; 21 cm

Abstract:

Learn how wildfires begin and behave, how to evaluate your property, what essential tools you'll need and what they will cost, how to prepare your land and home--including tips on how to avoid insurance nightmares--when to stay and fight, when it's time to evacuate, how to clean up after a fire event, and more.

Subject Term:

Dwellings -- Fires and fire prevention -- United States.

Wildfires -- United States -- Prevention and control.

Wildfires -- United States -- Management.

Document ID:

SD_ILS:2161993

Holds: Copies:

Available:*

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Summary

Devastating wildfires are increasing in size and ferocity nationwide. If you live in or near wilderness, sooner or later fire will happen. Fortunately you can prepare for it, and preparations don't have to cost a fortune. This highly detailed and practical guide will help you live safely in the wildfire zone and save you time and money along the way, providing various methods of risk mitigation along with the financial level of each action. Learn how wildfires behave and are fought, how to evaluate your property, what essential tools you'll need, what they cost, how to prepare your land and home--including tips on avoiding insurance nightmares--what to do when it's time to evacuate, how to clean up after a fire, and even how to survive when things go wrong. This book will help you create a survivable space that will not only enhance the scenery but may increase the value of your home. Be Fire Smart, and you'll greatly improve your odds of surviving a major conflagration.

Author Notes

Clyde Soles is the author often books, including Climbing: Training for Peak Performance and The Outdoor Knots Book. He founded Trail Runner magazine, and his articles and photographs have appeared in Outside, Backpacker, Rock Ice, and other publications. He lives with his wife in the foothills of Boulder, Colorado.

Reviews (1)

