Injury Prevention Precautions for Residents after Wildland Fires

By Hillary Fishler, for Hayes + Associates

Author’s 2013 field photo of the Santa Fe National Forest at Los Alamos, NM - near the site of the Los Conchas and Cerro Grande Fires.

With an extreme fire season underway, particularly in the Pacific Northwest, many families living near forested or open space and natural areas – what is known as the “wildland-urban interface” – or WUI, have been forced to evacuate, with many unfortunately losing their homes and personal property.

While fast-moving fires may pose an obvious threat to individual safety, post-fire hazards around the affected homes may increase chances of personal injury, particularly for homeowners returning to their property following a wildland fire event.

Hazards present after a wildfire can pose personal injury and potentially fatal risks to those who have returned to their homes, or chosen not to evacuate. These hazards include, but are not limited to: falling limbs and trees, still burning embers in eaves and grasses, roof/floor/and foundation instability in homes, downed power lines, roadway hazards, and post-fire erosion or slides during rain.

Author’s 2013 field photo of the 5-year post-fire conditions of a road to a private residence in Goldendale, WA, site of the Monastery Complex Fire.

The following precautions can help protect individuals returning to survey damage, from sustaining injuries following wildfire, where the stability and safety of buildings, vegetation, and other constructions has been compromised during the event.

1. Only return to your property when authorities and/or public safety have deemed it safe for residents to do so. It may be difficult to receive help or medical attention for injuries that may occur during post-disaster surveying, particularly if inroads and exits have not been cleared for vehicle travel.

2. Wear closed-toe shoes and protective clothing. Be prepared to step on uneven ground, rubble, sharp objects, and downed trees, etc.

3. Take a buddy. Ensure that you have someone capable of helping you in the event of a personal injury.

4. For additional information in surrounding forested areas, contact your local USDA Forest Service office and speak to their information officer. They can provide reliable updates regarding the fire event, its containment, safety precautions, and updates for community assistance, or point you to the local organizations that are reporting accurate information.

Hayes+Associates, Inc. (https://www.hayesassoc.com) is an expert witness and consulting firm based in Corvallis, OR. The company brings more than 75 years of collective experience in academic research, university teaching and forensic testimony to practice areas that include vehicle collisions, premises safety, slips and falls, products liability, worker safety, sports and recreation, patent litigation and criminal matters.

Author Photo of Valles Caldera National Monument, protected during the Los Conchas Fire near Los Alamos National Laboratory.

Notes about the author: 

Dr. Hillary Fishler is an Environmental Policy scholar and social scientist. Her most recent publication, about land-use planning to reduce future wildland fire risk, is a joint effort with colleagues from the USDA Forest Service, Oregon State University, and University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Motorcycle Safety is a Two-Way Street

By: Hillary Fishler, for Hayes + Associates, Inc.

Unlike the author’s father (front) & his best friend in the early 1980’s, all motorcyclists should wear a helmet, long protective clothing, and closed-toe shoes.

August reminds me of my late father, who would’ve been 65 this month, and who liked to celebrate his birthday by taking a ride on his 1976 Harley Davidson Shovelhead. Both of our birthdays, in the last week of August, often marked a change in the weather, when the air was finally cool enough to take the motorcycle out during the daytime. “Too hot to ride,” he’d say throughout midsummer, keeping the majority of his leisurely excursions for early fall, when the sun didn’t compound the heat on the tail pipes and put us in danger of burning our legs or hands on the surface of the bike.

As a child, riding on the back of his motorcycle in rural Michigan, I trusted him implicitly. I believed that no harm could come to me when my father was around, even when engaged in a reasonably dangerous activity like motorcycling. In my 20’s, I became a little more wary of the dangers of riding a motorcycle, having had a few close calls with cars on my road bike, and one crash that landed me in the hospital. I was more apprehensive than in childhood, realizing that my father was just a man, and that surrounding traffic did not bend to his will – he just rode defensively and with hyper-vigilance.   

He despised seeing other motorcyclists who didn’t practice basic safety measures while they were riding, and automobile drivers who didn’t understand how to look for and drive near motorcyclists. I despised knowing that once he retired to a state without universal protective headgear laws, my father’s helmet also retired. For riders and their families – we know that motorcycle safety is two-fold.

