17
Dec

Wildfires spread extremely quickly. While individuals can build and maintain their homes with safety involved, it doesn’t just stop there. The community infrastructure is essential to make it safer in the area. This involves creating evacuation routes, building emergency access points, and creating the right infrastructure around the town. Here’s a look at all the work that needs to be done.

Reducing the Risk of Fire

Getting the right building materials for shops, offices, and other spaces will be essential. It’s important to minimize the spread of the fire, reducing destruction and making the community safe for all.

Likewise, maintaining the area is essential. Creating a defensible space around the entire community and maintaining that is something a town or city will need to do. It’s important to work with local state forestry and fire agencies to make the town as safe as possible.

Making Sure Access Is Clear

During wildfires, firefighters will want to act as quickly as possible. They need to work immediately to minimize the spread, which means access routes are essential. At the same time, the firefighters will help with the evacuation process, which means a clear evacuation route is necessary.

Not all firefighters will be local. Some will be drafted in from other towns or may be new to the area. Visible street signs are necessary, and all property addresses will need to be clear.
As it can be impossible to say which side of the town a fire can start, it’s essential to have routes on all sides. The first responders and city officials will need to put up road blocks and signs to ensure community members follow the safest path.

The roads will need to be wide enough to allow the first responders to have access at the same time as the evacuation is taking place. If evacuees need to pull over to let first responders past, it creates a dangerous tailback. Road size minimums are 20ft for the access roads and 12ft for the driveways.

There is going to be some heavy use during these periods. Make sure the road surface can deal with 40,000lbs of weight at all times. Also make sure the grade of the road isn’t any more than 16% to help prevent the spread of the fire.

If a driveway is more than 150ft, make sure there is a turnaround area at the end. This needs to be at least 30ft to allow for fire trucks to turn around. The driveway and roads should be suitable for all weather.

Water Resources for Firefighters

As a community, it’s essential to consider water resources. Wildfires spread extremely quickly and take up a lot of time and water to put out. Making the water easily accessible is essential to minimize the damage and keep firefighters’ lives safe.

With all this in place, you can then consider the fuel modification. Look at the vegetation in the area and ensure the community has a good defensible zone. It’s also important to find areas that can be labeled as safety zones, such as schools and large parking lots, where there is minimal vegetation. You keep all people and first responders safe.