Fuels Reduction Methods to Lessen the Impacts of Wildfires

Jeff Halbrook, Department of Forest Products

Background

Since the 1930s fire exclusion and suppression as well as past logging practices have led to unusually dense forest conditions throughout the country.  In 2002, 190 million acres of federal land in the continental United States was considered to be at high risk for fire danger.  Ponderosa pine forests that historically held between 25-35 trees per acre today have over 500 trees per acre (Healthy Forests, 2002).  This increase in density has resulted in fires that are increasingly difficult to control and burn larger areas of land.  During the 2002 fire season, more than 6.9 million acres burned along with 815 homes and structures (NIFC, 2002, Healthy Forests, 2002).  This is twice the 10-year average acres burned and a record number of homes destroyed (NIFC, 2002).  A fire ecologist recently testified before congress, "...It is one of the great paradoxes of fire suppression that the more effective we are at fire suppression, the more fuels accumulate, and the more intense the next fire will be" (Babbitt and Glickman, 2000).  

 Photo courtesy of Harold L. Osborne

Forest productivity is in decline throughout several areas in the Interior West.  This loss of productivity can be traced to dense overcrowded stands susceptible to insect epidemics, species composition changes, root rot, and water stress (O'Laughlin et al., 1993).  Individual trees in these stands compete for light, water, and nutrients.  The resulting forest exhibits suppressed growth, small-diameter, and increased mortality (O'Laughlin et al., 1993).  Intensive forest management practices such as thinning, prescribed fire, and species composition shifts are required to return these forest lands to a productive state (Graham et al., 1999).

Fire Suppression

Wildland firefighting costs in the United States are currently at an all time high.  During the 2002 fire season 1.6 billion dollars were spent fighting these fires.  Concerns over rising suppression costs have initiated many studies exploring the reasons for these increased costs.  The majority of studies examined list similar factors that have had the largest influence on costs.  These include:

	Increased fuel accumulation
	Years of fire suppression
	Changes in species composition
	Several years of drought in the Western United States
	Increased human population located adjacent to and within forested areas

While some of these factors cannot be changed, recommendations strongly encourage reduction fuels that surround communities and homes in forested areas.

The Forest Service has simulated fires using the National Fire Management Analysis System which performs a cost benefit analysis weighing the costs used to prevent fires versus cost due to fires and the natural resources lost in the fire.  Using this system, the Forest Service has estimated that for every dollar spent on fuels reduction, five to seven dollars are reduced during fire suppression (USDA Forest Service, 2000).

Community Costs of Fire

There are major costs involved with wildland fire that go beyond suppression costs.  Costs to the community may include lost business from recreation, resources, property tax, resident health, aesthetics, watersheds, and wildlife habitat just to name a few.

An economic study concluded that the wildfires in Florida during the 1988 wildfire season resulted in the following losses (Butry et al., 2001):

	Pine timber market $400 million
	Property loss (340 homes, 33 businesses, several cars and boats) $10-$12 million
	Tourism and trade $61 million in hotel revenue and $77.2 million in other non-hotel related tourist expenditures
	Increased health care (asthma and bronchitis) $325,000 to $700,000

Idaho recently experienced severe wildfires during the 2000 fire season.  As of September 26 of that season, Idaho had 1,541 fires reported with over 1,235,150 acres burned.  Three million acres of public land were closed due to fire danger.  Encompassed within this acreage were 2,000 miles of backcountry trail, 80 miles of river, and almost all public airstrips (FEMA, 2000).  According to the Idaho Outfitters and Guides Association, 150 outfitting businesses, over 400 employees, and 2,150 guided wilderness clients were affected by the 2,000 fires.  Outfitter losses from this event were reported to exceed $2.5 million (IOGA, 2003).

The 2002 Hayman fire in Colorado greatly affect6ed property values in Teller County.  Within this county, 114 privately owned properties either had resources lost or homes destroyed.  Private property losses were estimated at $3,367,899.  These same properties were valued before the fire at $5,500,000.  This represented a 60% loss in property value the county was not able to collect taxes on USDA Forest Service, 2003).

Urban Interface Fuels Reduction

After the 2000 fire season in which over 8 million acres burned and 861 homes were lost, a greater focus was placed on reducing the fuels that have accumulated on forestlands across the United States (NIFC, 2003).  As part of the National Fireplan, funding has been established for reducing these fuels on both public and private lands.  Urban interface fuels reduction, specifically defensible space, has been recommended to lower suppression costs, save lives, and protect structures.  The concept of defensible space is not new.  First coined in a 1980 California structure protection field guide, defensible space is a widely used concept used to modify fuels around a structure.  A highly successful federal program called Firewise is currently educating homeowners, fire departments, and civic leaders on the importance of fuel reduction/defensible space around forested homesites.  Defensible space focuses on treating the homesite first with subsequent fuel reduction treatments radiating out from the homesites.  The treatment distance varies with each homesite due to slope, aspect, construction, and various landscaping methods.