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A fuel break that includes fire-resistant plants can
help
protect your home by reducing and blocking intense heat.
There are many thousands of
Oregonians living in the wildland/urban interface or those areas where the
homes are intermixed with the forest. You’ve read the stories, seen the
pictures on TV, and heard homeowners talk about the devastation they returned
to after a wildfire burned through their neighborhoods. Most of that
devastation could have been prevented with some planning and a little hard
work.
Mary Ellen Holly, President/CEO of the Keep Oregon Green Association,
advises that those who live within the Interface should make sure they have at least 30 feet around the perimeter of their homes cleared by:
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Removing the dead and dying material that accumulates
around forest homes. Cut out the dead branches or brush, clean the leaves and needles out of the gutters and off the roof.
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Pruning branches from the lower 10 feet of trees to
remove “ladder fuels.” (Ladder fuels take a ground fire into the tops, or crowns, of trees.) Prune any branches that may be overhanging the home and/or chimneys.
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Planning fire-resistant landscapes (click here for more information). Most fire resistant plants can be found at your local nursery.
“We don’t want you to have to change that wonderful environment in which you
wish to live,” Holly noted. “But you need to provide breaks in the vegetation to keep fire from spreading, keep the plants and grass pruned, watered, and green, and keep firewood and propane
tanks uphill and 30 feet or more away from the home. With a few days’ work, you can breathe much more easily knowing you have done what you can to protect yourselves against wildfire.
Neighborhood efforts of the 3 Ps (planning, pruning, and planting) can bring about even greater results for wildfire prevention.
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