Fire, Defensible Space and You...

• FIRE, PLANTS, DEFENSIBLE SPACE AND YOU
• OTHER PRECAUTIONS TO CONSIDER IN LANDSCAPE DESIGN
• AFTER A FIRE
• ACCEPTABLE PLANTS FOR A DEFENSIBLE SPACE IN FIRE PRONE AREAS
• FIRE AGENCY CONTACT LIST
• WILL YOUR HOME SURVIVE A WILDFIRE?

FIRE, PLANTS, DEFENSIBLE SPACE AND YOU

Many portions of the unincorporated areas of the County of San Diego share expansive, rural settings of native plant material. Fire is an important factor in maintaining the healthy status of these native plant species. Since these areas are also highly desirable places in which to live, maintaining a defensible fire space around structures is essential for protection against fire. Following are some helpful hints to assist you in defending your property:

DEFENSIBLE SPACE

Defensible space is the area around a structure, where material capable of causing fire has been cleared, reduced or changed, to act as a barrier between an advancing fire and the structure. This procedure involves the clearing of flammable vegetation to a minimum of 30 feet around the structure and additional clearing to include at least 100 feet from the structure. This clearing severely limits the amount of fuel that a fire needs to sustain itself.

In this area, select plants that:

• grow close to the ground,
• have a low sap or resin content,
• grow without accumulating dead branches, needles or leaves,
• are easily maintained and pruned, and
• are drought-tolerant.

Plants to avoid in this area:

• trees: evergreen conifers (pines, cypresses, junipers), and eucalyptus,
• shrubs: ornamental grasses, acacias, hopseed (dodonea), and all berry vines.

OTHER PRECAUTIONS TO CONSIDER IN LANDSCAPE DESIGN:

• Vary the height of plants and provide adequate spacing. The taller the plant, the wider apart they need to be spaced.
• For trees over 18 feet tall, prune limbs within six feet of the ground to prevent ground fires from spreading up-wards into trees.
• Remove dead limbs overhanging your roof including any limb within 10 feet of your chimney.
• Work with your neighbors to clear common areas between houses, and prune areas of heavy vegetation that are a fire threat to both properties.
• Avoid planting trees under or near electrical lines. They may grow into, or make contact with overhead lines under windy conditions, causing a fire.
• If you have a heavily wooded area on your property, remove some of the trees to decrease tree density which will also decrease the fire hazard. Improve growing conditions by removing dead, weak, diseased trees and those with an obvious lean, leaving a healthy mixture of older and younger trees.
• Properly dispose of all cut vegetation by an approved method. Open burning may require a burning permit. Contact your fire department for local requirements.
• Stack firewood and scrap wood piles at least 30 feet from any structure. Clear away any flammable vegetation within 10 feet of these wood piles. Many homes have "survived" - as a fire moved past it, only to burn later from a wood pile that ignited after the firefighters had moved on to protect other homes.
• Clear pine needles, leaves or other debris from the roof of your house and any other buildings on your property. Check and clean your roof gutters several times during the spring, summer and fall to remove debris that can easily ignite from a spark.

AFTER A FIRE

It is urgent to temporarily stabilize any slopes on the property prior to the winter rainy season. Rains can cause slope failure and mudslides, both upstream from you, and downstream to your neighbor. Some preventive methods that can be used singly, or in combination with each other are:

• Plastic sheeting - placed over the slope will divert water. Make sure the water will flow into culverts, brow ditches or other diversions.
• Straw mulch
• Jute mesh
• Wood excelsior matting
• Geotextiles
• Straw bale dikes
• Silt fences
• Seed planting of native annuals and perennials.

These methods of erosion control act only as temporary measures to stabilize slopes. If burned slopes have previously been covered with native vegetation, new plants will sprout from the underground roots. As the rainy season progresses, other native plants will germinate also. Man made slopes, interior to many projects, will need to be replanted with deep rooting plant materials. Trees and shrubs are preferred over ice plants to insure long term erosion control.

For further information, contact the California Department of Forestry , Southern Region at 2524 Mulberry Street, Riverside, California, 92501, Phone number: (909) 782-4140, or your local fire district.