The concept that if 100 feet of defensible space is good, then 200-300 feet should be better is false. Creating large areas of clearance with little or no greenery produces a “bowling alley” for wildfire. Without the blockage of thinned, small irrigated greenery, the house becomes the ideal flame catcher.
Clearing brush 100 feet from structures is plenty. With this kind of clearing, more is not better! Removing all the trees actually permits more fire brands to accumulate on your house, which is why homes ignite miles from the actual flame front.
An experienced landscape company ought to deal with you as the house owner and mark the trees, shrubs, and plants you would like to keep close to your house. Cutting big areas of plants is not recommended as this can make structures and buildings more susceptible to fire bands. It also can eliminate the feeling of living near the outdoors.
The landscape team must determine any mature trees that need to stay in place if clearing outside the 100 feet Defensible Space zone near your home. These “keeper trees” will thrive in the years after mechanical brush clearing due to the fact that they no longer need to contend for water, soil or sunlight. These trees are important for keeping fire brand far from your home! When selecting which trees or shrubs to eliminate, the licensed arborist on the group will select the ones that have the poorest vigor. Signs of poor vitality include various bare or spindly branches, bad color in the leaves or needles, and proof of parasites, such as pests or fungus.
The possibility of a home making it through a wildfire significantly increases with 2 fire-wise home improvements: fire-retardant building products and, in the backyard, the creation of a defensible space. Learn how to create an efficient and lovely fire-safe landscape that could keep your home and family safe from wildfire.
If you live in a rural area, clearing the brush around your home is one of the very best methods to protect your residential or commercial property from wildfire. Do not overdo it, often a single day of clearing provides the most benefit! There are various levels of brush clearing the areas around your home and the forest areas on the rest of your property.
Choose fire-retardant plant types that resist ignition such as rockrose, ice plant and aloe. Select fire-resistant shrubs such as hedging roses, bush honeysuckles, currant, cotoneaster, sumac and shrub apples. Plant wood, maple, poplar and cherry trees that are less combustible than pine, fir and other conifers.
Plants that are fire-resistant have the following qualities: Leaves are damp and supple. Plants have little dead wood and tend not to accumulate dry, dead material within the plant. Sap is water-like and does not have a strong odor.
Professional landscape companies such as Tree Service Pro Sacramento are well equipped to assist homeowners in the Sacramento, CA area for all their brush clearing needs. The company provides a certified arborist to manage every job to ensure the safety of all involved and to achieve the best results.
