State Wildland Urban Interface Code

The State requires cities to adopt this code. See more at Salt Lake Wildland Urban Interface Fire Code

SALT LAKE WILDLAND FIRE CODE COMMENT PERIOD

Certain Greater Avenues properties will be affected by the adoption of the State Wildland Urban Interface Code. The State requires cities to adopt this code. See more at Salt Lake Wildland Urban Interface Fire Code

See Deseret News Wildland Code article by Carter Williams HERE

OUR NEIGHBORHOOD

Service Committee Members

Paul Walton, Chair, Lori Galindo, Kirstin Burdge, Amanda Blair, Jenn Beck, Steve Miller

Current Service Opportunities we are working on:

• 1. Promote signups for Volunteers for the Sept 13 Avenues Street Fair

• 2. Fund school lunches for Ensign Elementary School students:
• Dear Friends and Community Members,
• Many students in the Salt Lake City School District have unpaid lunch balances. Even small debts can place a significant burden on families, creating unnecessary stress and hardship.
  Our district is committed to feeding every child, regardless of their ability to pay. While this ensures no child goes hungry, it also places a substantial financial strain on our schools. We are relying on the strength of our community to step in.
  I invite you to join this important effort to reduce and eliminate lunch debt in the Salt Lake City School District. Whether you choose to make a personal donation or a contribution through your business or organization, every dollar truly matters.
  How You Can Help:
  · Donate directly: https://ensign.slcschools.org/make-a-donation
  · Spread the word: Share this initiative with your friends, family, and coworkers.
  · Sponsor a child or a classroom: We can help coordinate your donation to support a specific school or number of students.
  If you have any questions or are interested in getting involved in other ways, please don’t hesitate to reach out. The Salt Lake Education Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit supporting all schools within the Salt Lake City School District. When you designate your donation for school lunch debt, 100% of your contribution will go directly toward that purpose.
  Please join is in working together to ensure that no family is burdened by lunch debt. Your support will make a lasting impact.
  With gratitude,
  The GACC Service Committee

• 3. The monthly Avenues Community Kindness Award
• Community Kindness Program – Winner for August! by Jenn Beck
• Damon Grayson was nominated by his neighbors on 4th and J who wish to remain anonymous, for “his kindness
  and being a helpful member of the Avenues community. His grandmother lives in the neighborhood and Damon is a walker. He often walks by my home on 4th Avenue at least once a day. Damon is a friendly, outgoing person. When I am in the yard or sitting on my porch, he always says hello and often asks if I need anything. I’m in my 70’s and have taken him up on the offer numerous times over the years, from helping with garbage bins to lifting things for me to shoveling snow in an emergency. Thanks to Damon for being a kind human being and a good Avenues neighbor.” Damon will receive a $25 gift card to an Avenues business of his choice! 
  This award happens every month! Avenues residents can nominate others in the community. Each month The GACC Service Committee will recognize the randomly chosen winner to receive a $25 gift card from an Avenues business of their choice!
  To submit a nominee: 
  1) Send an email to Jenn Beck at jennjbeck@gmail.com
  2) Provide the name and contact info (phone & email if possible) for the person being nominated
  3) Give a brief description of the service/kindness
• Thank you to those who submitted nominations and to all those who serve the Avenues community!

Past Service Committee Projects

2024 – Backpacks for Bryant Middle School

2024 – Volunteer Roundup for Memory Grove Cleanup

2024 – Volunteer Roundup for Avenues Street Fair

Apply to be on the Avenues Service committee:

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• Becoming a Board Member
• Helping with Avenues Street Fair
• Helping with Memory Grove Cleanup
• Serving on a Committee
• Sponsoring GACC

Committees in which you are interested:

• Avenues Athletic League
• Avenues Grants
• Bylaws and SOP's
• Civic Engagement
• Community Emergency Response Team (CERT)
• Finance
• Land Use/Housing
• Memory Grove Clean-Up
• Memory Grove Foundation
• Nominating Committee
• Orange Crossing Flags
• Popperton Plots Community Garde
• Salt Lake Avenues Community Choi
• Communications Committee*
• Street Fair
• Wildfire Preparednes

*Steering Committee Oversees Newsletter Committee, Web Page Committee, Social Media Committee

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OUR NEIGHBORHOOD

Avenues CERT Committee hosts emergency preparedness events and trains committee members to respond in our neighborhood in case of an emergency.

The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Program educates people about disaster preparedness for hazards that may impact their area and trains them in basic disaster response skills, such as fire safety, light search and rescue, team organization, and disaster medical operations. Using the training learned in the classroom during exercises, CERT members can assist others in their neighborhood or workplace following an event when professional responders are not immediately available to help. CERT members also are encouraged to support emergency response agencies by taking a more active role in emergency preparedness projects in their community.

In Person Classes Are Back!
Registration for Spring 2025 classes are now open. To register, please click here.

Classes will run for 7 weeks from 6-9pm and will be located at Salt Lake City Fire Training Division (1600 S. Industrial Road, Salt Lake City, UT 84104).

For more information, contact Tess Alexander

(E: tess.alexander@slc.gov / P: 385-444-1311)

Topics Covered in the Online Modules

OUR NEIGHBORHOOD

Rocky Mountain Power (RMP) is in the process of wildfire mitigation activities in the Foothills Natural area above the Upper Avenues. These activities include updating the power transmission equipment and poles to minimize the risk of wildfire.

