SPRING/SUMMER

FIRE SAFETY TIPS

Hello again from Grand Traverse Fire Department.  As usual, I am a bit behind, so I will jump right into the appropriate concerns for the seasons, spring and summer.  In Michigan, they are hard to tell apart!  Sometimes spring comes and goes in a day.  And sometimes summer doesn’t come until August.  We will discuss outdoor fire safety, weather related concerns such as storms and heat injuries, indoor fire safety during the summer, and other outdoor injury concerns.

Outdoor fire safety is very important this time of year.  Although the high fire danger is mostly past, it still remains a concern.  Eventually, as the rains subside, it will re-emerge as a larger concern.  The most common problems associated with spring fire danger is burn barrels, leaf burning, and campfires.  It is the time of year to clean up after a long winter and most of the debris gets burned.  You can pay to have the trash hauler take away 50 or so plastic bags of stuff or you can burn it.  In certain communities, it is illegal to burn ANYTHING, so please check with your local authority to learn about the laws.  Always remember, fires are either good fires such as the ones you use to cook and heat your home, or bad fires which are ANY that are left alone.  The universal rule is to always stay with any fire so it remains a good fire.  If you can burn in your community, there are certain actions that should be taken to ensure safety.  First, use a barrel instead of any other means to burn.  It is much safer and more appropriate.  There may even be a commercial device available rather than a barrel.  Always use a screen over the barrel with holes no larger than three-quarters of an inch.  This will act as a spark arrester when the material “pops” and leaves the barrel or when paper products become “floaters.” The smaller the particle when it leaves the barrel, the less likely it is to remain hot enough to ignite anything nearby.  Next, clear all vegetation around the base of the barrel to eliminate any fuel directly below the barrel.  Always have a garden hose nearby to assist should anything get out of hand.  Remember, the hose should reach all the way around the barrel.  So many times I see a hose only long enough to lob water onto the barrel.  This won’t help if the fire gets out of control and moves away from the end of the hose.  Make sure your fire is well away from any other combustible materials such as your house, camper, or vehicles.  Lastly, stay informed of the weather forecast and do not burn when higher winds are expected.  Note the direction of the wind, which is usually from the west.  Place your barrel downwind of your house and others. 

Campfires are another popular activity in the summer.  I enjoy sitting around them and telling stories and watching the children.  They also can be built dangerously.  Use caution and you can go on enjoying them indefinitely.  Dig a fire pit when building a campfire.  Gravity affects all things.  A pit ensures that anything that falls will fall into fire and not out of the fire.  If possible, have that garden hose ready or have buckets of water on hand.  Again, scrape the ground around the pit to remove any fuel.  Line the edge of the pit with a steel ring, blocks, bricks, or stones.  This will help contain the fire as well as mark it so people don’t fall into the fire.  And consider a screen of some kind.  Usually when I camp or even have bonfires in the backyard, I cook over the fire using an old grate from the oven to place the pots and pans on; .  this isn’t perfect, but it’s better than nothing.  Extinguish the fire before leaving or before retiring for the night.  Remember, bad fires are those that are burning when no one is present.  Pour water gradually on the fire and stir it around to ensure all cavities are filled and then do it again.  NEVER pour a bucket of water forcefully on the fire as it will spread it beyond the pit.  I drink coffee in the morning and believe that operating at normal capacity is not possible unless I have a sufficient amount.  When camping, it is difficult to have that coffee early in the morning after completely extinguishing the fire the night before.  Now, for a fire fighter, you would think that I can handle fire, but I couldn’t start a campfire if my life depended on it.  My wife has to handle building the fire.  So, instead of putting it out, I bury the fire and then have hot coals in the early morning to start with. I know, leaving a fire makes it a bad fire.  Burying a fire is an alternative.  Let the fire burn down to a nice red glow, heap the coals, and pile on the sand.  Turn it with a shovel in the morning and you are ready to make coffee a reality!  Follow the same parameters for placement of the campfire as a burn barrel, away from any combustibles and downwind. 

One last issue about camping I should cover is the use of any heat source in the tent.  Battery powered appliances are the only things that should be used IN the tent.  Anything else is asking for disaster. 

Burning leaves alongside the drive is common in the spring.  Keep the pile manageable by keeping it small and contained, perhaps in a pit of some kind.  Always have the water source within reach and always study the weather for wind speeds and directions.  Mulching is a much better alternative with leaves.  You can find many people in the community that will be willing to take the leaves or some professional lawn care businesses that will have the responsibility of debris removal.  I have experienced many people swearing that their fire was NOT out of control, yet the woods next to their fire is cooking.  Leaves are really good “floaters”.  They will float for long distances.  Plan your leaf piles like you would your other fires, but add one more chore.  Wet the ground around the fire for added protection. 

