Robin Wyatt Little
Special to the Sun

Lake Isabella-Bodfish Property Owners Association hosted the Kern River Valley Fire Safe Council at their Aug. 12 meeting. Presenters were Debbie Santiago of the Bureau of Land Management, Battalion Chief Dennis Monahan of Kern County Fire Department and Robin Wyatt Little, Kern River Valley Fire Safe Council (KRV FSC.)

Home Ignition Zones and the Ember Phenomenon were the subjects of the power point program. Debbie Santiago, Wildland Fire Mitigation and Education Specialist, took the audience step-by-step through the process of evaluating home and property for ignition zones where flying embers can settle, smolder and start spot fires. She stressed that often, following the initial wildfire, embers are lodged in nooks and crannies, able to smolder for hours, then igniting a fire. Many times this occurs after firefighting personnel have left an area.

At the Aug. 12 meeting of the KRV Fire Safe Council, Captain Debbie Santiago, Fire Prevention Specialist for BLM, and Robin Wyatt-Little of the Kern River Valley Fire Safe Council discuss the importance of minding the “little things” when keeping one’s home safer in the event of a wildfire.

Specifically, areas of concern are roof, foundation and eave vents with larger than 1/8 inch covering which embers can enter; gutters with a build-up of leaves and pine needles; fire wood stacked against a house or outbuilding; pet doors left unlocked when no one is home which can allow embers to be blown into the interior of the house; low decks without 1/8 inch screening to prevent leaf litter build up and ember intrusion; mobile homes without adequate skirting, allowing ember intrusion; brooms, cleaning supplies etc. stacked against a structure; tile roofs lacking end and ridge caps which prevent bird nests and ember intrusion; fire safe landscaping spaced properly and 5 feet from a structure wall; wood fences attached to a house or other buildings (separate with a masonry post); patio furniture pillows left outside when residents are not home and broken windows which allow flying ember intrusion.

Santiago stressed that if it’s attached to the house it’s part of the house. She asked the audience to walk their property and try to imagine where embers might land and what was available to feed a fire. Experience has shown it’s the little things that can lead to the destruction of a home.

Santiago thanked the audience for all the defensible space treatment work they have done on their properties. She commented that this is much more evident in the KRV than eight years ago when the Fire Safe Council was in its infancy.

The Fire Safe Council invites individuals, property owner associations, civic groups and business owners to participate in their monthly meetings held the third Thursday of each month in Supervisor McQuiston’s conference room, Lake Isabella. For information about chipper days and meetings please call Robin Wyatt Little at 376-6842 or check the website at krvfiresafecouncil.org.