A Fire Space Around Your Home Can Help Protect It

Wildfires are a huge problem in many parts of the world. If you live in a heavily wooded area, your house may be at risk if there is a wildfire. You can do things to help lessen the risk of fire around your home. One of those things is to consult with a tree service that offers fire space clearance. 

Fire Space

A fire space may also be called a defensible space. It is a cleared space around your home with as little combustible material as possible. One of the goals is to have enough space between your house and the woods that it will be harder for embers to land on your home. The defensible space also allows firefighters to work to protect your house or evacuate you as necessary. Creating a fire space around your house follows some basic guidelines for the most safety. 

Zones

In California, certain homeowners must create a defensible space of 100 feet around their house, broken into at least two zones. There is nothing stopping non-Californians from using the same methods in their homes. The plan calls for three zones. The first zone is immediately around your house and the area which needs to be most aggressively cleaned. You shouldn't have anything combustible in that area, including propane grills, fuel sources for lawn tools, or firewood. In the second zone, you need to keep everything as green as possible, eliminate yard debris, including fallen leaves, and fill brown spots. The closer you are to your house, the more diligent you need to be about keeping everything cleared. The next zone is where you should ensure that there is vertical and horizontal spacing. 

Horizontal/Vertical Spacing

Horizontal space refers to the spacing between trees and shrubs. The spacing between the two types of things will be different because of how they burn. It will also change depending on your yard is graded. For example, in a flat yard, the horizontal space between bushes is twice the height of the shrub. Vertical spacing refers to the distance from the ground to the first branches of the tree. If there is nothing under the tree, then you should ensure that there are at least six feet between the ground and the branches. If you have shrubbery under your trees, then you need to figure the height of the bush in as well.  

If you live in an area prone to wildfires or just a heavily wooded area, you should think about working with a tree service to create a defensible space around your house. 

Share