Advise on Returning to Property After the Fires

Fire Chief Thomas Lombard might be based in Tennessee but his advice is well worth listening to as we gradually return to our homes upriver.

When a fire burns through an area, its path changes the environment for some time/years. As underbrush is burnt/destroyed, so is the plants that typically hold the ground together, allowing rain to absorb at a constant rate. It may clear the land, but it also removes the plant life that retained the moisture. In addition, very hot fires also tend to pulverize hard dirt surfaces into a powder.

Combine the loss of ground plant life and a flour-like dusty ground…add rain…and you have mudslides, treacherous surfaces etc. Please use caution when traversing these areas. Watch for “slide” conditions and do not be surprised when even the smallest rise slips into a roadway/blocking your normal paths….this can also undermine roads near your river and wash your roads away. This is why its important your officials traverse and inspect these areas prior to civilians returning to their homes.

ALSO, when the rains do come, much of the fire debris will make it into your beautiful river, and because there is no plant life absorbing the moisture in those hills…the rivers will receive more water than previously seen. So please be careful for flash flooding…and flooding that comes with a lot of fire/debris/materials. If this material log jams in areas, the rivers can jump their banks. All of these conditions are more dangerous after dark when visibility is limited further by smoke in the area. I am not trying to be an alarmist or freak you out, but this is a real concern ~ knowledge is power, right? I simply want you to be aware, and with all you are/will be involved in as you continue to serve your neighbor…I want you to be as safe as possible.