Garden Design

     Each year, wildfires cause millions of dollars of damage to homes and property across the country, according to the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA). Fire-safe landscaping can be an effective tool that creates an area of defensible space between your home and flammable vegetation or plant life, that can protect against devastating fires.
     While there may be little homeowners can do to prevent wildfires altogether, there are actually several ways to protect your home and property against the damage they can cause. Here are several pointers to get you started, courtesy of the U.S. Fire Administration (www.usfa.fema.gov.)

PRO LANDSCAPING TIPS
     In event of a wildfire, the most important thing to remember is that dead trees and shrubs surrounding your home can act as fuel for the fire. According to the USFA, several homes in Malibu, California, were saved as a result of homeowners' careful pruning and landscaping when wildfires raged throughout the area in 1993. Here are some tips to help you starve any flames near your home:

***** Create a defensible space perimeter by thinning trees and brush within 30 feet around your home.
*****  Beyond 30 feet, remove dead wood, debris and low tree branches.
*****  Eliminate small trees and plants growing under trees. They allow ground fires to jump into tree crowns.
*****  Space trees 30 feet apart, and prune to a height of 8 to 10 feet.
*****  Place shrubs at least 20 feet from any structures, and prune regularly.
*****  Plant the most drought-tolerant vegetation within 3 feet of your home and adjacent to structures to prevent ignition.
*****  Provide at least a 10- to 15-foot separation between islands of shrubs and plant groups to effectively break up continuity of vegetation.

FIRE-RESISTANT MATERIALS HELP SLOW FIRES
     While there are no such things as "fireproof plants," you can landscape your property with fire-resistant vegetation, like high moisture plants that grow close to the ground and have a low sap or resin content, to prevent fire from spreading quickly. Check your local nursery or county extension service for advice on plants that are suited to your environment. Following are a few more ideas for fire-resistant landscaping materials.

***** Create fire-safe zones with stone walls, patios, swimming pools, decks and roadways.
***** Use rock, mulch, flower beds and gardens as ground cover for bare spaces and as effective firebreaks.
***** Choose plant species that resist ignition, such as rockrose, ice-plant and aloe.
***** Fire-resistant shrubs include hedging roses, bush honeysuckle, currant, cotoneaster, sumac and shrub apples.
***** Plant hardwood, maple, poplar and cherry trees that are less flammable than pine, fir and other conifers.

CLOSE-TO-HOME PROTECTION
     Maintain a well-pruned and watered landscape to serve as a green belt and protection against fire. Keep plants green during the dry season and use supplemental irrigation, if necessary. Trim grass on a regular basis up to 100 feet surrounding your home. Stack firewood at least 30 feet from your home. Store flammable materials, liquids and solvents in metal containers outside the home at least 30 feet away from structures and wooden fences. Finally, always install smoke alarms on every level of your home. Be sure to test them monthly, and change the batteries at least once a year.

     For more information and tips, write the United States Fire Administration Office of Fire Management Programs, 16825 South Seton Avenue, Emmitsburg, MD 21727, or visit www.usfa.fema.gov.

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