Latest news with #WildlandUrbanInterface
Yahoo
02-07-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
‘Public water systems not designed to handle wildfires': BYU professor warns of potential dangers
PROVO, Utah () — With persisting dry conditions and increasing wildfire risk, a Brigham Young University (BYU) professor , and residents need to be more mindful about conserving water and using their fire sense. 'A fire hydrant is not an unlimited supply of water; it's just the most visible endpoint of a largely hidden system whose main purpose is to provide reliable drinking water every day, not extinguish a wildfire,' Professor Rob Sowby who teaches and studies environmental engineering, urban water infrastructure and sustainability at BYU, told , Fire departments across the country are increasingly being called upon to respond to Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) fires, including brush, grass, forest fires, or other outdoor fires. This is one of the most dangerous and complicated situations firefighters face. According to the Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands, and intermingle with undeveloped wildland or vegetative fuels. Utah has over 700 '' within or near the WUI. Sowby says such interfaces often have dense vegetation, which increases fire risks or limits emergency response. 'Water systems serving residential areas are designed to supply fire flows of about 1,500 gallons per minute. That might be one or two open fire hydrants. Larger buildings like offices and warehouses require more, perhaps 4,000 gallons per minute,' Sowby noted. 'But any fire flow is an extreme case that can be sustained only for a few hours. In the Palisades fire, where 11 million gallons of stored water drained in half a day, the flow was about 15,000 gallons per minute— 10 times the typical residential fire flow.' This indicates that water systems that people assume can save us from a disaster were never meant for such a task. As of August 2024, were used to help fight about 961 fires across the state. has reached out to the Division of Natural Resources to get the total amount of water used in 2024 to fight wildfires. During the Palisades Fire in California, officials that had diminished water pressure and, in some cases, no water at all. 'Maybe the public has developed this expectation that the water system will save them from wildfire damage, but that's not what public water systems were meant to do. It's a shared responsibility for the water system to meet its designed capacity but also help educate customers and residents about limitations…it's a shared responsibility among all stakeholders in the community,' Sowby said. According to , there are about 431 fires in Utah so far this year, of which 327 are human-caused. Officials say , using fire-resistant landscaping, and practicing safe fire behavior is key to preventing human-caused wildfires. How to prepare your home for drier weather, fire season 'In a changing climate, conditions may be hotter and drier than in the past, drying out vegetation that is ready to ignite,' Sowby cautioned. Governor Spencer Cox (R-Utah) and reduce their fire risk. He has also in 17 counties and issued recommendations on conserving water throughout the state. Since 2000, Utah's population has increased by almost 48% and is projected to increase by another 49% by 2050. Officials are urging residents to use their fire sense and adopt landscaping with native plants instead of turf. Utah Food Bank fills the gap of food insecurity for Utah's children – no questions asked Monsoonal moisture is on the move through Utah for the midweek House GOP leaders scrambling to rally holdouts behind Trump megabill 23-year-old Motorcyclist killed in American Fork crash Clearfield City urges residents to conserve outdoor water use overnight Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
CBC
23-05-2025
- General
- CBC
Alberta government invests millions in new urban wildfire teams
The province is investing $6.5 million for six new Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) teams. They will be based in fire departments in Strathmore, Kananaskis, Hinton, Slave Lake, Lac La Biche County and the Kee Tas Kee Now Tribal Region. Two existing teams are located in Clearwater County and High Level.