Motorcyclists make the choice to ride, and need to take their safety and injury potential seriously. They also rely on drivers of personal vehicles, semi-trucks, and other automobiles to consider them unique operators. Motorcyclists require special safety precautions, and need the consideration and community-mindedness of other road users to ensure that traffic is safe for them. The following tips for motorcyclists and personal vehicle drivers nod to the symbiotic relationship in the prevention of serious or fatal motorcycle injury & automobile crashes.

The author’s father in 2017.

Motorcyclists:

1. Wearing a helmet is the foremost form of protection against traumatic brain injuries in the event of a fall.

2. Wearing protective clothing, closed-toe shoes, and eyewear will shield your body from the extreme heat of the engine, tailpipes, and protect against flying objects while riding. In the event of a fall or crash, protective clothing can minimize damage to skin when in contact with the pavement or road.

3. Properly outfitting and informing companion riders on your bike or in your riding group of emergency procedures, medical identifications, meeting spots, and hand signals should the ride not go as planned.

4. Zero-tolerance for substance use for operators and companion riders during rides.

5. Installing loud tail pipes or engaging in engine revving is an auditory signal for riders in residential areas, busy streets, or areas where traffic might be precarious or unpredictable. This alerts drivers and other users of the road that you are nearby. While they may not see you, this sound encourages non-motorcyclists to be aware of your presence.

Drivers of Cars and Other Vehicles:

 1. “Look twice, save a life.” Be aware of blind spots. Motorcyclists ride in 3 zones of a driving lane, and so you may not see an approaching motorcycle when your view is obstructed, or when you change lanes. Make a habit of checking the shoulder, center, and innermost third of the lane before pulling out into traffic, or making a lane change.

2. Give considerable following distance to motorcyclists riding in front of your vehicle. Because of the construction of the bike and the inherent skills needed to ride, motorcyclists may need to react quickly and maneuver to make turns, and avoid obstructions or potholes.

3. Avoid splitting a group of riders by pulling out in front of the riders in the sweep, (the back of the group). These riders may be putting distance between themselves and the group, but being cut off from other riders may deleteriously impact their safety and cause them to lose track of their riding companions.

4. If you decide to pass a motorcycle, pass with extreme caution, preferably only in a designated passing lane. If there is no passing lane, you’ll want to make sure there is enough space between you and the motorcycle to create a considerable distance when you overtake them. They should not need to react to your passing maneuver to adjust their speed or distance between your vehicle and their bike, but be able to continue at the same pace.

5. Extra caution is needed in wet weather when driving near motorcycles. Though rain is an unwelcome and unpleasant experience on the bike, braking and avoiding hydroplaning becomes quite difficult in inclement weather. Many riders will wait out a rainstorm because of the increased danger of riding, but for those that don’t – give even more following distance and slow your own vehicle when approaching a motorcycle during weather events.

While the choice to ride and immediate safety precautions lie with the motorcyclist, these unique road users rely on community protection through the acknowledgment and precautions of other drivers. As collisions between motorcycles and other vehicles are often the result of driver negligence or aggressiveness in the presence of motorcycles, more education surrounding their unique safety measures can reduce the likelihood of serious or fatal injuries on the road.

Hayes+Associates, Inc. (https://www.hayesassoc.com) is an expert witness and consulting firm based in Corvallis, OR. The company brings more than 75 years of collective experience in academic research, university teaching and forensic testimony to practice areas that include vehicle collisions, premises safety, slips and falls, products liability, worker safety, sports and recreation, patent litigation and criminal matters.

The Americans with Disabilities Act Turns 30: Three Organizations that Are Making Recreation Accessible for all During Covid-19

By: Hillary Fishler, for Hayes + Associates, Inc.

Snow Canyon State Park, Utah.

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) turns 30 on Sunday, July 26.  The ADA brought the unique needs of those with physical disabilities, chronic illnesses, autoimmune disorders, and mental health challenges when in was enacted in 1990, and offers protections and “reasonable accommodation.” However, critics of the ADA outline the fact that this accommodation does not guarantee accessibility, nor does it necessarily create welcoming spaces for people with disabilities.

Inclusive programs tailored to the disability community often rely on grassroots, local, and municipal efforts. Denver, Las Vegas, Salt Lake City, Boise, and Tacoma, among others, have municipally funded adaptive recreation programs, but for folks living outside of large metro areas, these programs are largely inaccessible. Additionally, during the COVID-19 pandemic, gatherings and facilities for adaptive and inclusive recreation are closed. For those that may be open, some individuals with disabilities – especially autoimmune and chronic illnesses – could be in higher risk categories for complications from COVID-19, and so may be even more isolated from these activities.

