By: Erin Gartner, American Red Cross Volunteer

A wind-fueled wildfire jumped the Columbia River in the middle of the night. After charring nearby areas of north central Washington, the fire raced toward Mansfield, a small farming community on the Waterville plateau.

Power went out in town. Firefighters were dangerously low on water. Residents couldn’t evacuate because all roads out of town were blocked by the fast-moving blaze. They gathered at the local K-12 school to shelter in place, and farmers used their tractors to cut fire lines around buildings.

“There was fire up to the road. Fire was right up to people’s doors,” said Mansfield Mayor Clint Wall, who was among the volunteer firefighters responding to the blaze. “The fire went every direction it could go. It was incredible.”

Wall said the fire spared most of Mansfield in 2020, but the blaze was a frightening reminder of the town’s vulnerability. That’s why he and other local officials were excited to partner with the American Red Cross this year when approached about a new wildfire preparedness project.

The Red Cross’ Wildfire Home Preparedness Program focuses on engaging people who live in fire-prone areas like Mansfield, a tiny town about 125 miles west of Spokane. Teams go door-to-door to encourage residents to prune trees, clear debris, and take other steps to protect their homes from wildfires.

“What this program intends to do is educate people in vulnerable areas that may be at risk or facing wildfire risk,” said Cody Campbell, a senior disaster program manager for the Red Cross Northwest Region. “It usually focuses around rural communities.”

KNOCKING ON DOORS FOR FIRE SAFETY In Mansfield, home to about 350 people, teams spent a recent Saturday canvassing the town. Along with Red Cross staff and volunteers, the six crews included local firefighters, the Foster Creek Conservation District, which encourages wise stewardship of natural resources, and members of the Mansfield Lion’s Club.

Teams met with residents, encouraged them to sign up for emergency alerts, and offered to install fire alarms for free. Crews also assessed each property for wildfire hazards, such as dense underbrush or trees growing too close to homes.

“We got really positive feedback from homeowners. They welcomed us inside, said ‘come in, have a seat,’” the mayor said. “Everyone was receptive. Even people I thought might not be — I mean, I know everyone in town — so that was great.”

By day's end, teams had visited 45 homes in Mansfield, chatted with more than 100 people, and installed 30 smoke alarms, according to Campbell.

“Think about that: 100 people in town of 350 people. That’s a third of the town we educated,” said Campbell, who joined teams going door-to-door.

“I’m always looking for what opportunities we can bring to the community that won’t cost them anything but will bring benefit,” said Douglas County Fire District 5 Fire Chief Tyler Caille, who also talked with residents. “In my eyes, this program is a win-win.”

KEEPING HOMES 'DEFENSIBLE' DURING WILDFIRES Wall said he wanted to emphasize to residents the importance of defensible space, which is the roughly 100-foot zone between a home and any lush vegetation. Keeping the area clear of underbrush and other flammable material helps protect homes from wildfires.

In fact, the Washington State Department of Natural Resources estimates that as many as 80% of homes lost to wildland fires could have been saved had defensible space been created around the structures.

Wall said experts referred about two dozen homes in Mansfield to the Foster Creek Conservation District for help clearing out dense vegetation. The work is done at no cost to the homeowner. That’s a big deal, the mayor said, because low- and medium-income households make up about 60% of the community.

“The Conservation District will bring in chippers, an arborist. That work can get expensive, and some people don’t have the means to do it,” Wall said.

WILDFIRE SAFETY ACROSS WASHINGTON STATE The Red Cross launched the wildfire preparedness program last year as a pilot in Chelan County, a region known for its apple orchards just west of Mansfield. Red Cross staff and volunteers visited homes along with officials from the local fire district, the Cascade Conservation District and Team Rubicon, a team of military veterans who volunteer at disaster scenes.

The Conservation District then approached Caille, who is also the undersheriff in Douglas County, about bringing the program to Mansfield. The local fire chief said discussions began last fall.

“Over two-thirds of our fire district was affected by wildfires in 2020, so anything we can do to bring extra layers of protection to our community is vital for citizens,” he said.

The program is also expanding this spring to other communities in Washington state and Idaho. Along with Mansfield, teams plan to visit Plain in Chelan County; Cle Elum and Easton, both nestled in the Cascades, in Kittitas County; and Athol, Idaho, a town about 50 miles northeast of Spokane.

“It was kind of an honor when the Red Cross came to us and said Mansfield would be a perfect community for the program,” Wall said. “If they could get into every community like ours, it would be a huge benefit.”

REMEMBERING THE WILDFIRES Framed by plains and farmland, Mansfield and its surrounding Douglas County are no strangers to wildfires. But the 2020 blaze was different, said Wall, who served on the town council for more than two decades before being elected mayor last year.

Powerful winds quickly pushed the fire across the drought-stricken plains over Labor Day weekend. Even as fire burned alongside the road, Wall drove a fuel truck to crews on the front line.

“When we arrived, we couldn’t even see a house it was so smokey. The wind was blowing so hard that we could barely stand up straight,” he said. “In fact, a cast-iron frying pan — you know how heavy those are — flew off the deck and hit a tree.”

Wall, who is also a certified emergency medical technician, noted that fire destroyed homes and structures as it swept through nearby Bridgeport, a town along the Columbia River about 20 miles north, before threatening Mansfield.

“The fire was creeping into town. We lost power, and we were nearly out of water. We almost lost the town,” Wall said.

“At its peak, the fire was burning 10,000 acres an hour,” Caille added. “We ended up using a SWAT team bus as a command center because it was the only thing that had power thanks to its generator system.”

In total, wildfires burned more than 700,000 acres across Washington state in 2020, including more than 500,000 acres over Labor Day weekend, according to a report from the Washington State Department of Natural Resources.

“That’s why it’s important to me to have the Red Cross stepping up to do this program,” Wall said. “It could be a huge benefit to us and wake people back up to the dangers of wildfires.”

Protecting Your Home From Wildfires

Tips for creating a defensible zone to protect your home from wildfires, according to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA):

Immediate Zone: Within 5 feet of your home, remove anything that could burn — trash, woodpiles, garbage bins, and leaf piles. Keep the roof and deck swept clear of leaves or other debris. Cover the chimney and any vents from the exterior with wire mesh to keep flying embers out. Use mesh to seal off openings that would let embers fly under decks and porches.

Intermediate Zone: Between 5 feet and 30 feet from your home, prune trees so no branch is closer than 10 feet from the ground, and so that tree crowns are at least 12 feet apart. Clear away all ladder fuel — low plants growing into higher plants that grow into tree branches. Keep lawns trimmed to four inches. Break up lawns with gravel paths that serve as fire breaks. Keep the area Lean, Clean, and Green.

Extended Zone: Between 30 feet and 100+ feet from your home, remove all dead and diseased trees. Tree crowns should be no closer than 15 feet apart. There should be a 10-foot cleared space around propane tanks and barbeques. Stack firewood at least 100 feet from your house. Have the power company remove dead branches from the lines that serve your house.