 Breaking news in the sandy area, firefighters battling a three-alarm fire there. The brush is so dry, it's spread quickly, charring about 120 acres. A fire in Provo Canyon is threatening homes. Utah is on track right now to have the worst fire season in state history. So far this year, 54,000. Fire. It is a dangerous, yet essential part of the balanced cycle of nature. Unfortunately, this balance has been dramatically altered by a national policy that has limited the size and scope of natural fires. Without the cleansing effect of fire to reduce fuel load, our nation's forests have become clogged with a dense and flammable layer of native vegetation. In fact, there is mounting evidence that the frequency, the size, and danger of wildfires in Utah has been changing for the worse. And with towns and cities spreading into the surrounding countryside of what is referred to as the wildland urban interface zones, the potential for greater property loss is increasing. These zones include places like the North Fork Community of Sundance, Duck Creek Village in southern Utah, residential developments in immigration canyon, and even suburban homes being built adjacent to wildlands like the Canyon Cove Community on the east bench of Salt Lake City. These areas typically have a dense accumulation of dead and dry undergrowth, or border on areas that have been invaded by highly flammable nuisance weeds. And with more people using our wildlands, more wildfires are likely. With the resources of firefighters already stretched, it is inevitable that some houses will be lost by these intense fires now and in the future. The fire potential of an area is influenced by both man and nature. The human factors include the building materials that are used on houses and structures, available firefighting equipment and tools, community water system capacity, the roads serving an area, and the homeowners' landscaping decisions. The nature-related factors include the influences of weather, topography, and fuel. Of all the natural influences, the fuel source, or the vegetation, is the only one that we really have any control over. These fuels typically consist of native and ornamental trees, shrubs, grass, and even flowers. With the addition of dead trees, dried grass, fallen branches, and pine needles, the situation can become explosive. And once a fire gets started, even a house, your house, can become a source of fuel. Well, one of the reasons we had purchased this home was because of the vegetation that surrounded it. We wanted the look of the natural forest, you might say, and never realizing the potential of a fire. If we would have known the potential living here in Utah with, you know, the dry summers, and we would have definitely ensured that we would have had some little bit more knowledge of what kind of plantings that we should probably have here at our house, you know, especially where the fire had started, definitely could have probably prevented such a disaster that occurred here. To protect your family, property, and community in the event of a wildfire, there are 10 essential guidelines that all property owners should follow. Although these steps won't necessarily prevent a wildfire, they can reduce its intensity and slow its speed, making it easier for local authorities to control. As a result, this can save lives and minimize property damage. Over the next few minutes, you will meet firefighters from across the state, forest service officials, and a community activist, all who have been working to reduce the fire danger to communities throughout the state. They will highlight resources and offer suggestions on preventative measures you can take to protect your house and family before a wildfire occurs. The first step in making your home safer is to define and then create what is called defensible space. For some tips on just how to do this, we've consulted with Dan Andrus of the Salt Lake City Fire Department. So Dan, tell us about the concept. Defensible space is simply that area between the home and the surrounding wildland where the vegetation has been modified to reduce the wildland fire threat. How do we as homeowners create this defensible space? The first thing you do is you take a look around your property to find out what kind of vegetation is around it. Here in City Creek Canyon, for example, much of the vegetation dries out as the summer progresses. For instance, there is a lot of dried grass and dead tree material in this gully. The houses are also located on or next to a steep slope, which will require a larger space. Now because this house is set back from the slope, it is clearly out of danger from wildfire. In fact, last year, there was a fire here and no harm came to this property. However, the house next door was lucky to escape damage due to the amount of flammable vegetation surrounding it. Right now this is just a really, really dangerous situation. We have four homes burning right now and the possibility of others possibly catching fire. For instance, two houses in the sandy area were destroyed as a result of being located on a steep, brush-covered slope. The fire went from the grass to the trees next to the houses, starting them both on fire. Depending on the slope and vegetation, the recommended minimum defensible space will vary from a 30-foot perimeter for level lots such as this one and up to a 150-foot perimeter for sloped lots. That makes a lot of sense, but I've seen some of these homes literally surrounded with this wild vegetation. What can these homeowners do? This is a particularly dangerous situation since wild plants occur in dense layers. This increases the fire threat. The solution lies in separating trees and small groups of shrubs to reduce the fire risk and slow the spread of flames. For