12/19/2008 10:01:00 PM Myths of firewise landscaping
Courtesy
The unburned vegetation immediately surrounding this home indicates that ignition started from a spot fire.
Courtesy
Even the simplest things, such as cleaning out gutters, can increase a home’s chances of surviving a wildfire.
By GENE TWARONITE Special to the Courier
In my work as defensible space educator, I hear a lot of reasons why people don't practice firewise landscaping. I'd like to address a few of them here. (Note: Some of these are taken from the National Fire Protection Association course, "Assessing Wildfire Hazards in the Home Ignition Zone.")
Myth # 1: Firewise landscaping will result in an unattractive home and a sparse, unappealing landscape. Living in fire country does not mean you have to live in a bunker surrounded by a barren landscape of rocks and gravel. Firewise landscaping involves removing or modifying - not denuding - vegetation around your home to reduce fire risk. People are often surprised at how much more attractive their homes become with firewise landscaping.
Myth # 2: The more vegetation I remove, the safer my home will be. Removing too much vegetation can be just as risky as not removing enough. Effective firewise landscaping means finding the right balance between reducing the volume of vegetation (or fuel) and maintaining a diverse plant community that protects the soil from erosion and prevents encroachment by invasive weeds. Often the non-native weeds and grasses that quickly establish after a property has been "scalped" are far more likely to carry fire to a home than the native vegetation that was removed.
Myth # 3: The fire department will protect me - that's why I pay taxes. While public fire departments are normally equipped and staffed to handle the average fire events that occur in their communities, there are simply not enough resources available to protect each and every home during a severe wildfire event. Furthermore, some homes are so densely vegetated or inaccessible that firefighters would not be able to safely save them.
Myth # 4: All native trees and forests are "natural" and should not be cut, thinned, or changed in any way. Unfortunately, as a result of not properly managing our forests and woodlands, they have already been changed in undesirable ways. Fuel loads have increased and natural fire regimes have been disrupted. Forest stands have become more overcrowded, resulting in trees more vulnerable to drought, insects, diseases, and catastrophic wildfires.
Myth #5: I don't need firewise landscaping. That's why I pay insurance. Insurance pays only for the replacement costs of the house and personal contents. It does not pay for the emotional devastation, lost time, and destroyed family keepsakes resulting from a total loss due to wildfire.
It can take a year or more to rebuild a home. While an insurance policy is important, it is no substitute for firewise landscaping.
Myth #6: In the event of a severe wildfire, all houses will burn and there's nothing I can do. Numerous studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of firewise landscaping in helping a home survive a wildfire. In a case study of the Belair-Brentwood Fire of 1961, for example, in which many of the homes were surrounded entirely by fire, homes with a nonflammable roof and 30-60 feet of vegetation clearance had a 95% survival rate; those with at least 30 feet of clearance had an 86% rate. Even the simplest things, like removing dead plants, cleaning out gutters, or raking dry leaves away from a wooden deck, can increase a home's chances of surviving.
Myth #7: It's my property and I don't want to remove a single tree. I'm not hurting anyone and it's nobody's business but mine. In the wildland/urban interface, fire is everyone's business. A fire can spread from your home to a neighbor's and the surrounding forest. In areas of higher density, neighbors often share an overlapping home ignition zone (100-200 feet). What you do or don't do on your property has an effect on both your neighbor's and your community's ability to survive a wildfire.
Gene Twaronite is Defensible Space Educator for Yavapai County Cooperative Extension. You can reach him at (928) 445-6590 ex. 231.
