You rode hard all winter. But now, the days have gotten longer and warmer and maybe it's time to put the ol' sled to bed.
After you stabilize the fuel, shoot in some grease and cover it with a tarp, think for a minute about how all the fuel and plastic of a snowmachine might affect your house if you had a fire nearby.
Be wise about fire and take time to clean up and clear away all that burnable stuff that has stacked up near your place.
Pull that trailer away from the house. While you're at it, find a safer place for the two-cycle mix, too. Got octane? Probably all your big toys have a fuel tank or two. Ask any rocket scientist about what might happen if a little grass fire crept up to a tarp over a tank next to a wooden building.
Another source of wildfire danger to your home is one you usually want to burn. That extra firewood and kindling under the deck or on the porch won't exactly help either. Actually, a lot of the stuff you see poking out from under the snow could do with some spring cleaning.
The idea is simple. Clear burnables away from your buildings. That includes fuel, vehicles, equipment, boats and all the other things that make the Kenai Peninsula a fun place to live.
You owe it to yourself to use this gear safely and responsibly. If the woods catch fire, you don't want to give the fire a way to get close to your house.
You can make a date for FireWise team members to visit your home and offer advice. Through a cost-share program, Alaska Division of Forestry can pay homeowners up to $2,500 to FireWise their homes and up to 2.5 acres of surrounding property. For more information on FireWise, go to www.firewisekp.com or contact FireWise Kenai Peninsula at (907) 260-4262 or kpb.firewise.team@gmail.com.
Remember, firefighters can only help. It's up to you to prepare for fires.
Rick Smeriglio is a unit leader for FireWise Kenai Peninsula, which is funded by the Alaska Division of Forestry, USDA Forest Service and the Kenai Peninsula Borough.
April: Clear burnables from around buildings
By Rick Smeriglio
You rode hard all winter. But now, the days have gotten longer and warmer and maybe it's time to put the ole sled to bed. After you stabilize the fuel, shoot in some grease and cover it with a tarp, think for a minute about how all the fuel and plastic of a snowmachine might affect your house if you had a fire nearby. Be wise about fire and take time to clean up and clear away all that burnable stuff that has stacked up near your place.
Pull that trailer away from the house. While you're at it, find a safer place for the two-cycle mix too. Got octane? Probably all your big toys have a fuel tank or two. Ask any rocket scientist about what might happen if a little grass fire crept up to a tarp over a tank next to a wooden building.
Another source of wildfire danger to your home is one you usually want to burn. That extra firewood and kindling under the deck or on the porch won't exactly help either. Actually, a lot of the stuff you see poking out from under the snow could do with some spring-cleaning.
The idea is simple. Clear burnables away from your buildings. That includes fuel, vehicles, equipment, boats and all the other things that make the Peninsula a fun place to live. You owe it to yourself to use this gear safely and responsibly. If the woods catch fire, you don't want to give the fire a way to get close to your house.
You can make a date for FireWise team members to visit your home and offer advice. Through a cost-share program, Alaska Division of Forestry can pay homeowners up to $2,500 to FireWise their homes and up to 2.5 acres of surrounding property. For more information on FireWise, go to www.firewisekp.com or contact FireWise Kenai Peninsula: 260-4262 or kpb.firewise.team@gmail.com.
Remember. Firefighters can only help. It's up to you to prepare for fires.
Rick Smeriglio is a unit leader for FireWise Kenai Peninsula, which is funded by the Alaska Division of Forestry , USDA Forest Service and the Kenai Peninsula Borough.
