| |
Defensible
Space
Every home needs defensible space, an area around
it free from dangerous accumulations of flammable vegetation.
- Clear all dry grass, brush and dead leaves
at least 30 to100 feet away from your home.
- Clear low-hanging branches and tall shrubs
to remove “fire ladders” that could enable fire
to climb into trees.
This allows firefighters a safe working area
within which to defend against an oncoming wildfire.
Spacing
- Group plants of similar height and water
requirements to create a "landscape mosaic" that
can slow the spread of fire and use water most efficiently.
- Space trees at least 10 feet apart, and keep
branches trimmed at least 10 feet from your roof.
- For trees taller than 18 feet, prune lower
branches (only those that are less than 4 inches across)
within six feet of the ground.
Watering
- Consider drip irrigation for watering your
landscape. It is effective and conserves water because it
targets where the water goes and how much gets there.
- Use sprinklers for lawns or turf landscaping.
Drip irrigation does not work well on lawns. Sprinklers
on timers ensure your lawn is getting the right amount of
water to keep it healthy and fire resistant.
- There are many benefits to drought-tolerant
native vegetation. A primary benefit is that after the native
plant becomes established (the first one to two years that
the plant is in the ground) the plant requires little to
no irrigation.
Maintenance
- Keep your landscape healthy and clean. Remove
fallen trees, dead branches, leaves pine needles and pinecones
from your yard on a regular basis, as they can serve as
added fuel to a fire.
- Regularly prune or thin shrubs, trees, and
other plants to minimize the fuel load. Prune trees at least
10 feet from your chimney or stovepipe. Do not top trees.
- Thin a 15-foot space between tree crowns
and remove limbs that are within 10 feet of the ground.
- Be diligent about cleaning up, especially
during fire season. Look inside plants like ivy and juniper
that hide their leaves and needles. Remove loose bark on
eucalyptus trees.
- Remove broom, blackberries, Monterey pine
and other hazardous plants.
- Remove vines from the walls of your home.
- Involve your gardener to incorporate these
maintenance suggestions in routine service.
- Recycle/compost plant material. Participate
in the City of Oakland’s green waste recycling program.
You can also compost plant litter and create a money-saving
alternative to store-bought mulch. A relatively shallow
layer of decomposing leaves (such as from native oaks) has
many benefits to your landscape and is not a fire hazard.
Timing
- Good vegetation management is a year-round
activity. Weeds and dead woody fuels that are cut in the
winter and spring can decompose during the wet season to
reduce the build-up of material that must be hauled away
in the summer. Working in winter can have many benefits,
such as the fact that poison oak is leafless and a bit less
"contagious," the temperatures are cooler, and
it is easier to deal with some weeds.
You do not need a lot of money to make your
property fire safe. You will also find that a fire-safe landscape
can increase your property value, conserve water, and protect
the creeks, water quality, and native habitats of your area.
For more information on vegetation management,
go to: www.firesafecouncil.org,
www.allstate.com,
www.fema.org,
www.lbl.gov/ehs/hef
<< Back |
