Comments on: What is the best way to landscape my brand new home for fire safety? http://kingsportfire.com/fire-safety/what-is-the-best-way-to-landscape-my-brand-new-home-for-fire-safety Mon, 21 May 2012 22:08:36 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7 hourly 1 By: kay http://kingsportfire.com/fire-safety/what-is-the-best-way-to-landscape-my-brand-new-home-for-fire-safety/comment-page-1#comment-6442 kay Wed, 11 Nov 2009 03:17:59 +0000 http://kingsportfire.com/fire-safety/what-is-the-best-way-to-landscape-my-brand-new-home-for-fire-safety#comment-6442 There's a good book out called Firewise, and more info on the website: http://www.firewise.org/ There are some paints, sprays, and similar materials that can help protect a house. e.g.: http://www.contegointernational.com/ http://www.onecoatfireproofpaint.com/ http://www.flamestop.com/ Do your best to work with the neighbors, too... wildfires move quickly, and keeping a defensible perimeter or sterile corridor around all the homes really helps. Your local fire department (and especially if you've got a forestry fire department) may be willing to work with a group to develop a good fire plan for your area.<br><b>References : </b><br>old biologist There’s a good book out called Firewise, and more info on the website:
http://www.firewise.org/

There are some paints, sprays, and similar materials that can help protect a house. e.g.: http://www.contegointernational.com/
http://www.onecoatfireproofpaint.com/
http://www.flamestop.com/

Do your best to work with the neighbors, too… wildfires move quickly, and keeping a defensible perimeter or sterile corridor around all the homes really helps. Your local fire department (and especially if you’ve got a forestry fire department) may be willing to work with a group to develop a good fire plan for your area.
References :
old biologist

]]> By: julieb http://kingsportfire.com/fire-safety/what-is-the-best-way-to-landscape-my-brand-new-home-for-fire-safety/comment-page-1#comment-6441 julieb Wed, 11 Nov 2009 02:51:59 +0000 http://kingsportfire.com/fire-safety/what-is-the-best-way-to-landscape-my-brand-new-home-for-fire-safety#comment-6441 The answer will vary depending on the size of your lot and the size of the lots around you. Both are the same in that you will want to avoid what is called a Fire Ladder. Often a grass fire is very fast moving, but blows out when it does not find additional fuel. A serious fire occurs when a grass fire meets small twigs or dry brush that touches the grass, increasing the fire's height. The worst fires that result are crown fires, when the tops of the highest trees catch, sending embers flying and those reach your house. If you are surrounded by forest, even if your own lot is small, you will want to have only low-lying plants that are not oily or act as tinder, such as high, denses grasses. No trees within 100+ feet of the house. If you have a large lot, you will have the lowest lying plants nearest your house. Lawn, flowers, veggies, etc. As you move from the house, your plants can get taller and more closely packed together. Know when your fire season is. Where I am is apx May through Oct. This tells me what to plant, how far away, and how dense, depending on when the plant goes dormant, dry and fire-ready. Don't assume that you should plant natives, either. Again, where I am is a fire-dependant ecology. The natives actually require fire to seed. This means natives need to be far away from my structures and and Fire Ladders because they are born and bred to burn. Last hint - trim your mature trees up as high as recommended by your fire department. They will not catch fire as easily.<br><b>References : </b><br>Long time gardener on 5 acres in fire crazy northern California The answer will vary depending on the size of your lot and the size of the lots around you. Both are the same in that you will want to avoid what is called a Fire Ladder. Often a grass fire is very fast moving, but blows out when it does not find additional fuel. A serious fire occurs when a grass fire meets small twigs or dry brush that touches the grass, increasing the fire’s height. The worst fires that result are crown fires, when the tops of the highest trees catch, sending embers flying and those reach your house.

If you are surrounded by forest, even if your own lot is small, you will want to have only low-lying plants that are not oily or act as tinder, such as high, denses grasses. No trees within 100+ feet of the house.

If you have a large lot, you will have the lowest lying plants nearest your house. Lawn, flowers, veggies, etc. As you move from the house, your plants can get taller and more closely packed together.

Know when your fire season is. Where I am is apx May through Oct. This tells me what to plant, how far away, and how dense, depending on when the plant goes dormant, dry and fire-ready.

Don’t assume that you should plant natives, either. Again, where I am is a fire-dependant ecology. The natives actually require fire to seed. This means natives need to be far away from my structures and and Fire Ladders because they are born and bred to burn.

Last hint - trim your mature trees up as high as recommended by your fire department. They will not catch fire as easily.
References :
Long time gardener on 5 acres in fire crazy northern California

]]> By: Mark http://kingsportfire.com/fire-safety/what-is-the-best-way-to-landscape-my-brand-new-home-for-fire-safety/comment-page-1#comment-6440 Mark Wed, 11 Nov 2009 02:34:59 +0000 http://kingsportfire.com/fire-safety/what-is-the-best-way-to-landscape-my-brand-new-home-for-fire-safety#comment-6440 The best ways: dirt, rocks, water, cement :-)<br><b>References : </b><br> The best ways: dirt, rocks, water, cement :-)
References :

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