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<br />E. PRE-FIRE MANAGEMENT <br />In order to help prevent losses from future fires (and floods thereafter), the following pre-fire <br />mitigation techniques have been suggested by forest management and emergency management <br />experts: <br /> <br />Defensible Space <br />The implementation of this measure is can dramatically improve the survival rate of a structure <br />during a fire. It involves the reduction of fuel loading by thinning or eliminating certain types of <br />vegetation adjacent to the building. The distance required for the defensible space around the <br />perimeter of the building is dependent on several factors including topography and fuel type. The <br />minimum defensible space is generally recommended to be 30 feet. <br /> <br />Building Materials <br />The type of materials used for the construction of a building can also have a significant effect on its <br />survivability during a fire. A roof covering consisting of clay or concrete tile, composite shingle, or <br />metal can help to protect the building from a fire. A roofing material such as cedar shake shingles <br />will likely reduce the chance of the building's survival. Exterior finishes such as brick or stucco are <br />more fire resistant than finishes such as wood siding or logs. <br /> <br />Fuel Breaks <br />Fuel breaks, as the name implies, provide a line of defense where a fire theoretically will not cross <br />and continue to burn on the other side of the break. A roadway can be used as the basis for a fuel <br />break, combined with forest thinning on one or both sides of the road. The required width of <br />thinning depends on factors such as topography and fuel type. The minimum recommended width <br />for a fuel break is 200 feet. <br /> <br />Forest Wide Thinning <br />The objectives of forest wide thinning are to reduce fuel loading, increase forest health, and <br />improve aesthetics. In dense forests, fires quickly change from relatively harmless ground fires to <br />catastrophic crown fires because of the "fuel ladder" effect. In a thinned forest, the fire will likely <br />stay a ground fire, and will probably do little damage. <br /> <br />IV. EMERGENCY RESPONSE PLAN <br /> <br />A local emergency response plan has been developed by members of the Buffalo Creek Crisis <br />Committee in cooperation with the North Fork Fire Department. The Buffalo Creek emergency <br />response plan is considered to be an addendum to this mitigation plan, but is not included within <br />this document. <br /> <br />12 <br />