By JILL FANKHAUSER
Alaska Star

Mary Sundt calls the forest near her house at the end of Eagle Lane “Bambi-land” because of the number of moose and calves that visit her property, a 5-acre plot facing Hiland Mountain, surrounded by tall spruce and birch trees.

Sundt’s trees have been trimmed, or limbed up, and the forest floor doesn’t have tall grass - an easy fuel for fires. Except for a few trees that were knocked down by a windstorm last fall, the property is in really good shape and in a strong position to ward off wildfires, said Jennifer Collins of the Anchorage Fire Department.

Collins was onsite for a “Firewise Assessment” to help Sundt make her home safer from wildfires.

Anchorage Fire Department Public Affairs Officer Jennifer Collins, right, answers questions from homeowner Mary Sundt's about how to make Sundt's property safe from wildfires during a Firewise home assessment. Star Photo by Jill Fankhauser

There are many cozy residential areas in the municipality, and especially in Eagle River, covered in boreal forests, and easily ignitable spruce trees and dry grasses.

The fire department has been working for several years to help homeowners create defensible property by offering recommendations, such as removing or trimming trees too close to homes, creating a home perimeter with gravel or natural plants. The department also discusses risks homeowners might not be aware of - like not stacking firewood next to the house, or the danger of overhanging tree limbs.

Sundt’s home, originally built as a homestead cabin 60 years ago on Eagle Lane, is a good example of a well-maintained property, Collins said.

Sundt’s husband, who recently passed away, was a forestry employee and the couple took good care of the forest and trees that line the property. They sprayed many of the trees with pesticides to protect them from spruce bark beetles and got rid of leaning or low-hanging branches over the years. The care they put into their home and forest has made the property more enjoyable. They liked to walk under the trees on their land.

Sundt has lived in the home for 47 years. When she moved in, it was one of two houses a mile from where Eaglewood subdivision, Walmart and Ravenwood Elementary School now stand. The homestead cabin, covered in red siding with white trim, was originally built with thick packing crates. Before the Sundts could afford to dig a well, they relied on a small nearby tributary and natural spring for water.

A small sprinkler gurgles along the lush backyard lawn. A moose and her calf come by for a drink. Sundt hates to think she could lose her personal oasis to a wildfire.

Before she called Collins, Sundt’s friend had been helping to clear the property of dead and troublesome trees. Her friend recommended Sundt get some professional advice before he took any more trees out.

Collins started her assessment with a walk around the house. She was impressed by the thriving ferns and fireweed, both noncombustible plants, which surrounded the house. A gravel path also wrapped around, creating defensible space where embers from a wildfire wouldn’t cause problems. The roof gutters were clean and the asphalt shingle roof was in good shape.

“What burns a lot of homes down in wildfires is the small things - little embers that land in the nooks and crannies and catch something on fire,” Collins said.

Sundt had cleared out dead blooms and leaves, removing fuel for fire.

“This is the part you are not going to like,” Collins said as she finished walking around the house. Collins began to select trees to take down.

There were eight trees that were within 15 feet of the house. The too-close trees could act as conductors to flames.

“Ah, my babies,” Sundt said about the large spruce trees next to her house. “They are my pets. I’ve been looking at them for years.”

Collins tied pink and black striped ribbons around the trees that needed to go, measuring the distance between the house and the limbs.

Sundt said she knew that she would eventually have to remove the large trees that were close to the house. Besides being a fire danger, some were so large they were blocking out the light, a highly valued commodity in the winter.

“I started thinning the trees, but I hated to do it,” Sundt said.

Sundt had limbed-up many of the trees on her property and most were in good health.

“You’ve already done what I would have recommended,” Collins said.

A Firewise assessment doesn’t bring down the cost homeowner insurance - but it does give residents another tool to protect their home incase of traveling flames or embers that could burn down their home. The assessment did give Sundt peace of mind knowing her home would be less at risk in case of a wildfire.

After going over the assessment with Sundt, Collins explained she would be eligible to be reimbursed for up to 70 percent of the costs to remove the trees. The city offers up to $2,000 per acre to remove trees. The department only deals with conifer, or spruce trees, because they are highly ignitable. Homes on properties over five acres need to work with the state forestry department to establish a forest stewardship program. Collins said there are also reimbursement funds for larger properties available from the forestry department.

Once the tree work is done, Collins will come back to Sundt’s property to sign off on the work and help her get reimbursement dollars.

Collins said owners like Sundt are under no obligation to cut down trees or follow the recommendations.

Sundt said she hadn’t asked for the assessment before because she thought she might get in trouble for having trees too close to the house, but learned she is under no legal obligation to remove the trees.

And although she’s sad to see the trees go, Sundt said she’s eager to have the work done to make her property safer.

Homeowners can sign-up for a home assessment online at www.muni.org/fire and click on the Firewise program application or go directly to http://firewise.muni.org/firewise/.

This article published in The Alaska Star on Thursday, July 9, 2009.