Below we highlight three efforts committed to adaptive movement and recreation, specializing in activities for all people within the disability community.  During the pandemic, they offer recreation resources and activities that can be accessed online, and while social distancing.

Syren Nagakyrie is the founder and organizer of Disabled Hikers, located in the Pacific Northwest.

 1. Disabled Hikers (www.disabledhikers.com), @disabledhikers

Founder, Syren Nagakyrie, is working to create guidebooks and rating systems for disabled hikers. They provide a platform for gear recommendations, activities, and advocacy for more accessible outdoor spaces. During the pandemic, their work includes virtual maps and tours for various national parks, resources for hiking and trail information, and a nature challenge for outdoor recreation and social distancing.

PYC offers virtual classes during the pandemic.

2. Piedmont Yoga Community (www.piedmontyogacommunity.org)

Teachers at the Piedmont Yoga Community are certified in teaching accessible yoga classes to a variety of different abilities. Specializations include teaching to individuals with developmental disabilities, chronic illnesses, physical disabilities, and cancer. Based in Oakland, CA, they will only offer virtual classes during the COVID-19 pandemic, making them available for anyone in the world to join through their website.

A cross country ski athlete with Move United. Move United offers virtual movement classes during the pandemic.

Photo by: Move United

3. Move United (www.moveunitedsport.com)

Move United provides sports opportunities for people with physical and developmental disabilities. They sponsor athletes, such as paralympians, and provide local chapters and resources for finding adaptive recreation equipment, camps, and groups. They currently offer free daily classes in a variety of formats for the community through their web site for all ages and abilities.

The ADA and these adaptive programs play an important role in the lives of family members, friends, and loved ones at Hayes + Associates, Inc. Understanding and clearly explaining the biomechanics of how different bodies move in space is critical to the work we do. Programs for unique populations like the ones listed above, increase awareness, recognition, and inclusion of people with disabilities among the public and in the scientific community.

Backcountry Adventuring: Hiking, Backpacking, & National Park Visits during COVID-19

By: Hillary Fishler, for Hayes + Associates, Inc.

Photo by H+A Staff: Death Canyon view from Static Peak Trail, Grand Teton National Park.

Even as cases of COVID-19 have spiked across the US, outdoor recreation season is well underway. And, as hikers and backpackers are getting out on the trail, there are even more safety considerations than in years prior. Not only should outdoor recreation enthusiasts plan for weather, trail conditions, and backcountry contingency plans, but they should also include COVID-19 harm reduction strategies in their itinerary.

In an effort to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 in rural towns, shelters, supply stops, and trail facilities en route, Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC) and Pacific Crest Trail Association (PTCA) have urged thru-hikers to postpone trips and file for permits in 2021. Still, some hikers have chosen to continue the trek, despite the instructions from the ATC and PCTA (https://tinyurl.com/y6qlduyf).

For those outdoor enthusiasts still hoping to explore backcountry trails, the Centers for Disease Control guidelines for the outdoors, as well as national and state parks, suggest guidelines for those seeking adventure while staying safe in the pandemic:

1. “Know Before You Go” – National Park Service openings/closures vary by park, state and local parks may have suspended certain amenities for the 2020 season. Visit web sites or call the rangers’ office before heading out

2. Many National Park Service visitors’ centers, ranger programs, indoor amphitheaters and other amenities where large groups of people might gather, may be closed for the season.

3. Hike close to home. Reduce the influx of out-of-town tourists to small, rural communities with limited medical and supply services.

4. Be prepared and don’t recreate beyond your abilities. Have a contingency plan if trail conditions are unsafe. Backcountry staff/Search and Rescue services may be limited or at reduced capacity, so trail safety and knowledge of your route is of utmost importance.

5. Avoid crowded sites and areas where large groups of people congregate.

6. Wear a mask when encountering other hikers and groups – particularly on narrow trails and passageways.

7. And, as always, practice Leave No Trace principles.

Hayes+Associates, Inc. (https://www.hayesassoc.com) is an expert witness and consulting firm based in Corvallis, OR. The company brings more than 75 years of collective experience in academic research, university teaching and forensic testimony to practice areas that include vehicle collisions, premises safety, slips and falls, products liability, worker safety, sports and recreation, patent litigation and criminal matters.