Fire Safety Recommendations Sept 15, 2022

Topic: visit by Salt Lake Fire Department to assess fire safety

FIRE SAFETY RECOMMENDATIONS

Notes: Laraine

Present: Laraine, Lila, Joe, & Vicky, plus 3 members of Salt Lake Fire Department Wild Land Property Assessment Crew

On Thursday September 15, 2022 a crew of 3 firemen from the SLC Fire Department Wild Land Property Assessment Crew came out to give pointers and suggest ways that our property could become more fire-proof.

Our Buildings

• Clean out rain gutters at least twice a year. Piles of dry dead leaves in them can provide a source of further ignition in the event of a fire.
  
• Use other sources of construction besides wood (unless they are heavy like our beams). such as trex, recycled plastic, for outside construction of decks, fences, etc.
  
• Outside rafters, like near our mailroom, ideally should be closed off with soffit material.
  
• Roofs (attics) vented with grill vents to prevent spread of embers.
  
• Shrubs kept low & manageable, especially under windows (3-4 feet tall).
  
• Eliminate branches overhanging roofs.
  
• Furniture on the patios of our buildings are tinder in the event of a fire.
  
• In the event of a fire, all inside doors must be closed to prevent spread.
  
• Firewall door inside the Common House should be closed on every nightly lock-up.
  

Our Grounds

• All dead dry grass is combustible and should be cut down. Ground covers, like thyme & creeping Jenny, are preferable.
  
• Ornamental grasses that are mostly dead are best cut down to 2-3” in the Fall so they grow up fully green the next year.
• Tree branches cut back up 6’ from ground.
• All dead and dying trees and branches cut down and hauled off. (Bales of hay are combustible.)
  

Ideal Landscaping = “Islands”:  This means not clustering too many trees and bushes together, but making smaller islands of them. i.e., cut out all elm tree seedlings growing up from the swell between the chestnut tree & purplish bush on the south entrance of Utah St. Best example of this is on the North end of West Berm by Unit #1.

Fire PIt

The crew identified our fire pit as an open fire, as opposed to a barbecue that can be closed off with a hood. They stated that the ordinance to ban such “recreational” fires was implemented about a year ago due to our terrible air pollution problem, often worst in the country (which is why we don’t have a wood burning fireplace in the CH).  Enforcement would be applied if there was a complaint about smoke & air quality. They also stated that the pit should not be placed so close to trees, tall dry grass on Spiral, fuel and tinder for fire.