Firescaping: The Basics of Landscaping for Home Fire Defense

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source: photo by Will Lester-Inland Valley Daily Bulletin

The 2017 fire season was devastating for many residents of the arid California valley who were affected by wildfires. An unusually long period of drought in the Ojai Valley made the area a tinderbox of dry fuels, when combined with high winds and low water levels, many residents struggled with how quickly the fire spread. As the valley recovers from the fires the City of Ojai is working with a number of agencies from around the state to educate homeowners on firescaping, the first line of defense for home during a wildfire.

source: University of California

Firescaping is a landscaping design technique that specifically incorporates plants that have the best defensibility and survivability in mind while still allowing for aesthetically pleasing green spaces around the property. Firescaping consists of targeting two zones: the home defense zone and the reduced fuel zone. The home defense zone (pictured above) is the 30-foot zone surrounding the house where vegetation should be kept well spaced (not tightly grouped), low, short, well-watered, and free of dry debris. This keeps the house's immediate surroundings free of objects that can act as tinder during a fire. The remaining 70-100-foot extending beyond the home defense zone is the reduced fuel zone. Breaking up vegetation, allowing for more space between plants, and using native vegetation can reduce the intensity of a fire and lessen the chance of spreading. It is important to keep horizontal fire sources low in the reduced fuel zone by allowing a few feet of space between shrubs, keeping trees pruned at least 15-feet from the ground, and by routinely removing dead debris.

For further resources check out these websites: Firescaping - Landscape Design for Wildfire Defensible/Survivable Space, How to renew and protect your yard and garden after a devastating fire, and Home Landscaping for Fire

By Rocha Dollar

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