WEATHER WATCH COLUMN:  AUGUST 2003 ISSUE

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Weather Watch:  Protecting Yourself from Wildfire

As wilderness areas become developed, more people are at risk to
wildfire.  A restful cabin in the woods is vulnerable to being burned
within minutes in a wildfire, but there are steps you can take to
minimize your risk.  Use fire-resistant building materials like slate,
brick, stone, or aluminum.  Maintain a survivable space around your
home: clean roof gutters, remove portions of trees away from your
flues to chimneys or stoves, cover the flues with nonflammable screen,
maintain a fuel break around structures, and remove branches from
trees within 15 feet of the ground.  More tips can be found at
http://www.nifc.gov/preved/protecthome.html and
http://www.firewise.org/.

<-David Schultz, NOAA/National Severe Storms Laboratory>