CBS News
16-05-2025
- Business
- CBS News
Boulder City Council backs plan to expand fire-threatened area ahead of Colorado wildfire season
Boulder's City Council unanimously backed a plan on Thursday night to expand the city's view of properties that will face additional requirements due to the risk of wildfire in Colorado. The move, which faces a final vote likely in June, will increase the number of properties considered to be in the Wildland Urban Interface from 4600 to over 16,000. CBS Most of the property is west of Broadway, but in some areas, the properties that will likely face new restrictions will be east of the north-south throughfare. "I think there's a growing level of fear and neighboring communities because of the Marshall Fire and what happened, our proximity to the mountains, " said Karl Guiler, development code amendment manager for the city's Planning and Development Services. Some people spoke in support of the change in a lengthy council session on the issue Thursday night. "The purpose is not just to protect individual homeowners, it's to protect our city," said one resident to the council. The change means properties in new areas of the city will be subject to greater requirements for building codes to reduce fire danger. There are three classes of property designation. Most of the additional properties will be a Class III designation, with the fewest requirements. It will mean things like fire-resilient roofs and decking, as well as metal, not plastic, gutters and downspouts, as well as restrictions on fencing material when fences are close to homes. Boulder City Council CBS Reviews of the plans are mixed. "I think it's a good idea to have some kind of fire protection regulations, but let's not overdo it, said longtime homeowner Janet Heimer. Council members quizzed city leaders, including the Boulder Fire Chief, about the changes, but ultimately backed the plan. Boulder is trying to remain compliant with the International Wildland Urban Interface Code, which has been slowly dialing up recommended regulations about wildfire-prone areas. The city is in the 97th percentile of fire risk in the U.S. The requirements will not mean retrofitting. It is only for new construction or for significant changes like a new deck, not replacing an old one. "It's unrealistic to just change the rules overnight and then require everyone to meet the new rules, like the city doesn't have an enforcement arm that has the capability of enforcing to that level," said Guiler. A neighborhood in Boulder. CBS Colorado has required communities to adopt codes like this to mandate that communities meet or exceed the requirements of the state model codes. Boulder is among those acting earlier. There are likely to be additional regulations coming on landscaping, with recommendations in the summer. Highly flammable vegetation like juniper trees could be prohibited.
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
First wildfire town hall set for May 13
(COLORADO SPRINGS) — The Colorado Springs Fire Department (CSFD) will be hosting a Wildfire Town Hall for the community on Tuesday, May 13. On Tuesday, community members will learn about the ongoing threat of wildfire, how to prepare their homes for wildfires, how to be notified of an emergency, what to include in their emergency plan, and information on evacuations. The community will hear from CSFD Wildfire Mitigation, CSFD Operations, El Paso Teller 911 Authority, Pikes Peak Regional Office of Emergency Management, Springs Utilities, and the Colorado Springs Police Department. Individuals will also have the opportunity to sign up for the Neighborhood Chipping Program, a program that assists eligible individuals with disposal of tree branches and hazardous vegetation, and sign up for emergency alerts through Peak Alerts. Overall, three meetings will be held; three for citizens living in the Wildland Urban Interface, and two will be held for those living in the Prairie Urban Interface. The first meeting will be held on Tuesday, May 13, from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Woodmen Valley Chapel, located at 290 E. Woodmen Road. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Fountain Fire hosts town hall to discuss mitigation
(FOUNTAIN, Colo.) — The Fountain Fire Department (FFD) hosted a town hall on Thursday evening, May 8, to discuss the City's wildland mitigation efforts. According to FFD, the goal of the town hall was to educate and foster discussion around wildland fire safety and mitigation strategies, especially within the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI)—areas where development meets natural vegetation and fire risk is elevated. Attendees heard from representatives of FFD, the Fountain Police Department, Fountain Utilities, the Fountain Parks Department, and the Office of the City Manager. The department detailed a mitigation project it completed last month in Hibbard Park–a spot City Parks believes has a high wildfire risk. Crews thinned out brush and grass which could help spread a wildland fire. The City has also identified seven to eight open spaces FFD wants to address immediately with mitigation. FFD stressed that the community is pivotal to the department's responses to fire events. 'On those high fire danger days, those high fire risk days, if you see something, say something,' said Division Chief Jared Cass. 'If you see smoke, call 911. Don't assume somebody else has already called, because maybe nobody has. And the sooner we get notified about those, the quicker we can put them out, the smaller they stay, the less damage to the environment and our community.' FPD reminds the community that the best way to stay connected to first responders and be alerted if ever there is a wildland emergency is to sign up for community notifications at Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
