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National Fire Plan Success Story

Deer Creek Defensible Space
Upper Deer Creek Drainage, Idaho
National Fire Plan - Community Assistance

Picture of a residence in the Deer Creek drainage, showing thinned forest in the background that the Poe Cabin fire burned with no damage to the residence.
Deer Creek drainage residence.

In 2003, the full-time residents of the upper Deer Creek drainage united to plan and implement a defensible space project in an effort to reduce woodland fuel accumulation. A combination of dense brush, steep terrain, beetle-killed trees, and fifty years of fire suppression had created a dangerous wildfire risk to the community.

Because of these planning efforts, the residents received a Framing Our Community grant in 2004. The grant allowed for structural assessments, completing a fire prevention plan, and performing fuels reduction activities around homes and other structures in the area. While only required to give a ten percent match to the funds awarded, homeowners fully matched the funds in both money and labor.

On July 20, 2007, the community's efforts were tested when the Poe Cabin fire spilled into the Deer Creek drainage. One resident described extreme, wind driven and erratic fire behavior. "I could see the fire break out and spread across the hill," he said, "and within ten minutes I was surrounded."

Because of the community's planning and mitigation efforts, only one structure was lost to the fire. The community determined that although people have little control over natural elements, actions taken on private property can make a critical difference in surviving a wildfire.

Contact: Susan Jenkins
E-mail: sjenkins02@fs.fed.us