instance, break it up can be achieved through the use of non-flammable products such as crushed rock or mulches. Both help to retain ground moisture and keep flammable nuisance weeds down. The construction of hard surfaces such as patios, sidewalks, driveways, as well as rock and brick walls also help to slow the spread of flames. When landscaping or fire-scaping your yard, keep some distance between ornamental plantings so that a fire cannot spread from adjacent native vegetation to the structure. Some great suggestions, Dan. Thanks very much. To demonstrate how to identify and deal with potential fire hazards within an area, Kathy Hammons of the North Fork Community, located by Sundance Ski in Summer Resort, agreed to take us on a tour of the region. Kathy is a community activist who has worked hard to keep fire danger down in this lovely community. I'm noticing a lot of dry dead things here next to one another. Is this a potential problem? Very much so, Phil. This is a typical ladder fuel problem. It involves dead grasses that can lead fire to these intermediary bushes that can then lead the fire up into the canopies of the trees. Is there anything a property owner can do to alleviate the potential? Yes. One is cutting of the grasses, as well as these intermediate bushes or shrubs that can bring this fire back up. The other is to limb trees, which is basically cutting off the dead limbs so that we prohibit the fire from moving from the ground up to the canopies of the trees. Once fire reaches the canopies of trees, we end up with an incredibly dangerous situation both for lives and structures. Okay, so the homeowner has cleaned out all the ladder fuels affecting his property. What else can they do to protect themselves? One of the best things they can do is to create defensible space, and that's to clear out 30 or more feet around their property. We call that lean, clean, and green. Explain and show me what you mean by lean, clean, and green. Here's a good example right here, Phil. The concept of lean makes use of low-growing fire-resistant plants. Ideally, and where permitted, most wildland shrubs and trees would be removed from the zone and replaced with more desirable alternatives. For replacement plants, minimize the use of coniferous shrubs and trees such as juniper, spruce, fir, and mugo pine. These plants have oils and resins and waxes that make them burn with great intensity. So what about the areas where the substantial removal of native vegetation is either not allowed or desirable? Native plants should be kept free of dead material and pruned back. Okay, what is the concept of green? Green means just that. Plants are kept healthy and green through the fire season. Acceptable plants could include a variety of ground covers, bedding plants, bulbs, perennial flowers, and even a simple lawn. I presume clean is just as simple. Exactly. It means that the homeowners need to keep their property clean of debris such as pine needles, dead leaves, and other debris. All firewood and flammable surplus construction materials should be stored at least 30 feet away from all structures. A big mistake many property owners make is putting the material under their decks and eaves. But when disaster strikes, this material literally adds fuel to the fire. Once a homeowner has created that defensible space we talk about, is there anything else they need to do? One of the biggest things that they have to continue to do is to maintain that defensible space. They've got to clean out regularly. They've got to rake. They have to mow. They have to make sure that they're watering if necessary. They have to make sure that they maintain that defensible space. According to national statistics, roof fires account for the majority of homes burned during a wildfire. To better explain the dynamics and dangers of roof fires, we spoke with Sean Winder of the Park City Fire District. She agreed to show us around her community and give us invaluable tips on how to reduce the dangers of this common fire hazard. During a fire, red hot embers can be carried away by wind and heat. We firefighters call these airborne embers firebrands. Because of its angle, a roof can catch and trap firebrands causing the house to burn down. Because this roof is metal, it's much less likely to trap a firebrand and catch fire. To reduce the danger of your roof catching on fire, at least twice a year, homeowners should clean all dead leaves, pine needles, and other debris from their roof and gutters. These materials provide a combustible bed for even a small spark to become a major fire. Homeowners should keep limbs and branches trimmed back a minimum of 15 feet from their chimney. Even green and healthy branches pose a hazard to the structure. Next, they should cover the chimney or stovepipe outlet with a mesh spark arrester. If your roof is made of shakes or other flammable material, it would be a good idea to replace it with one that has a better fire resistance. Materials such as steel, slate, certain grades of fiberglass shingles, and the new resin composites, which are made to look like slate or shakes, would all be good choices. Shake shingles that have caught fire can also become wind-driven firebrands. During a fire, they are often carried blocks away landing on other houses in shrubbery. This spreads the fire, causing more damage. Here in Park City, we have required new construction in heavily wooded areas to install sprinkler systems under the eaves. When the surrounding vegetation catches on fire and threatens the structure, the sprinklers are automatically activated. For new home construction, there are some precautions that the homeowner can take to reduce fire danger. For suggestions on how you could protect your new home investment against a wildfire, Mike