Hello FACNM members!
We hope you’re all staying healthy and taking precautions while the air quality remains poor in parts of the state. In the past thirty years, more than 32 million homes have been built within the wildland-urban interface (WUI) in the USA. Whether you are a renter, have owned property for decades, are a new homeowner, or have a vacation home here in New Mexico, we all have responsibilities when it comes to preparing for wildfire season. We wanted to provide some information for different housing scenarios to help clarify what you are responsible for and what resources are available to help you prepare!
This Wildfire Wednesday features:
Wildfire preparation resources for renters & homeowners
Advice on how to help your neighbors prepare for wildfire season
An upcoming webinar of interest
Liz
Renters
When renting property in the wildland-urban interface it can be difficult to know whether certain responsibilities fall to you or your landlord / property manager. While landlords are responsible for maintaining the area around the property to reduce risk of wildfire damage, there are steps that tenants should also take to be prepared.
Important steps for renters:
Review your renter’s insurance to see if wildfire damage is included. The landlord’s property insurance does not cover your personal belongings within the building.
Take photos of your valuable possessions to support potential insurance claim
Meet with your landlord to discuss wildfire risk and prevention
Walk through the property to discuss concerns
Make sure the fire extinguisher and smoke detectors are accessible and up-to-date.
Discuss evacuation plans
Who is responsible for turning off the gas and pilot lights?
What is expected of you as a tenant during an evacuation?
Image source: Avail
Click here for more resources on how to navigate tenant and landlord responsibilities in preparation for and during natural disasters.
Homeowners & Landowners
This neighborhood which sustained damage from the 2007 Witch Fire shows how one house can be destroyed while the one adjacent remains intact (Photo credit: Sandy Huffaker/Getty Images)
Over the past 56 blog posts we’ve provided a lot of information to landowners/homeowners about how to prepare your property for wildfire season. Today we wanted to share with you some more specific resources about lesser-known ways to reduce wildfire risk on your property.
Click here to explore the variety of ways you can harden your home to wildfire.
Click here to learn about the combustibility of different types of landscape mulches.
Click here to read the Resources for Private Forest Landowners in New Mexico to learn about technical and financial assistance for landowners for forest health and wildfire risk reduction.
Working Together
The social component of wildfire risk reduction in our WUI communities is critical. Research has shown that homeowners are more likely to improve their defensible space when they see their neighbors doing the same thing or when they have encouragement from their community. Here is some advice on how to talk to your neighbors about wildfire risk in your community amended from Nevada County’s Fire Safe Council “Talking to Your Neighbors About Defensible Space” Document:
Approach your neighbor in a friendly manner with the goal to educate them and open the dialogue about the fire danger in your area and the benefits of making their property more fire safe. Make an earnest expression of your concerns as they relate to your property.
Provide them with written information on the high fire danger in your neighborhood and what action steps can be taken to mitigate this danger (Stop by the Forest Stewards Guild office for written information handouts). Let them know the importance of working across property lines to reduce the fire hazard.
Give them information on local resources to help with the problem such as:
Gauge their response. If you sense resistance or hostility don’t push the issue. Leave the information with them and let it go for now. Follow up with them in a week or two and see if they have had a chance to read the material and what their opinion is on it.
If you are able and willing, ask if you may assist them with the area you are concerned with. Focus on areas that are within 100’ of a structure or are affecting evacuation routes. If your neighbor agrees to allow you to assist them in resolving the problem, put in writing what the scope of work will be, who assumes the liability and who pays what costs, if any.
Upcoming Webinar:
Tomorrow, June 10th at 10:00am The Nature Conservancy is hosting a virtual event, Revitalizing Cultural Burning Practices, New Mexico and Beyond moderated by Lindsey Quam, the Deputy Director of Forests/Forestry and Tribal Liason, NM Forestry Division and featuring Margo Robbins from the Indigenous Peoples Burning Network and Rene Romero from the Division of Natural Resources for Taos Pueblo.
“This event will highlight the longstanding relationship between American Indian cultures and fire, challenges related to fire faced by Indigenous communities and ways in which partners and TNC are supporting American Indian communities' efforts to revitalize their traditional cultures in today's context.”
Click here to register for this virtual event.