The Hidden Risks of Deadwood: Could Asheville See California-Style Wildfires? - TribPapers
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The Hidden Risks of Deadwood: Could Asheville See California-Style Wildfires?

Habitat or fuel? Staff photo.

Asheville – Reminiscent of those performing an epidemiological analysis of the plagues of Egypt, it is somewhat natural to speculate about what chain reactions of extraordinary responses will unfold from one extraordinary event, like Hurricane Helene. Along these lines, one reader asked a very good question: With all this deadwood making up Hurricane Helene’s horizontal forest, what risks will Asheville run of wildfires on the scale Southern California is seeing? The City of Asheville’s Communication Specialist Kim Miller responded swiftly and thoroughly to a formal inquiry with “information our various departments are providing [that] should not be attributed to one person.”

The anonyms began by highlighting differences in the ecosystems of WNC and Los Angeles. Los Angeles is a desert, whereas WNC has a temperate, mountain climate, with good humidity and rainfall. Los Angeles’ botanical understory is made of dry grasses, whereas WNC’s is biodiverse, seasonally lush, and even includes mosses. Los Angeles’ overstory has a lot of pine, which is dangerously flammable; WNC’s has more deciduous plants. Also, WNC has nothing like Los Angeles’ Santa Ana winds to fiercely blow hot desert air into the region. “Our climate does not stop wildfire completely, but it does slow progression as our fuels need to dry out before they catch fire, whereas SoCal is immediately ripe for blowup,” they said.

Deadwood on the ground is sometimes referred to as coarse woody debris. It can be healthy for forests as it provides habitats for animals and shady, moist environments for seedlings, all the while decomposing to enrich the soil. Whereas twigs and leaves make good kindling, coarse woody debris takes longer to catch on fire, but like the yule logs that it is, it burns long and hard.

“Helene’s damage was mainly living trees that are still holding onto water,” they wrote. “Depending on [a felled tree’s] size, it may take several years for it to dry and become a fire hazard. As a rule of thumb, get trees on the ground where they can take up moisture.” They suggested, among other things, “cutting some tree cookies and making a path or walkway.” They emphasized, “Do not allow branches, leaves, and needles to become ladder fuels.” Pine trees are, by definition, fire ladders, and they should be removed ASAP.

The anonyms encouraged residents to move vegetative debris to the right of way because disaster recovery trucks are still making collection rounds daily. Those who lack the resources to move their debris may apply for assistance from the Private Property Debris Removal Program. Applications may be found on buncombecounty.org.

To further assist, the state waived permit requirements for open burning in 21 counties. In announcing the waiver, Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler emphasized the importance of caution and safety, stating, “We cannot stress caution and safety enough when it comes to burning outdoors this time of year… We need our emergency personnel focused on hurricane response and recovery efforts, not pulled away by escaped debris burns.” Residents are advised to never burn on dry, windy days, avoid leaving fires unattended, and keep a water source, shovel, rake, and a phone nearby. Additionally, it is recommended to create a defensible space of 10 to 15 feet around homes, refrain from piling flammable debris near propane tanks and power lines, keep piles of woody debris small and close to the ground, and cover compost piles or place them in shady, moist areas away from direct sunlight. For more ideas on fire safety, residents can visit the National Fire Protection Association’s website at nfpa.org.

For the last two years, hundreds of acres have been destroyed in autumnal wildfires in the region. In 2016, the Party Rock fire in Rutherford County was just one of several WNC forest fires to turn skies pink and trigger unsafe air alerts while scorching thousands of acres. Ironically, the day this article was written, a fire station in Mills River, including three fire trucks, was totally destroyed in a fire, the cause of which remains under investigation. The fire started as a truck was about to leave to assist with the California wildfires.

Sarah Farmer at the Southern Research Station of the US Department of Agriculture shared some studies the forest service is using to shape plans to protect against wildfires in the Southeast. One, written in response to the 2016 wildfires, noted that Southern Appalachian forests were becoming more vulnerable given the increasing severity and unpredictability of droughts. Another predicted worsening droughts would disproportionately harm burgeoning populations of the most vulnerable.