{"id":2990,"date":"2018-01-06T18:47:21","date_gmt":"2018-01-06T18:47:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ongardening.com\/?p=2990"},"modified":"2019-03-07T05:29:37","modified_gmt":"2019-03-07T05:29:37","slug":"resolve-to-become-fire-safe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/ongardening.com\/?p=2990","title":{"rendered":"Resolve to Become Fire-safe"},"content":{"rendered":"

California has a history of wildfires, and this year\u2019s fires have been particularly fierce and damaging. Governor Brown has identified climate change as producer of fire dangers and described a future of more wildfires in the state.<\/p>\n

Currently, Monterey Bay area residents are sympathizing with\u2014and perhaps assisting\u2014people in California\u2019s northern and southern regions that are suffering significant losses from wildfires. They should also guard against the potential for wildfires in their own communities.<\/p>\n

Good advice is available for protecting your home from external fire dangers.<\/p>\n

Pre-fire management, which is the current jargon, includes reducing vulnerability to flying embers with tile roofs or roof sprinklers. Hardening your home in these and other steps is good practice when building, possible when renovating, and always less costly than having your home reduced to ashes.<\/p>\n

Still, defensive landscaping is particularly important and cost-effective, and most relevant in this column on gardening. I have listed selected online publications at the end of this column. They describe more good ideas that could be summarized here, but here\u2019s an overview of three basic concepts.<\/p>\n

Provide Defensible Space <\/strong><\/p>\n

Landscaping that is close to the home should not support the movement of the fire. This includes spacing trees at least ten feet part when on level ground, and farther apart when the home is on elevated land.<\/p>\n

\"Diagram<\/a>

Defensible Space Zones 1 and 2<\/p><\/div>\n

The second level of defensive space extends to 100 feet around the residence. California\u2019s Public Resources Code, Section 4291 requires these firebreak provisions for all properties that are near \u201cany land which is covered with flammable material,\u201d i.e., land covered by forest, brush or grass.<\/p>\n

Current wildfires have demonstrated, however, that wind-driven embers can fly up to one mile during a wildland fire, so the practical need for defensible space applies to any residence within a mile of a wildfire.<\/p>\n

Use Fire-resistant Plants <\/strong><\/p>\n

Within a home landscape\u2019s defensible space, using fire-resistant plants adds to protection from fire. CalFire describes these characteristics of fire-resistant plants<\/p>\n