Create a wildfire defensible space in your landscape
In this year of little rain and too many fires, being fire-wise is as important as ever. Many rural homeowners living in Colorado’s arid environment are particularly vulnerable. Wildfire is a natural phenomenon, but the risk of it invading your home can be reduced by creating a wildfire-defensible space.
Devise a plan
A greenbelt of fire-resistant vegetation should surround your home. Ideally, this area is irrigated and planted with lawn, ground covers, or short native grasses, flower beds, and fire-resistant shrubs. This is a great place to use stonework and ornamental rocks and boulders as accents since they are noncombustible. Avoid using wood mulch.
Trees should be more than 30 feet from the house and further away on slopes on the downhill side of the house. The trees beyond that should be planted so that their crowns, once mature, are at least 10 feet away from each other. Do not plant shrubs directly below trees to avoid creating “ladder” fuels, the domino effect where if one object catches fire, it is likely to ignite the other and spread the fire.
FIRE MITIGATION GUIDELINES
Make the right choices
Plants with more resin — in some cases, evidenced by dark-colored sap — are more flammable and should not be planted in fire-prone areas or in close proximity to the home. Also, plants such as junipers that shed a lot and tend to hold dead branches and leaves should also be avoided. Many of our native plant species are highly flammable in the summer. You may want to consider replacing these plants with low-growing, fire-resistant plants, many of which are also drought-tolerant, or xeric, meaning they work well in a Xeriscape.
Choose your plants wisely. Some are considered fire-resistant, but fireproof plants really don’t exist. Nature just doesn’t work that way. Plants that hold more moisture, such as aspen and cactus, are less flammable. A good list of flowers, shrubs, and trees can be found at csfs.colostate. edu. Search for fire-wise plants and then click on Firewise Plant Materials. However, it is said that how and where you plant is more important than what you plant.
Take action
Many Coloradans don’t realize they live with the threat of fire, but the reality is you are at risk if you live in the grasslands, foothills or mountains. That pretty well covers all of us.
There are helpful websites that offer abundant information on what you should know to be prepared in case of fire and how you can make your property safer. To get started, visit csfs.colostate.edu and search for Protect Your Property From Wildfire.
To the Glory of the Garden,
Eva Montane
President of Columbine Landscapes
