Defensible space a good plan to protect your property

Firefighters quickly put out a fire near Cheney Wednesday night, but not before it chewed through five acres and coming close to homes.

When Mary Ann Klute saw smoke on the horizon it felt like deja vu. Her house almost fell victim to the fire storm of 1991, which left one person dead and over 100 homes burned to the ground.

“The fire burned all of our 15 acres and up to the edge of our house and killed one of our dogs, so he’s been spending the last 25 years clearing the property, cutting down the old trees, thinning the new trees trying to make this defensible,” Klute said.

The US Fire Administration says that’s a very good idea. They say the best ways to keep your home safe are to create a 30 to 100 foot defensible barrier around your property, clear all flammable vegetation, remove all dead branches that extend over the roof and create and practice a home evacuation plan.

After the brush fire Wednesday, Klute was glad her husband hasn’t left their safety to chance.

“Every time he smells smoke he get really stressed and we kind of tease him about it but now, he was right,” she said.

Spokane County fire crews had the fire contained within hours but with all of the wildfires we’ve seen this season, implementing these tips is definitely a wise idea.