Fire Safe Gardening

Posted By Firefox on March 17, 2009

Fire clearance can be confusing to homeowners. It is hard to tell what makes for good fire clearance and how much needs to be done.

One way to think about it, it is think like a fire.  Just like ants in a kitchen, fire moves along one plane, such as the ground until it encounteres a way to move upward.  So when a fire is moving towards a tree, it will tend to try and move up into the tree using other things around it, such as shrubs or fences.  

This is called a fuel ladder.  A way for fire to “climb” up into the air, or into the roof of your home.

fire "climbs" upward using shrubs and low branches

Also, since heat rises, one way fire can climb is by heating things ahead of it.  Such as on a slope.  A fire that starts at the base of the hill will move much faster than a fire on flat land because the heat radiating form the fire will heat and dry out the material above it.  In other words, on a slope, fire can reach farther becuase of the effect of rising heat.  This is without even considering sparks blowing ahead of a fire.

So when clearing, think like fire and try to see where fire can have a chance to “climb” using fuel ladders.  This way, instead of creating a barren moonscape in your landscape, you can create an effective and attractive fire safe property.

Categories: fires and fire safety
Tags: big sur, fire clearance, Fire Safety