Kittitas Valley Fire and Rescue deputy Chief Rich Elliott said all it takes for a winter wildfire to start is a little bit of bad vegetation and wind.
While the risks for wildfires always remain from season to season, low temperatures and wet landscapes usually prevent wildfires from starting during the winter.
“We see a rash of structure fires around this time of year that are generally heating related, you know,” Elliott said. “People have on heaters, wood stoves, things like that that haven’t been serviced or not keeping good clearance around them. We see people occasionally using heaters that aren’t designed to be used indoors, so anything that’s fuel-fired, propane, those types of things that need significant ventilation. So we can get carbon monoxide poisoning this time of year.”
AIR QUALITY
Elliott said the causes of the pollution and resulting poor air quality aren’t necessarily new, they come from common sources like new sources of heat and vehicles, which is a source of pollution year round.
He said those fuels created from burning and pre-existing pollution becomes trapped in the valley.
Elliott said air inversion and poor air quality is an issue most years, but it tends to be more pronounced in lower county, but can also happen in Upper County.
“The wind and the fact that there’s what we call instability in the air in other words,” Elliott said.
Additionally, he said as people’s mindsets tend to change as the weather cools.
“It’s not really a fire safety issue it’s more of a public health issue, but it’s kind of a big deal,” Elliott said. “It’s barely routine that we’re gonna see those situations. It’ll be an unusual year if we don’t see it and we don’t see it for you know, cumulatively weeks on end..”
If you go to the end of the winter season and you look back you’ll see there were three or four weeks that were bad, he said.
Advisories will be issued if the levels become unhealthy.
“We just want to make sure that people also understand that during the winter months, particularly when we extend into December and January we tend to have air quality issues,” Elliott said. “Outdoor burning and burning in indoor fireplaces is restricted not for fire safety reasons, but for air quality reasons and they’re fairly significant restrictions.”
Kittitas County Fire Marshal Fire Marshal Pat Nicholson recommends some simple home heating safety tips that can help keep your family and community safe and warm this winter:
n Keep all objects that can burn, at least three feet away from the heater. This includes furniture, paper, and bedding.
n Turn portable heaters off when you go to sleep or leave the room.
n Plug power cords only into electrical outlets rated at the capacity of what the heater draws. Never use an extension cord.
n Never use an oven or barbeque to heat your home.
n Inspect for damaged, cracked, or frayed plugs and loose connections. Replace before using.
n Have your chimney inspected each year and swept if necessary.
n Use a sturdy fireplace screen.
n Allow ashes to cool before disposing and dispose in a metal container.
n Install smoke alarms in every bedroom, outside each sleeping area, and on every level of your home. Some smoke alarms can be inter-connected so that they all alert if one activates. Test each monthly.
n Install and maintain carbon monoxide alarms outside each sleeping and near gas appliances.
CANDLE SAFETY
Having candles in your home or as part of your emergency preparedness kit is a wise decision so that you have a light source if the power goes out. Some people enjoy burning candles on a regular basis for multiple reasons, including scented candles for the aroma.
According to the press release, the National Fire Protection Association’s “Candle With Care” program shares these tips:
n Blow out all candles when you leave the room or go to bed. Avoid using in areas where people may fall asleep.
n Use candle holders on a sturdy and uncluttered surface.
n Keep hair and loose clothing away from the flame.
n Don’t’ burn a candle all the way down
n Never use a candle if oxygen is used in the home.
n Have flashlights and battery-powered lighting available and ready to use.
n Never leave a child alone in a room with a burning candle.
n Keep matches and lighters out of reach of children
n More than half of all candle fires start when things that can burn are too close to the candles.
December is the peak time of the year for home candle fires, according to the release. Roughly one-third of home candle fires start in the bedroom.
