Be firewise

The possibility of fire is something we don’t often like to think about. The Colorado State Forest Service has an approach that can help all homeowners. What can you do to reduce the damage a wildfire can do to your property and home? According to the Colorado State Forest Service, fuel is the only thing we as homeowners can influence with a wildfire. The defensible space is an area with less fuel or no fuel that you create around your home which goes a long way to the possibility of saving your home.  

How much debris do we have on our property? Debris such as dead leaves and pine needles left on decks, in gutters and strewn across lawns can ignite from embers. Is there firewood stored on your deck or next to your home? Are there wood fences that end at a garage or an outbuilding or even your home? A great source of fuel could ignite your home.

The Colorado State Forest Service states that fire moving along the ground’s surface can “ladder” into shrubs and low-hanging tree limbs to create longer flames and more heat. Give your home a defensible space which is about 5 feet from your home. Keep in mind how wide a shrub may grow and place it appropriately. The idea of foundation plantings is detrimental to the possibility of saving your home in a wildfire.

The overall thinking is if your home has flammable features or vulnerable openings, it can also serve as fuel for the fire and become part of a disastrous chain of ignitions to other surrounding homes and structures. Though we don’t have control over wind speed, humidity levels, drought, high temperatures or topography, we can add less fuel to the fire by approaching how we look at our landscapes.

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