Local fire departments, the Alaska Division of Forestry and other emergency personnel are the first to respond when sparks ignite a wildfire, but if dead grass and leaves are piled against a house surrounded by black spruce trees, chances are it will go up in flames. And even the bravest firefighter will pass by a threatened home if he or she can't get to it.

"It's the landowner's and the homeowner's responsibility to mitigate their own home," said Mike Fastabend, program coordinator with the Spruce Bark Beetle Mitigation Program. In a major wildfire emergency personnel may be overwhelmed for at least 24 hours, leaving it up to homeowners to make sure thier home is protected.

"If people don't take responsibility for (their) own home it doesn't matter what you do in the woods. If the home is prone to ignition it's likely the home would not survive," he said.

Becoming FireWise is a community effort that spans the entire year. Things like being mindful of where your home is built, what materials it's built with and what vegetation is growing around your house is key to the structure surviving a wildfire. Fire departments' top priority is the safety of their men and equipment, said Roberta Wilfong, Spruce Bark Beetle Program manager, so it's also important to make sure emergency equipment can make it up your driveway.

"(Homeowners) need to be planning in advance where the structure sits on the lot," she said, adding that building materials should be fire resistant. "Homeowners can have crews with the Division of Forestry look at property with FireWise in mind."

Sharon Roesch, wildland fire and resource technician for the Division of Forestry, said the tools people need to FireWise their home are rakes and brooms to clear accumulated debris. As soon as the snow goes, fire can spread quickly through tall grass. Even when grass starts to turn green, chances are a layer of dead grass lies beneath the green grass, she said.

Embers can land on dead leaves piled against houses, Wilfong said, and can smolder long after a wildfire has swept through the area. Embers often ignite wood piles, and a wooden fence attached to the house acts just like a fuse.

"It's good to have rock all the way around your home," Wilfong said. Well-watered vegetation can also be good to have around the home. "There's nothing magical about fire progression. If the opportunity doesn't exist, the flames are not going to be intense enough."

Emergency officials ask homeowners to use common sense when they build and also when they burn. With the snow almost gone, many residents are clearing away dead trees and other debris by setting fire to it, but without common sense a controlled burn can get quickly out of control. Roesch said the ground around a fire should be cleared of dead grass, spruce trees and anything else that's flammable. Residents who have less water available should create a larger fire break and a smaller fire. A burn barrel requires a clearing of at least 10 feet.

Residents of Kenai and Soldotna have other options for disposing of larger woody debris. Fastabend said residents can drop their slash off at the transfer station on Redoubt Avenue at the end of Forest Drive in Kenai or at the Soldotna landfill.

"In Kenai and Soldotna, there's no reason people should be burning," he said.

Cohoe Loop residents have established a slash disposal site of their own. Cohoe Loop is the second FireWise USA community in Alaska. FireWise USA is a concept that's open to any community of up to 200 people, Wilfong said. The program shows residents what they can do to make their homes and communities FireWise.

Cohoe Loop has been a FireWise community for two years. Its residents meet once a month at the Kasilof Fire Station and spread awareness through community events. Wilfong said the group held a bonfire and burned 200 loads of slash. It also helped people give unused fire wood to people who would use it.

"There are some things (residents) can do to make a difference," Roesch said. "If homes won't burn, homes won't ignite."

FireWise's advice for spring is to be "clean and clear," to clear away debris and dead grass, Roesch said. More information is available at the Division of Forestry office in Soldotna and at local fire departments. Roesch said she also carries wild flower packs for residents to beautify their homes and FireWise it at the same time. People can also visit firewise.org and firewisekp.com for more information on FireWise USA and FireWise in Alaska.

Fastabend said residents can contact the Spruce Bark Beetle Mitigation Program if beetle-killed trees are affecting their road access. The Alaska Cooperative Extension Service in Soldotna offers information on planting fire-resistant plants too, he said.

"All services are at no cost to the public," he said. "We encourage people to take advantage of the resources we have for them."

Jessica Cejnar can be reached at jessica.cejnar@peninsulaclarion.com.