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Wildfire Safety
When one hears of wildfires, many in Oklahoma associate them to areas such as California, Oregon and Colorado. Oklahoma, and specifically Sand Springs is very susceptible to have them as well, with much of Sand Springs nestled in the hills of Osage and Tulsa counties.This vulnerability comes from the increase of building homes in the wildland-urban interface – the zone where homes are intermixed with wildland vegetation. In fact nearly 44 million homes in the lower 48 states are located in areas that meet or intermingle with wildland vegetation.
Many of our largest fires in Sand Springs can be attributed to wildland fires, and for this reason we would like to provide some facts and prevention measures to educate our citizens:
- Lightning has caused many of the most notable wildland fires, rightfully so, since lightning strikes the earth nearly 100 times a second
- Falling rocks generate sparks when falling against other rocks
- Volcanic activity - not a huge problem here in Oklahoma
- Human activity - unattended camp fires, illegal burns, or arson
By taking a few simple steps, homeowners in the wildland-urban-interface can lessen their risk of losing their home and belongings, such as:
- Use non-combustible or fire resistant materials such as fire resistant roofing materials, tile, slate, sheet iron, aluminum, brick, or stone for roof and exterior coverings
- Apply fire retardent chemicals to wood siding, cedar shakes, exterior wood paneling, and other highly combustible materials
- Create a defensible safety perimeter around your home
- Remove dead vegetation from your roof and gutters
- Provide a non-flammable mesh cover for chimneys and stovepipes
- Keep heating fuel (woodpiles) and scrap lumber 100 feet from home
More information can be in this Homeowner Checklist.
Never hesitate to call 911 if you see or suspect a uncontrolled wildland fire!
Some portions for this page have been adapted from the USFA website.