Weather related injuries are a common issue with the mature population.  By the way, what is the politically correct way to address the over 60 crowd?  Whatever is used, I am very grateful for their existence.  Think of the hard work they have saved me and the lessons they have learned for me.  Anyway, storms present quite an array of possible problems.  If by chance we get enough rain, flooding is a concern.  There are places in our area that are prone to flash flooding although not many.  Whenever you encounter high water or flooded areas, do not cross, find an alternate route.  Even though you may have traveled that stretch of road for years, water does much damage and you usually can’t see all of it until it is too late.  As we get older, our thermometers wear out and we can’t regulate our temperature as well.  Time spent in the cold rains can be a detriment.  Lightning is the most spectacular event Mother Nature can dish out.  Thunderstorms and lightning often make me sleep better.  Well, they somehow give me some sort of comfort or something.  Lightning can be very dangerous also.  The best protection against lightning is to stay out of the weather when it is happening.  The other best protection is to have an adequate grounding system on your home.  Your electrician can tell you if you are protected and to what degree.  If there is a strike directly to your home, get it evaluated immediately.  Call the fire department to come and investigate with their equipment to see if a fire has or is occurring.  The second call should be to your electrician so they can inspect your system for damage. 

Heat injuries are also very prevalent in the elderly because of that thermostat wearing out Heat on a certain day may not be excessive by my standards but may be very hard on my Grandmother’s system.  Heat emergencies come two ways; heat exhaustion and heat stroke.  Heat exhaustion causes you to sweat profusely, get very tired, and increase your overall body temperature.  The solution to heat exhaustion is to cool your body.  Stopping activity and fluid is the best therapy.  In heat stroke, the most severe, you quit sweating because you have no more fluid to sweat, your body essentially overheats like your car and you will become unconscious.  Heat stroke is similar to high fever, it is very bad for your brain.  Your blood, which is now unable to act as the natural “antifreeze/overheat” protector, cannot function because it is so thick and out of whack.  The best therapy for heat stroke is an ambulance and the hospital.  Cold compresses or ice packs may be applied in critical areas, the arm pits, groin, and back of the neck, to reduce the heat. These should be used with caution because cooling too rapidly can cause more shock than the body is already in.  Try to stay as cool as you can in the summer months.  Drink plenty of fluids, preferably plain, old water.  Use ceiling fans, window fans, and box fans to help circulate and replace the warm air in your home with the cooler air from the outside.  Use caution when using extension cords with fans.  Some fans have larger motors than others and require a fairly heavy cord.  You should use new or like new cords that have good, pliable insulation.  Clean the fans as often as you clean your smoke detectors, at least once a month.  This will help to ensure proper cooling of the motors and longer fan life.  If a motor runs too hot, it may draw more current and overload the extension cord.  Never leave extension cords in doorways and under carpets.  They will be walked on and this will destroy the insulation and the carpets will increase the heat they are creating which will degrade the insulation faster.  Close blinds, shades, and curtains during the hottest parts of the day to minimize the amount of heat getting in.  Use air conditioners whenever you can.  Try to keep it cooler in your home but not cold.  Experiencing the big differences in temperatures can cause shock.  And get the units checked by a professional yearly to ensure proper operation. 

            In an earlier article, I compared the differences in fire safety in the winter and summer.  I said there is more concern in the winter because we are inside all winter with the heaters on and the windows closed.  Fire safety does improve slightly in the summer because we spend less time indoors.  But air conditioners are subject to the same possible failures as furnaces are.  And candles can be a concern year round.  Indoor summer fire concerns are lower because we are outside so much, but for the very same reason, indoor fire concerns in the summer are almost as high as in winter because we are outside so much.  It doesn’t make much sense unless you remember “good fires, bad fires.”  We are not spending as much time inside.  We won’t be there if there is a malfunction of an appliance.  We light candles to freshen the air and then leave them to become bad fires.  So, I guess what I am saying is fire safety is a concern all year round, it just shifts to different concerns as the seasons come and go.  Reduce the chances, remove all hazards or fire safety issues and summer fire safety will prevail. 

            We have talked about spending more time outdoors during this time of year.  Let me relate a story about one of our fire fighters.  He was traveling down the road in an ambulance taking a patient to the hospital.  He was following all correct and pertinent driving habits.  I know this because he missed the child running in the street as he rounded a curve.  If he had been going too fast or not paying better attention, the boy would surely have been hit.  He said that the color orange should be outlawed except for safety issues so those who may be at a higher risk, such as joggers, walkers, and those playing in the neighborhood, can wear the color.  If that is the only thing orange meant, it would be easier to remember and react properly.  So when you walk the dog, go jogging, or enjoy a stroll down the road, make sure you stick out like a sore thumb so drivers can see you.  Dark clothing only hides you and drivers can’t see you until the last minute.  Walk against the flow of traffic so drivers can see you and you can see them.  If you walk with the flow, you eliminate your own eyes as one tool to protect youself.  By walking against traffic, you may have more time to react if you see a potential problem.

            Remember to try as hard as you can to follow your health care provider’s directions.  Only you know what you can or cannot do, but they give good, solid advice for a reason.  Moderation is the key to good health.  Listen to your body and what it is telling you.  I know when I am done on a fire scene and if I don’t stop, I will not get up the next day.  Being an officer does have its advantages.  It allows me to have someone else take over the task.  Watch the critters and bugs.  Monitor the bites and scrapes and bruises to ensure infection doesn’t take place.  The use of repellant whenever you will be out in the bugs is highly recommended.  Be safe all around this spring and summer.  Please call me direct at 231-922-2077 or page me at 231-318-1005 and enter your number if you have concerns or questions.  If I can’t help, I will find someone who can.  Thank you. 

Jim Carroll
Fire Prevention Education Officer
Grand Traverse Fire Department
Submitted May 04