Protect your home by making your landscape fire-resistant
Although it really isn’t possible to have a “fireproof” landscape, there are many thing you can do to help protect your home from the ravages of fire.
The most important is to create a defensible space around the house perimeter. Ideally you should have a 30foot “free zone” from all buildings, structures and decks. This space gives firefighters room to do their job, if needed. Often firefighters will bypass a home that has little to no defensible area in which to work, opting instead for one they think they will be more likely to save.
If at your place it isn’t practical to remove all vegetation, it is extremely important to remove any dead plant material: Dry leaves, pine needles and highly flammable plants such as Italian cypress, pine, fir, spruce, eucalyptus, junipers, palms, Japanese honeysuckle and some ornamental grasses.
Create fire-safe zones by building concrete or stone patios, walkways and walls. Flower beds, gardens, appropriate ground covers and mulch placed near your home can also serve as a fire break.
Removing highly flammable plants and replacing them with fire-resistant options is highly recommended, especially if you live in a high-fire zone.
What makes a tree or shrub fire-resistant? If it’s non-oily, deciduous (drops its leaves in winter), large leaved and/or has highwater content, it fares best when exposed to high heat or fire. To ensure that your plants are as fire resistant as possible, make sure they’re healthy, wellhydrated and free of dead wood.
Excessive vegetation adds fuel to a flame. The plants nearest your home should be widely spaced and low-growing. Avoid large masses. Instead, plant in small clusters using a wide variety of species. Here are some fireresistant options to consider:
TREES >> California live oaks, native redwoods, California bay laurel, maples, citrus, cherry, apple, strawberry tree, dogwood, ash, loquat, ‘Little Gem’ magnolia, toyon, white alder, weeping bottlebrush, redbud.
LARGE SHRUBS >> Aloe, ceanothus, cotoneaster, escallonia, currant, pineapple guava, flowering quince, Island bush poppy, Pacific wax myrtle, photinia, pittosporum, mock orange, plumbago, podocarpus, laurel, viburnum.
FLOWERING PLANTS >> Azalea, camellia, hibiscus, lavender, monkey flower, California fuchsia, coral bells, society garlic, salvia, rhododendron.
GROUND COVERS >> Woolley yarrow, Ajuga reptans, purple rockrose, creeping coprosma, creeping thyme, ice plant, mock strawberry, wild strawberry, evergreen candytuft, lantana, Lamium, African daisy, wooly thyme, star jasmine, sedum.
VINES >> Trumpet vine, potato vine, Cape honeysuckle.
Mulching around your trees and shrubs will help them retain moisture, reduce weeds and provide nutrients to the soil. However, if you are in a high fire area, avoid using wood chips and or pine needles, which can feed a fire. If you do have wood-based mulch, make sure to keep it moist and add a layer of compost of top. Using compost by itself or layers of rocks or pebbles might be a better choice.
Raging fires can produce extremely high heat. Investigators of the 2008 Trabing Fire near Watsonville reported that temperatures had reached more than 3,000 degrees. Unfortunately, no plant would survive that!
If there is a fire near you, please heed the advice from your local fire authorities and evacuate if and when you are asked to do so.