The following examples show how defensible space, maintenance, and education saved two homes in the summer of 2006.  Click on the thumbnail images to expand them for better viewing.  To return to thumbnails click on your back arrow.

	Before defensible space was created-This home, located south of Athol, Idaho, was engulfed with thick, flammable vegetation, primarily lodgepole pine.  Ironically lodgepole pine is typically a species that regenerates after fire.  So wildfire had been here before, giving credence to the old adage that in the case of fire “it’s not if but when”.
	After defensible space was created in 2002-The flammable brush has been cut, and the trees have been thinned, creating a pleasing park-like look.  The remaining trees have been pruned of their lower limbs, which act as fire ladders that allow a relatively low intensity ground fire to gain access to the tops of the trees where it becomes a much more intense crown fire.
	Maintenance-the homeowner did an excellent job of maintaining the defensible space.  In this case he used a DR brush and field mower.  If the maintenance is concentrated on for the first two to tree years, it will become less and less of a chore.
	Oops!  A small backyard fire was allowed to escape.  Human error is something we all commit.
	The fire spread rapidly until it met the first part of the defensible space where it was forced to the ground.  At this point it became a much less intense ground fire.
	The fire meets its master-the inner 30’ lean, green, and clean zone.  Upon reaching this most important area, it was easily extinguished.

The second example of success is of a home, located west of Athol, Idaho.

	Before defensible space was created-This home, located west of Athol, Idaho, was also engulfed with thick, flammable vegetation, primarily lodgepole pine.  Ironically lodgepole pine is typically a species that regenerates after fire.  So fire had been here before, giving credence to the old adage that in the case of fire “it’s not if but when”.
	After defensible space was created in 2005-The flammable brush has been cut, and the trees have been thinned, creating a pleasing park-like look.  The remaining trees have been pruned of their lower limbs, which act as fire ladders that allow a relatively low intensity ground fire to gain access to the tops of the trees where it becomes a much more intense crown fire.  The homeowner did the required maintenance.
	Oops!!  Human error caused this fire adjacent and immediately west of the property in the summer of 2006.  Notice how the lower limbs have acted as ladders to allow the fire to get in the crowns of the trees.
	The fire came up against the defensible space and was reduced from a high intensity crown fire to a relatively low intensity ground fire.
	Here it was starved of flammable fuel and stopped in its tracks, even before it reached the inner protection zone.

Lane Wintermute, Chief of the Timberlake Fire Department at Athol, Idaho, said, "This is too cool! And, by the way, as much as I would like to credit the Timberlake Fire Department with the stop - the first in crew did stop the fire on the North side where it was very close to a mobile home - they didn't have the manpower, however, to get to the east side - which is the treated area.  It was the FireSmart work that stopped it here, not us."