By CMG Ronnie K.
Turks Cap – Pink, a low flammability rated plant from NativeGardeners.com
Maintaining a defensible space around your home can save it from a wildfire. By clearing your yard and property of fuel sources and selecting the right plant for the right space you can create clean, lean and green space that is easy to maintain and protects your house from wildfire. Spring is the ideal time to plan and implement a “firewise landscaping”.
The total loss of life and property in the Los Angeles fires is still playing out as fires continue to rage. The videos of the devastation are shocking. Personal testimonies of lost love ones and homes are gut wrenching. Even without knowing the conclusions and understanding the cause of the California fires, it doesn’t take long to start thinking about our own risk of wildfires and what we can do.
House Fire Zones from Wichita County Master Gardeners Association Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service
All houses in all parts of the US can burn from wildfires. In the Texas Hill Country our dry climate makes our houses especially vulnerable to them. Many communities impose burn bands and incorporate materials of construction for houses that appeal to homeowner aesthetics but also aid in fire prevention. Stone, stucco, cement fiber board, metal roofs, and other non-flammable materials all lead to a lower risk of fire. Yet, even with the most fire resistant house construction, there is no guarantee that a house cannot burn. All houses are at risk.
Salvia Greggii ‘Cold Hardy Pink’ a low flammability rated plant from HighCountryGardens.com
Plants near houses can ignite and set the soffit, siding, wood decks, wood fences or roofs on fire. Windows can break from thermal shock or impact. Smoke column embers or rolling embers can enter broken windows, vents or cracks in houses. Garden sheds, mulch and firewood can also ignite and pose the same threat as vegetation to set fire to your house during a wildfire. You can significantly reduce your risk of house fire through proper firewise landscaping.
Experts in house fire prevention recommend clearing the ignition zones. These zones defined by distances from the house can vary slightly by source, but all focus on clearing the spaces. They emphasis the first 30 feet perimeter around the house, sometimes called the defensible space. For large spaces they define zones out beyond 100 feet. Texas A&M Forest Service recommends ridding the defensible space (the first 30 feet) of firewood, decks, wooden fences, gutter debris and plant waste. The next focus is eliminating most foundation plantings. Using plants that are less flammable and slow growing around foundations in the defensible zone will minimize fuel for fires. They recommend keeping the defensible space irrigated, but that’s not always possible in our dry area. Said simply: “Keep it lean, clean and green.”
Pride of Barbados, a medium flammability rated plant from myseedtopia.com
Some common plants to avoid in the landscape include cedars, Arizona cypress, hollies, palms, ornamental grasses and rosemary. Yes, these plants grow well in the Texas Hill Country but they also burn easily and generate fire ladders that promote tree canopy and house fires. Less flammable plants with slow growth characteristics keep fire fuel low. They include columbine, violet, phlox, bluebells, asters, gay feather, cacti and salvia greggii.
There are many online sources for more details on firewise landscaping and lists of firewise plants and their recommended planting distances from houses. Here are a few:
Firewise Landscaping from Texas Master Gardeners in Wichita County
Firewise Landscaping from Texas Agrilife Extension in Travis County
Firewise Landscaping in Texas from the Texas A&M Forest Service
San Antonio River Authority Firewise Plant List
Yellow Yarrow, a low flammability rated plant from HighCountryGardens.com
With some planning you can have a beautiful landscape and be fire safe at the same time. Spring is a good time to review and create or at least improve that defensible space through firewise landscaping. Not only will you improve your fire protection but you will also have a landscape that is easier to maintain. Firewise landscaping is a gift that you give to yourself, your family and your community.
Landscape Maintenance from Utah State University Forestry Extension
https://extension.usu.edu/forestry/resources/forest-fire/firewise-landscaping-basics