Fire Safe Landscaping

When we look back at the most destructive fires that have swept through our area, it's clear that careful pruning and fire-safe landscaping makes a difference in protecting your home. A fire-safe landscape includes a home defense zone so that the landscape doesn't support the spread of fire to your home. Homes on a slope or in areas of high wind are particularly vulnerable, but there are good landscaping methods that can help reduce that risk.

Top 5 Rules of Fire Safe Landscaping

The following are some of the fire-safe landscaping efforts we can do to help protect your home:

1. Assessing your fire risk and ensure clear boundaries to help prevent the spread of a wildfire.

2. Clearing out dead trees and shrubs around your home - these are simple fuel for any fire.

3. Removing the linking vegetation that can lead the fire to a structure, like your house.

4. Maintaining a well-pruned and hydrated landscape that serves as a green belt and protection.

5. Removing flammable vegetation (especially under trees) and planting fire-safe plants.

Landscaping for Fire Safety

Did you know that some plants are more flammable than others? It's true. Some plants contain a lot of oil or tend to drop a lot of plant matter, which is fuel to a fire.

A healthy lawn, ground cover, and even perennials can form a green belt around your home and serve as your home defense zone. Plants that are green and lush provide better protection, so regular watering and eliminating the accumulation of dry plant litter (the perfect fire fuel) is critical. By grouping plants with similar water requirements, you can maximize your water consumption efficiently and reduce the risk of fire spread.

Important fire-safety landscaping notes:

• Mulch conserves moisture, but it also burns

• Non-flammable landscape materials are better

• Keep plants away from your home - at least 10 feet

Trees and Fire Safety

Trees are never completely fire-safe, but well trimmed trees and trees with enough space between them offer greater safety. When planting new trees, it's important to position them with plenty of room for future growth. Pruning limbs that are close to the ground or spreading too close to other trees, or your home, is critical for the best fire prevention. Removing dead branches and clearing dead leaves ensures that a wildfire can't spread as easily along the ground by consuming the easy fuel as it goes.

The team at A&J Tree can assess your property's fire risk and help you plant fire-wise landscaping to reduce your fire risk. Give our team a call at (805) 968-1904 and we'll come by.