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| Photo Credit: Megan Bame |
| Plants with a naturally high water content, like cacti and succulents, are ideal around the foundation of homes in fire-prone areas. |
When most homeowners think about landscaping, they don’t consider fire prevention as a part of their design theory. But many areas of the country do have a fire season, with California most recently feeling the destructive power of searing flames. And while “firescaping” can’t stop an oncoming fire in its tracks, including it in an overall landscape design can help reduce the extent of property damage in the event of a wildfire.
The first thing to consider when firescaping is the types of plants you can use. While it may seem that all vegetation would increase fire vulnerability, some plants actually have such high moisture content that they offer some fire protection. Cacti and succulents are prime examples. These selections resist combustion under a shower of burning embers and ash, and they can provide a natural barrier between your home and an approaching fire. Another thing to think about is where to site your plants. There are specific guidelines to help you with this. First, you need to divide your landscape into four zones, with Zone 1 being the area closest to your home and Zone 4 the farthest. Zone 1 is defined as the area 0-30 feet from a house. Plants suitable for planting in Zone 1 should have a high moisture content, like succulents. Zone 2, which is 30-60 feet from the house, can include lawn, groundcovers and erosion-controlling grasses. “Low fuel” plants (those that stay short and maintain an open branching pattern) should be established in Zone 3, 60-100 feet from the house. Finally, thinned native vegetation and grouped shrubs are appropriate for Zone 4, 100-200 feet from the house. As you establish these zones, it’s important to include “fuel breaks” (areas void of vegetation or inflammable fencing) to stop or slow a fire as it moves across the landscape.
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