Barvis of the Boundable City Fire Department has brought us to an east bench community overlooking the valley. Okay, Mike, what should a new homebuilder do to protect their house? If at all possible, it is important for a homeowner to build away from ridgetops and canyons. In this case, which is not the most ideal situation, they have built in a canyon, but they have provided additional safety areas below by clear cutting the space between their residents and the brush that is on the downhill slope. Also, build at least 30 feet from your property line to be able to create that defensible space and use fire-resistant building materials. On new and existing construction, enclose the underside of balconies, decks, and eaves with fire-resistant materials. Finally, owners of houses under construction should consider installing a sprinkler system within that house. This may protect your home while you're away and prevent a house fire from causing a wildland fire. Mike, those are great suggestions for homes under construction, but water, of course, is always important during a fire. Is there anything a homeowner can do about that? Yes, there is. Come on, I'll show you. Mike, this home is located an awfully long way from the road. I mean, what do you do for a water supply when a home is this far back? This homeowner has installed a required on-site fire hydrant for that water supply. During a major fire, even a city water system can become overdrawn, limiting the available water for fighting a fire. Ideally, homeowners should supply their own personal water storage. This storage could take many forms, including large hot tubs, swimming pools, and even an underground water tank. Make sure to clearly mark all water supplies so that firefighters can locate them quickly in the event of an emergency. So what else can a homeowner do to protect their home, make it survivable in the event of a wildfire? Homeowners should fireproof their access roads and driveways. This helps in the case of both them exiting in the event of an emergency and the access for firefighters and fire apparatus to fight the fire on their property. How about this homeowner? What has he done right? This homeowner is totally compliant, has built a minimum 20-foot-wide driveway, has cut the vegetation back on both sides, has marked it adequately, and provided us quick and easy access to his home. Driveways and roads that are too narrow or those that have sharp turns on steep slopes complicate access for fire trucks and may even create an accident. Equally important is an alternative route of an exit in the event the main road is impassable as a result of high heat from the fire. Long personal driveways like this one should have at least a 60-foot turnaround to accommodate fire engines. If your house is not visible from the road, make sure that your address is clearly displayed on a fireproof sign at the road, not just on the house where it is often obscured by thick vegetation. Finally, homeowners should fire-scape their driveway corridors by eliminating flammable plants along the edges. In the event of a fire, thick, heavy smoke limits visibility and high flames and heat could prevent the safe exit of residents and hinder the access of fire vehicles to their home. Those are some great tips, Mike. Thanks very much. Thank you. To give us some more important information on what to do in the event of a fire, we spoke with fire prevention technician Matt Bueller. He's with the U.S. Forest Service of the Cedar City Ranger District. When you live in an urban interface area, planning in advance for a fire just makes sense. For instance, you and your family should agree upon a safe area to meet in case you get separated in a fire emergency. Safe areas are usually those regions which are out of the interface zone. However, they can also be regions within the zone that are fortified against fire danger. If a fire disaster does strike while you and your family are at home and provided there is time, you should back your vehicle into the driveway facing the street. This will make a quick escape much easier. Next, place valuable papers and heirlooms in the car. Turn off natural gas at the meter or shut off the propane at the tank. Place a ladder against the house so that firefighters have easy access to the roof. Connect garden hoses to faucets and set nozzles on spray. Close all windows as well as exterior and interior doors. Contact family and friends to relay your plans and then evacuate the area. Remember, by preparing in advance for a fire, you are improving the chances that your property will avoid severe damage in the event of a wildfire. You are also creating a situation that will help save the lives of those who may have to fight the fire or those who live in the community. These simple 10 points can help make a difference for you and your family. Create a defensible space. Break it up. Eliminate ladder fuels. Keep it lean, clean and green. Maintain your space. Check your roof. Construction and location. Fireproof your signs and access. Have an emergency water supply. Have a plan. For more information on how you can make your home and community fire safe, please refer to the publication Living with Fire, available through your local Forest Service office, your city or county fire department, the Bureau of Land Management, or the Utah State Department of Natural Resources. Your city or county fire department will also make free on-site visits to individual houses or community meetings to provide some valuable suggestions on how to make your area fire safe. These dedicated professionals are here to help you and your community avert disaster in the future. Remember, you're part of the solution to keeping your community safe by eliminating fire danger in and around your home.