firewise garden
DESCRIPTION
Firewise presentation by Judith Leraas Cook in May 2007 to International Master Gardeners Conference. How to plan, design and maintain home landscaping that is beautiful and safer from wildfire.TRANSCRIPT
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Creating the Firewise Garden Takes Planning, Planting and
MaintenancePresented by Judith Leraas Cook
Project ManagerFirewise Communities/USA
International Master Gardeners Association Conference, May 2007Little Rock, Arkansas
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What Is Firewise?
• Firewise Communities Program– Sponsored by the National Wildfire
Coordinating Group– Liaisons in 44 states and two BIA regions– 222 Firewise Communities/USA sites
nationwide• $14,182,894 invested since 2003• Almost 300,000 homeowners
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What Makes a Garden Firewise?
• The Firewise Communities Vision - With adequate planning and cooperation among varying interests, wildfires can occur without disastrous loss of life, property and resources
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A Firewise Garden
• Generally lies within 100-200 feet of the home
• The best way to protect a home from destruction during an extreme wildfire is to take actions within that space---the home ignition zone
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The Home Ignition Zone
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A Firewise Garden
• A garden can ensure that no high-intensity flames can occur within 100’ of a home– If steep slopes lie
below a structure, this area may extend to 150-200’
City of Beverly Hills, CA Firewise Garden
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Planning the Firewise Garden
• Site characteristics give clues to potential wildfire behavior– Is it flat? On a slope?– Does it include a water
feature or a stream?– Is it subject to
prevailing winds?
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Planning the Firewise Garden
• The design should accommodate nearby structures– Minimize the volume
of vegetation as you go nearer to homes or outbuildings
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Planning the Firewise Garden
– Create a fire-free area that extends five feet out from the home and its attached decks, fences, etc. Can include…
• Mowed, irrigated grass• Flower beds of high-
moisture-content perennials
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Planning the Firewise Garden
• Fire-free area can also include…– Nonflammable
landscaping materials like rocks and pavers
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Planning the Firewise Garden
• Create fuel breaks with gravel walkways, paths and small lawns, if appropriate
• Water features add to a garden’s ambience
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Planning the Firewise Garden
• Wood fences and mulch should not touch structures
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Planning the Firewise Garden
• About trees -– Within 30’ of a home,
leave 20-30’ of space between the canopies or between small clusters of two to three trees
– Beyond 30’ from a home, leave 10-20 feet of space between canopies
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Planning the Firewise Garden
• Well-placed deciduous trees can act as a shield during a wildfire, blocking its intense heat
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Planning the Firewise Garden
• Careful selection of fire-resistant plants can slow the spread of a wildfire and reduce its intensity
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Planting the Firewise Garden
• Most deciduous trees and shrubs are fire-resistant
• Native vegetation is often fire-adapted
• Fire-resistant plants can be damaged or killed during a wildfire, but do not contribute measurably to its intensity
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Planting the Firewise Garden
• Fire-resistant plant characteristics– Leaves are moist and
supple– Sap is water-like and
does not have a strong odor
– Have little dead wood and tend not to accumulate dry material
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Firewise Plants
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Planting the Firewise Garden
• Highly flammable plant characteristics– Contain fine, dry or
dead material like twigs, needles and leaves
– Leaves, twigs and stems contain volatile waxes, terpenes or oils
– Leaves are aromatic
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Planting the Firewise Garden
• Highly flammable plant characteristics– Sap is gummy,
resinous and has strong odor
– May have loose or papery bark
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Planting the Firewise Garden
• Flammable trees and shrubs are typically conifer and non-deciduous broadleaf species
• Both ornamental and native plants can be highly flammable
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Maintenance is Important
• During a wildfire, the potential exists for a blizzard of firebrands (embers)– Firebrands collect similarly to falling leaves– Flammable items can ignite, starting small fires
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Maintenance is Important
• A clean, healthy garden is not a receptive surface for firebrands (embers)
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Maintaining the Firewise Garden
• Avoid developing ‘ladder fuel’ conditions
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Maintaining the Firewise Garden
• Proper, regular pruning reaps fire-preparedness dividends
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Maintaining the Firewise Garden
• Keep plant debris to a minimum…– Remove dead
leaves and stems
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Maintaining the Firewise Garden
• Keep plant debris to a minimum…– Rake– Mow– Dispose of debris
promptly
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Maintaining the Firewise Garden
• About trees -– Within 30 feet of a
home, limb trees up eight feet above the ground
– Remove accumulations of dead branch and stem wood under and between trees
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Maintaining the Firewise Garden
• About trees -– Beyond 30 feet, prune
lower branches up six to eight feet from the ground
– Remove accumulations of dead branch and stem wood under and between trees
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Maintaining the Firewise Garden
• About plants -– Should be carefully
spaced and low-growing
– Ensure they stay healthy and green
– If mulch is used, keep it moist as it can become flammable when dry
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In Conclusion, A Firewise Garden Is….
• Well-planned, with proper plant spacing and the adjacent structures in mind
• Planted with fire-resistant species• Well-maintained, pruned and trimmed
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Questions?
• www.firewise.org• www.firewise.org/usa,
(Practical Firewise Information contains fire-resistant plant lists)
Grand Haven, Michigan Firewise GardenMaster Gardener Project