Publisher's Weekly Review

Keeping one's nostrils hydrated may not be top of mind should wildfire strike the property, but no threat is left untouched in this handbook worthy of a firefighters academy library. Wildfires obviously aren't a threat to the entire population, but as Soles, a frequent contributor to outdoor magazines and a wildfire evacuee himself, notes, the number of acres burned has increased from two million in 1992 to almost seven million in 2012. Wildfire mitigation is discussed at length, with heavy emphasis on trimming, sawing, and clearing property of highly flammable foes, from tree stumps to wood fences or firewood stacked against the side of a home. Directions are included for making a driveway allowing turnaround for large fire trucks, building a fire bunker, gathering tools for elimination of brush, and using goats in vegetation management. (Yes, you can actually rent a herd of goats.) Insurance and FEMA claims also are covered. While not everyone has to worry about wildfire, some of this advice applies to fire preparedness in most any home. (Apr.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Foreword	p. xi
Introduction	p. xv
1 Wildfire	p. 1
Basics of Wildland Fire	p. 1
Heat	p. 1
Fuel	p. 3
Oxygen	p. 5
Wildfire Causes	p. 5
Fire Behavior	p. 7
Wind	p. 9
Drought	p. 10
Topography	p. 11
Extreme Fire Conditions	p. 12
Danger Ratings	p. 14
Wildland Types	p. 16
Beetle-Killed Forests	p. 17
Ponderosa Pine / Douglas Fir	p. 19
Lodgepole Pine	p. 20
Subalpine Conifers	p. 21
Pinyon-Juniper Woodland	p. 21
Grass and Desert Shrub	p. 23
Chaparral and Woodlands	p. 23
Riparian Zones	p. 25
Eastern Forests	p. 25
Carbon Cycle and Wildfires	p. 26
2 Survivable Space	p. 27
Rules of Survivable Space	p. 28
Know Your Property	p. 28
Evaluating Your Property	p. 29
New Home Considerations	p. 31
Urban Edge	p. 32
Intermix Living	p. 33
Rural Living	p. 33
Wildland Living	p. 34
Firescape	p. 35
Designating Zones	p. 36
Zone 1	p. 37
Zone 2	p. 41
Zone 3	p. 46
Zone 4	p. 47
Shaded Fuelbreaks	p. 48
Firebreaks	p. 49
Safety Zone	p. 49
3 Tools of the Trade	p. 51
Hand Tools	p. 51
Pruning Saw	p. 51
Hatchet and Ax	p. 52
Brush Tool	p. 53
Swing Blades	p. 54
Winch and Pulleys	p. 55
Lopper	p. 56
Pole Saw	p. 57
Pruning Pole	p. 58
Stirrup Hoe	p. 59
Tree Puller	p. 60
Rakes	p. 60
McLeod Tool	p. 61
Pulaski Tool	p. 62
Pickeroon	p. 62
Slash Sling	p. 63
Extension Ladder	p. 64
Goats	p. 66
Power Tools	p. 66
Power Tool Safety	p. 68
Fuel	p. 69
Chain Saws	p. 71
String Trimmer	p. 82
Brush Cutter	p. 86
Power Pole Saw	p. 87
Cordless Reciprocating Saw	p. 88
Power Capstan	p. 89
Wood Chipper	p. 90
Rough Terrain Mower	p. 90
4 Caring for Your Land	p. 93
Phase 1 p. 94
Fire-Resistant Plants	p. 97
Propane Tank	p. 98
Phase 2 p. 99
Help Firefighters	p. 104
Phase 3 p. 104
Mistletoe	p. 106
Bark Beetles	p. 107
Invasive Plants	p. 109
Pruning	p. 110
Basics of Tree Felling	p. 112
Preparing to Cut	p. 113
Tree Felling Primer	p. 115
Felling Problem Trees	p. 120
Releasing Hung Trees	p. 123
Girdling Trees	p. 123
Processing Trees	p. 124
Slash Disposal	p. 130
Hauling	p. 131
Chipping	p. 131
Lopping and Scattering	p. 134
Open Burning	p. 134
Using an Air Curtain Burner	p. 136
5 Prepare Your Howie	p. 137
Passive Resistance	p. 137
Building Materials	p. 137
Windows	p. 149
Doors	p. 151
Vents	p. 152
Chimneys	p. 153
Gutters	p. 154
Enclosed Spaces	p. 156
Fences	p. 156
Internal Sprinkler System	p. 157
Computer Backups	p. 157
Fire-Resistant Safe	p. 158
Fire Bunker	p. 160
Active Suppression	p. 162
Fire Extinguishers	p. 162
Hoses	p. 165
Well Pressure Tanks	p. 167
Fire Cistern	p. 167
Water Pumping Systems	p. 168
Flame-Retardant Spray	p. 169
Fire Foam	p. 170
Fire Gel	p. 171
Fire Wrap	p. 172
External Sprinkler Systems	p. 172
Standby Generator	p. 174
Fire-Retardant Systems	p. 174
Fire Sensors	p. 175
Wildfire Protection Service	p. 176
Community Projects	p. 176
Firearm Safety	p. 177
6 Prepare Your Finances	p. 179
Inventory	p. 179
Securing the Inventory	p. 182
Insurance	p. 183
Insurance Pitfalls	p. 185
Flood Insurance	p. 189
7 Evacuation Planning	p. 191
Communication Planning	p. 191
Evacuation Vehicles	p. 193
Evacuation Kit	p. 194
Evacuation List	p. 196
Five-Minute Lists	p. 196
One-Hour Lists	p. 200
Six-Hour Lists	p. 203
Practice Runs	p. 204
Neighborhood Watch	p. 205
Pet Evacuation	p. 206
Livestock Evacuation	p. 208
8 When the Fire Roars	p. 211
Fire Watch	p. 211
Evacuate Now!	p. 212
Evacuation Procedure	p. 214
Evacuation Living	p. 215
Smoke Protection	p. 216
Stay Tuned	p. 219
Worst-Case Scenario	p. 221
Caught at Home	p. 221
Caught in the Car	p. 223
Caught in the Open	p. 224
Fire Shelters	p. 225
9 Fire Fight	p. 227
Fire Management	p. 227
Types of Firefighters	p. 230
Fire Vehicles	p. 232
Fire Attack	p. 233
Aerial Assault	p. 235
The Home Front	p. 239
Containment	p. 240
Mop-Up	p. 241
10 After the Fire	p. 243
Examine Your Property	p. 243
Total Loss	p. 245
Protect Your Property	p. 247
Erosion Control	p. 247
Insurance Claims	p. 250
Damaged Property	p. 253
Rebuilding or Relocating	p. 255
Restoring Land	p. 258
Evaluating Trees	p. 259
Replanting	p. 259
Mental Health	p. 260
Recovery	p. 261
Recap	p. 263
Index	p. 264

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Bound With These Titles

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Summary

Summary

Author Notes

Reviews (1)

Publisher's Weekly Review

Table of Contents