Flammable wooden power line poles which can more easily topple during windstorms are being replaced with fire resistant poles.

This work will continue through early 2025. The project will impact trails and other areas of the Foothills.

More information about the project, maps of the activities, and Frequently Asked Questions can be found here PROJECT WEB PAGE and FAQs.

The project is in conjunction with U.S. Fire Administration, with the objective of mitigating wildfire risk along the wildland-urban interface areas in the foothills of Salt Lake City. See more about wildfire mitigation HERE

Salt Lake City Public Utilities and Public Lands are monitoring the project.

The project managers for the RMP wildfire mitigation project are: Brant Swander: brant.swander@pacificorp.com, and Brad Knoles: brad.knoles@pacificorp.com.

The Salt Lake City Public Lands Department is also providing regular updates HERE, including information about current trail closures. Trail users are encouraged to visit the Public Lands website for updated trail closure information.

OUR NEIGHBORHOOD

Fire sense is common sense.

Heat or sparks plus dry grass and brush equals a whole lot of trouble.

Managing Wildfire Risks in the Avenues – see the GACC Wildfire webpage HERE ALWAYS USE FIRE SENSE – even in winter! Fire sense is common sense. The trick is just using it. We all know that heat or sparks plus dry grass and brush equals a whole lot of trouble. Here are two web sites that give practical tips on creating defensible space around our homes: https://utahfiresense.org/ and https://utahfireinfo.gov/

Wildfire Preparedness
Welcome to the GACC Wildfire Preparedness Committee web page.

OUR MISSION – The mission of the GACC Wildfire Preparedness Committee is to educate Avenues residents of the dangers of wildfire within our community and to help them prevent, prepare, and mitigate.

Residents may submit a request for a Defensible Space Assessment here: https://www.slc.gov/fire/contact/.

There is a new GACC Wildfire/Firewise web-page with resources and recommendations for those who live in the “Firewise Candidate” area and for those living outside the official Firewise area who want to know more about how to protect their home, family and community. See the new page here: FIREWISE

Over 1,500 residences within the Avenues are vulnerable to the threats and risks of wildfire due to their proximity to the fire-prone “Wildland Urban Interface” (WUI). It is important for these residents to understand how fire can damage their homes and property and how they can lessen the possibility of damage. If each of us does our part to reduce risk, we can collectively create a safer, more resilient neighborhood.wui

OUR VISION

The vision of the Committee is a neighborhood that is resilient to wildfire and whose residents proactively work to reduce the risks associated with living in the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI).

GACC Wildfire Preparedness Links:

• US Drought monitor –
• Western US Mega drought –
• Utah Wildfire Season –
• Marshall Fire (Louisville, CO) –
• Weather details of Marshall fire and video of widespread destruction –
• NCAR Fire (Boulder, CO) –
• Be Aware of weather conditions – (Eastern Great Basin – Rocky Mountains)
• Have a Plan – 
• Ready.gov

Go Bags

“Go Bags” – The best go bags are personalized. Everyone’s most likely risks (wildfire, earthquake, etc.) and personal needs (kids, pets, meds, etc) are different. Where we are each likely to evacuate to may also be different (shelter, friends or relatives, office space, etc.).

Some people like to pack items by category (or switch out clothes by season) in smaller organization bags like many people use for travel (there are a lot of choices – one example: 

Here are two web-sites with good suggestions for personalized “Go Bags”:

1. https://www.ready.gov/kit
2. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1SOlvLKjMm0D0sWpqjVxX6Tv5ghft3pUl/view (this is from BeReady.Utah.gov)

How Do Homes Burn in a Wildfire? (Hint – It is often the small things!)

Yard Litter and Landscaping – Home Ignition Zone (HIZ) –

• https://csfs.colostate.edu/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/2021_CSFS_HIZGuide_Web.pdf
• https://www.slc.gov/fire/wildland/

Remodeling – Structural envelope – 

Toppled grave at Fort Douglas from windstorm

SLC September 8, 2020 windstorm –

Five things that need to be done () – 

SLC has a new Citizen Wildfire Mitigation Program for “Fire Mitigation Permit Eligible” properties. Visit this link to See if your property qualifies: 

We encourage all to review the “Guidelines for Trimming and Seeding of Grasses on Salt Lake City Open Space Lands Adjacent to ELIGIBLE PARCELS”: 

WILDFIRE PREPAREDNESS GUIDELINES

The best thing a homeowner can do to protect their property is create defensible space. Some easy and immediate steps to take are:

• Clean roofs and gutters of dead leaves, debris, and pine needles that could catch embers.
• Replace or repair any loose or missing shingles or roof tiles to prevent ember penetration.
• Reduce embers that could pass through vents in the eaves by installing 1/8 inch metal mesh screening.
• Clean debris from exterior attic vents and install 1/8 inch metal mesh screening to reduce embers.
• Repair or replace damaged or loose window screens and any broken windows
• Screen or box-in areas below patios and decks with wire mesh to prevent debris and combustible materials from accumulating.
• Move any flammable material away from wall exteriors – mulch, flammable plants, leaves and needles, firewood piles – anything that can burn.
• Remove anything stored underneath decks or porches.
• The time you spend on wildfire prevention around your home is important and the SLC Fire Department is asking residents to report the hours you spend removing possible wildfire fuels around your home.

More information on wildfire prevention and preparation

OUR NEIGHBORHOOD