Fire Safe Gardening

Posted By Firefox on May 12, 2009

In the wake of the Jesusita Fire in Santa Barbara, CalFire officials and the USFS are ramping up their preparedness for the 2009 wildfire season. The fire in the hills above that city spread quickly due to firebrands sent aloft by the winds.  

A line of flames is only part of the danger of the wildfire

These flying embers create “spotting” where new fires erupt ahead of the main fire. In the case of Jesusita, flying embers landed in pines and palm trees or the leaf litter that accumulated in the valley of a roof and spread the fire beyond the ability of fire engines to put out.

This shows that “defensible space” is only one aspect of a fire safe garden and home. Maintenance and vigilance also are important.  Some residents stayed to defend their homes and doubtless  were able to combat the embers.  But the risk is great; on one street, fire fighters were overrun in a home, taking shelter inside the structure to avoid the firestorm outside.  Even with their heavy protective clothing and years of training, they went to hospital with burns.  A homeowner would not be that lucky without the same protective gear.  

Along with creating defensible space, home owners should plan to evacuate and protect their home with a fire resistant foam or gel such as ThermoGel, that can be applied via a hose end sprayer quickly.  The gel snuffs out embers and can be an effective part of the Fire Safe Garden.

Categories: fires and fire safety
Tags: big sur, fire clearance, Jesusita fire, organic gardening. fire safety, Thermogel