If you live in an area where wildfires are a concern, then you must take steps to carefully manage the trees near your home. A fire can spread quickly, especially if there are lots of trees nearby to provide fuel.
1. Clear the Perimeter
Defensible space refers to the area around a building that doesn't have any fuel for a fire to burn. In fire-prone areas, there are often local regulations on how large this space must be. Trees should not be planted in the defined defensible space. If there are trees in this zone, then a tree removal company needs to take them down to reduce the fire risk.
2. Thin Dense Areas
Densely treed areas of the property are naturally going to be a greater fire risk due to the amount of fuel they provide. Opening up wooded areas on the property so that there is plenty of space between trees can create a healthier forest that is less likely to go up in flames during a fire. How much to thin the trees depends on many factors, from overall tree health to the lay of the land. A tree service can help determine the best thinning plan.
3. Lift the Crowns
Often fires burn quickly, passing through an area so fast that only the brush on the ground catches fire. Damage can be minimal if the flames don't make the leap into the crowns of the trees. Lifting the crowns involves removing the lower branches so that the leafy tops start higher up on the trunk. This technique removes the lower branches so that the tree is less likely to catch on fire when flames are moving through areas quickly.
4. Prevent Overhang
Branches from trees should never overhang a home or outbuilding, especially in areas with fire risk. It is very easy for flames to spread from a tree branch to the roof of your home if there is overhang. Annual tree trimming to remove overgrown and overhanging branches is a must if you want to be free of this risk.
5. Clear Out Deadwood
Annual late winter or spring pruning may be the very best thing you can do to prevent fires. Overgrown and crowded crowns are typically filled with dead twigs and branches. By trimming each year, you can be assured that there is little to no deadwood in the crown that can provide tinder to a fire.
Contact a tree trimming service for more information on tree trimming and fire safety.
Share25 March 2022
About a year ago, I realized that part of the reason the plants in my yard kept dying was the fact that they were planted in the wrong places. I didn't pay much attention to which plants needed certain amounts of light, and it was costing them their lives. Several of the plants were really struggling to live, and it was really hard to see. I realized that if I ever wanted to make things right, I would need to create a landscaping plan that would work well for the natural landscape of my yard. This blog is all about understanding landscaping.
