Wildfire Preparedness Tips


The Western U.S. use to have “fire seasons” now the West has “fire years” according to Vicki Christiansen, Chief of the Forest Service because wildfires now burn year around in the West. Keep your family and property safe by understanding wildfires and how to create a fire-retardant environment.

Factors that contribute to disastrous wildfires include:

1. Uneven amounts of rain from year to year – during a rainy year, the understory vegetation grows dense. If the following year is a dry year, the dense vegetation dies and become fuel for fires.

2. Freezing weather will kill the vegetation turning into fire fuel.

3. Urban growth – building communities and houses in fire prone areas increases the available fuel

4. Wind – dry winds and/or fast winds help spread wildfires

5. Excessive fuel – reduced funding to the Forest Service has hindered their ability to maintain the amount of dense under-story growth in forests. Current policy prevents the use of prescribed burns in many areas.

(Write your Congressional Representative to advocate for more prescribed/controlled burns.)

6. Lighting – natural phenomenon that is unavoidable – however, with reduced fuel fires will burn less hot and do less damage.

FUEL…FUEL…FUEL…Fires need fuel (something to burn)
Reduced fuel = less intense wildfires

Take Action to Protect Your Home against Wildfires

If you rent your home or live in an apartment, speak with your property manager and ask them what steps they have taken to create a fire retardant building and landscape. If you own your home / property take the following precautions to create a fire retardant building and landscape.

1. Fire Zone (reduced-fuel zone) – 200 foot zone around structures or along property line. In this area, plant low growing, drought resistant deep-rooted ground cover. If your property is small and you cannot create a 200 foot zone then at a minimum maintain fire lanes around your house and outbuilding.

2. Fire Lane – on at least 2-sides of your house, keep an area clear of shrubs, trees, and obstacles wide enough for a fire truck. It is important to provide access to your house big enough for a fire truck.

3. Access to water:
  • Install a water hydrant. If possible, use a gravity feed from a pond or pool.
  • Pond, pool, hot tubs provide a store of water
  • Pump – keep your pump well-maintained – it is preferable to use gas or propane to run the pump that way it will work in the case of an electrical power outage.
4. Building materials:
  • Use non-flammable siding
  • Use non-combustible roofing materials
Fire-mindful Landscape Design and Maintenance

1. Clean all vegetation off roof and gutters

2. Regularly clean-up leaves – add to compost

3. Prune vegetation

4. Cut out weak or diseased trees

5. Clear out / cut back overhanging branches that hand over building, driveway, fire zone and fire 
lane (branches should be 15 – 20 feet from buildings)

6. Thin crowns of trees – cut out all dead branches – clear branches 20 feet from the ground

7. Get rid of stumps

8. Keep vegetation under trees low – plant ground covers and low shrubs

9. Clear area around house:
  • Keep no major plants or trees within 30 – 50 feet of buildings
  • Plant just enough shrubbery to stabilize ground or slopes
  • Alternatively use perennials, wildflowers, and native plants to stabilize ground
10. Plant vegetation in islands separated by pavers or grass:
  • 300 – 500 feet apart
  • Plant shrubs as far apart as the height
11. Water regularly – maintain plant vitality

Highly Flammable Plants (avoid if possible)
Fir
Chamise (Adenostoma fasaculatum)
Acacia
Manzanita
Cedar
Pampas grass
Cypress
Scotch broom
California buckwheat
Gum
Palms
Juniper
Spruce
Pine
Laurel sumac (Rhus laurina) & California laurel
Rosemary
Yew
Arborvitae

Stay Informed about Current Wildfire

Reference: photo credit - USFS

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