He said the program will immediately be implemented with private landowners when the money is available. Hubbard said that in light of Durango s rapid growth, it is important for landowners to take steps to reduce the fire hazards on their property. The program to aid landowners would be implemented on a cost-sharing basis, said Dan Ochoki, the Durango district forester for the Colorado State Forest Service, in a telephone interview. Hubbard said that landowners should create space around their homes by clearing away dead branches and other hazards. He said a fire can start low from an ignition source like a lighting strike and quickly travel to the tops of trees via lower hanging dead branches.
Fire can then jump from one tree to the next.
Forest Service officials want homeowners to thin the trees on their land, and clear away brush and debris that can act as hazardous fuels. Hubbard also urged homeowners to install roofs made of non-combustible materials. Wednesday s hearing of the House and Senate Interior Appropriations subcommittees was one of a series of hearings on funding for the National Fire Plan for the 2002 federal budget. The plan represents a major federal initiative to enhance fire prevention and suppression in response to the disastrous wildfire season of 2000. Contents copyright 2001, the Durango Herald.