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Gov. Brian Schweitzer climbed to the roof of a home in upper Grant Creek on Friday, used a push broom to clear a few dry branches and later cut down a small tree to help create a defensible space for the resident.

“The one most likely to save your house in a wildfire is you,” Schweitzer said. “There are easy things you can do that will make a difference in the safety of your home.”

Schweitzer and Missoula fire officials gathered at Bruce Fuglei's home to demonstrate how to safeguard your house from fires.

After climbing a ladder with his broom in hand, Schweitzer - dressed in blue jeans and cowboy boots - swept dry twigs and pine needles to the ground below, which would help prevent a fire from spreading across the rooftop.

Schweitzer also cleared the gutter as a crowd of about 20 people - fire officials, the media and the owner - stood below, staying clear of the falling debris.

He then used his broom to knock dry branches from a pine tree standing next to the home.

Keeping limbs clear about 10 feet from the ground complies with safety suggestions by fire officials. This decreases the chance of a fire spreading from tree to tree.

As a final demonstration, Schweitzer, with his border collie Jag at his side, marched over to a small tree about 10 feet from the house and cut it down with a chain saw, showing that residents ought to thin the area around their home to prevent a fire from quickly spreading.

Had there been firewood stacked against the home, Schweitzer said, he'd move the wood to a spot farther away.

“Without a defensible space,” said Kurt Belts, fire chief for Missoula Fire District, “it makes it harder during a forest fire to defend a home and it makes it harder for firefighters to truly make a save for the home.”

State Forester Bob Harrington said with temperatures quickly on the rise and drought increasing, “we are tracking similar conditions to those we saw in 2003 and 2005” - considered two of the worst fire years in Montana.

“So far we've been lucky,” Harrington said. “There have been a lot of small fires even though our conditions are extreme.”

Harrington said fire officials have been working to prevent human-caused fires and are now preparing for lightning-caused fires.

“Right now it comes down to the actions of the public,” he said.

Candace Begody is an intern at the Missoulian. She can be reached at 523-5268 or candace.begody@missoulian.com

FOR WEB

Audio online

To hear audio from Gov. Brian Schweitzer's defensible space visit to Missoula homeowner Bruce Fuglei's property, click here.

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