NORTHWEST BOISE, Idaho — As wildfire season approaches, Boise Fire officials are encouraging homeowners to take steps now to reduce the risk of their homes igniting during a wildfire.
To better understand what firefighters look for, Idaho News 6 invited Boise Fire Wildfire Captain Garrett Kirpach to conduct a wildfire readiness assessment at a home near the Boise Foothills.
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Kirpach said homes in the foothills face a particular risk from wind-driven embers, which can travel ahead of an active fire and ignite vulnerable materials around a property.
"It's going to be some kind of hard wind that throws a bunch of embers, lands somewhere that's receptive, and then we catch your house on fire even though it's not right next to where the fire actually is," Kirpach said.
Because of that risk, Boise Fire offers free home assessments to residents living in the wildland-urban interface, often referred to as WUI areas, where neighborhoods border open space and wildland vegetation.
"The more work we can do within those zones to basically home harden and create defensible space, the less likely your house is to catch on fire in a wildfire event," Kirpach said.
During the assessment, Kirpach evaluated the home's roof, siding and surrounding landscaping. He said several features already helped reduce wildfire risk, including a non-combustible roof, fire-resistant siding and rock landscaping near the structure.
One common concern firefighters encounter, he said, is combustible bark mulch placed close to homes.
"A big one that we see a lot of times is mulch beds. Everyone likes that chewed-up bark kind of look, but if you think about that, that's just a bunch of fuel sitting right next to your house," Kirpach said.
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The department also recommends trimming trees, removing excess fuels and being cautious with highly flammable vegetation such as junipers and some decorative pines.
Kirpach said homeowners should not assume firefighters will be able to defend every structure during a fast-moving wildfire.
"The more you can do on your end to make your house more fire resistant, then it makes our jobs as firefighters easier," he said. "We can cover more houses without as many concerns in those areas."
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In addition to assessments, Boise Fire offers a free chipping program that helps residents dispose of hazardous vegetation removed from their properties.
The assessment found no major wildfire hazards at the home.
Still, Kirpach emphasized that wildfire preparation should happen well before smoke is in the air.
"This needs to be the fall before or that spring. Once we get into the middle of summer, we're kind of stuck with what we've got," he said. "It's hard to get the genie back in the bottle once the fire starts."
