Recent fire reminds us to create defensible space around house

The fire folks have always told us that it’s not a matter of if a wildfire strikes – it’s when. Need I say more after last week’s Valley View fire?

Since the next fire is only a windstorm away, here are a few tips for creating defensible space around your house:

First, move flammable materials away from your house and outbuildings. Sparks can land in them and easily ignite the structure. Gutters need to be cleaned regularly of needles and leaves. Firewood and other flammable materials need to be moved away from structures. Enclose the space under decks. Pick up trash and clutter. A camera crew on a California wildfire actually filmed a broom left leaning up against a house catching fire. They put that fire out and the house survived. If your roof needs replacing, use the best fire-resistant materials available.

Make your landscape clean, green and lean. Clean up fallen needles and pine cones on the ground around structures. Pay special attention to areas where the wind piles needles as wind-borne sparks will land in the same areas. Remove small evergreens planted within 30 feet of the house especially those around structure foundations. Most conifers and junipers are high in turpenes (as in turpentine) that burn easily when sparks drop in them. Limb up larger evergreens at least 12 feet off the ground to reduce the potential of fire moving into the tree’s crown. Mow grass regularly around the house or plant grasses that stay low. A 2-foot tall stand of dry grass will support an 8-foot tall column of flame. Thin out deciduous shrubs close to the house to remove twiggy dead material that could catch fire. If you have a good water supply, keep the grass and shrubs green. Remove bark mulches from beds near the house and replace them with gravel, rock or hardscape. Post your address on a metal or nonflammable stand at its entrance so firefighters can locate it easily.

A last note: Creating a fire-resistant landscape and defensible space will not guarantee that your house won’t burn in fire. It merely increases the possibilities of surviving one. If a fire is big enough, no human efforts can keep it away from your house.