On Sept. 26, 2009, the Cook County Firewise program will have completed its Countywide Wildland Hazard Assessment Project. Since 2004, the Cook County Firewise Committee has worked to assess all properties in the county and educate property owners on what they can do to their property to increase the survival of their home in the event of a wildland fire.
Any recommendations on a Wildland Hazard Assessment are just that- suggested. There is no obligation for the property owner to do anything with their assessment unless they want to. Some people have been quite surprised when the evaluators tell them not to cut all the trees on their property, but rather treat them as part of the property and suggest simple pruning or trimming.
The secondary purpose of the Firewise Assessment project is to encourage area fire departments to get to know their areas better and to be aware of potential dangers when responding to structure or wildland fires. Potential dangers include things such as whether fire trucks can safely make it to a structure without causing damage to the trucks or if they have adequate room to turn around, the topography of a property, how close combustibles are to a structure, type of building materials and if there is a water source. Fire departments can also receive funding for departmental needs, such as dry fire hydrant draft sites, static and holding tanks or various other departmental needs.
Wildland Hazard Assessments are valued at $12.50 per assessment for the local fire departments or the individuals doing the assessment. When area fire departments are not able to complete the assessments themselves, the Cook County Firewise Committee will find others to complete the assessments, and then are paid for those assessments.
To date, county fire departments have utilized Firewise funds to install dry hydrants and holding tanks. Firewise funding from the state includes chipper days, defensible space mitigation projects and road improvement projects. Federal projects obtained through Firewise funding include fuel reduction projects on the edge of private property adjacent to federal land. Such projects have been or are being completed in the Mid-Trail area of the Gunflint Trail, Clara Lake, Tait Lake and in the Twin Lake areas by Devil Track Lake.
Letters were recently sent to property owners in Cook County who have not yet had a Firewise assessment. All property owners are encouraged to participate in this program, as it is county-supported.
If you do not want to participate, or if your property is gated or has a no trespassing sign and you would like to participate, please call Cheryl Walimaa, Firewise administrative assistant, at 218- 387-3688 or email her at firewise@co.cook.mn.us.
If you do not get a letter and know that your property has not had an assessment completed, please contact Cheryl and she will schedule one for you. Not all properties will be able to be completed, as this grant is expiring a year sooner than originally planned.
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