Overview
In this lesson, we will learn how we can learn to co-exist with fires that threaten human communities. This lesson discusses recommended management actions in different fire zones around properties and precautions we should take depending on the ready-set-go evacuation status. Students will identify potential dangers on various properties and develop their own wildfire preparedness plan.
Learning Outcomes
Students will know the following:
- The different fire zones around properties and what preventative measures property managers can take in each
- What the wildland-urban interface is
Students will understand the following:
- The dangers of fire suppression require homeowners living requires adaptation strategies
Students will be able to do the following:
- Identify common potential fire dangers at various properties
- Develop a fire preparedness plan for their homes
Essential Questions
- How can we keep ourselves and our homes safe in fire-prone environments?
NextGen Science Standards
- MS-ESS3-2 Earth and Human Activity
- Analyze and interpret data on natural hazards to forecast future catastrophic events and inform the development of technologies to mitigate their effects.
Materials
- NA
Glossary
- Community wildfire protection plan: A community-led plan that identifies wildfire hazards, along with strategies to reduce the associated risks
- Hazard: Something that has the potential to cause harm
- Ignition zones: Areas around structures with different distances from the home
- Risk: The likelihood of a harm caused by a hazard
Activating Strategy
Time: 10 minutes
Invite students to share their personal experiences with wildfires in their communities. Have them reflect on how this connects to the previous lessons.
Learning Approaches
Time: 30 minutes
In northern New Mexico, all of us live in fire-prone environments. We are all likely to experience several wildfires over the course of our lifetimes, and this will probably become more frequent moving forward due to climate change. We know that fire suppression ultimately leads to more dangerous and destructive fires, so we need to develop a strategy that allows us to live safely with fire, minimizing hazards and risks.
When considering how to prevent wildfire damage, properties are often designated into four ignition zones (Table 3, Figure 14). Experts have different recommendations for each of the zones.
Table 3: Fire zones around properties
| Zone | Distance from structure (ft) |
| Zone 1 | 0-5 |
| Zone 2 | 5-30 |
| Zone 3 | 30-100 |
| Zone 4 | 100+ |
Figure 14: Ignition zones around the home
Within Zone 1, vegetation should be cleared around and under propane tanks. Any organic matter, like mulch and needles should be removed. Plants should not be touching the house. Attic vents should be covered with mesh screen. Firewood should be located 30 feet away from the home.
In Zone 2, landscaping should create breaks between flammable vegetation to slow an approaching wildfire. These firebreaks can be driveways, sidewalks, or dirt strips. Grass should be kept below 4 inches in height and trees should be pruned 6-10 feet off the ground so fire does not climb up into their crowns. Trees should be 10-20 feet apart.
As we move further away from structures in Zones 3 and 4, the management can be less intensive. Clusters of trees should be separated so that their crowns do not touch and they should be pruned to eliminate fuel ladders. The slash from pruning and thinning should be chipped, scattered, or piled 100+ feet from the house.
See if you can spot the problems with the following pictures that make the properties more at risk to fire.
Figure 15: Dirty gutters with lots of needles and leaves can catch on fire and spread to the roof. A metal roof would be safer than shingles, and remember to clean out the gutters.
Figure 16: Firwood is located within 30 feet of the house. It may be less convenient to get more in the winter, but moving it away from the home would be safer.
Figure 17: Trees are right next to the house, making it easy for the fire to spread. It may be pretty to have a home in the trees, but it can present risks. It’s probably a good idea to cut the trees within 30 feet of the property, or at least thin them.
Figure 18: This is a doghair thicket. The trees are very dense, close to one another, which will make it easy for the fire to spread. Thinning would help reduce fuel loads.
Figure 19: There are no firebreaks that would slow a grass fire moving toward the cabin. A bare strip around the house would help!
In addition to landscaping, several resources can help prepare people for fires. New Mexico follows the ready, set, go protocol. We all live on ready, particularly during seasons with high fire activity, like the spring and summer. It is a good idea to photograph or videotape your home to inventory your property in the case it does burn. Maintain a list of emergency contacts and appoint an out-of-area point of contact. Determine a valuables list to determine what you will take in case of evacuation. Ensure you have necessary equipment, such as fire extinguishers, hoses, and shovels, to prevent fire.
When a fire ignites nearby, communities will be placed on set status. This means they should get set to evacuate. Prepare your evacuation and disaster supplies kit, including food, water, clothing, first aid kit, medication, toiletries, and emergency gear for 3-7 days, along with any irreplaceable valuables you may want to bring.
If the fire threatens communities, they will be told to evacuate (go status). Residents should turn off gas, pilot lights, and electricity. Closing windows, removing curtains, and furniture away from windows can prevent a fire from spreading inside. It may be a good idea to fill sinks and tubs with water. Place wet towels under doors to keep smoke and embers out. Communicate your plans for evacuation with your emergency contacts. Most importantly, leave as quickly as possible. You don’t want to find that your escape route is blocked. Often, people leave too late, not realizing how quickly fire moves or how thick the smoke can become.
As much as it pays to be ready for fire, the best defense we have is not lighting fires in an uncontrolled manner. Eighty-five percent of wildfires are caused by humans, and most of these are caused by carelessness. This is why we need to be careful when it comes to our behaviors that could start fires, especially during dry seasons. This includes keeping campfires in designated locations, fully drowning campfires, not disposing of hot ashes outside, respecting burn bans, and not using fireworks.
Finally, none of us are alone in this. Many communities have developed community wildfire protection plans that help neighbors work together to help make their communities more fire-safe. The first step in this is learning about fire and how it interacts with land, which hopefully these lessons have helped you understand!
Summarizing Strategy
Time: 10 minutes
Have students identify the actions they will recommend their parents take around their homes in the different ignition zones to make them more fire-safe.
Assessing Strategy
- Students correctly identify hazards in photos
- Students are able to generate appropriate ideas for hazard reduction in corresponding ignition zones