Spring is in full bloom and all the plants and shrubs and trees are pushing all their energy into explosive growth. This is the perfect time to keep things trimmed and tidy and be sure you always maintain a defensible space for wildfire safety. Vegetation management to reduce fire risk is not hard, but you will want to keep it up. Zone 0 is from the walls of your structure out 5 feet, and the goal is to keep this as an ember-resistant zone. Think about hardscapes–using gravel, pavers, or concrete instead of mulch that can catch fire and burn quickly. Clear out dead weeds and grasses, keep branches and bushes trimmed 10 feet back from chimneys, and store firewood farther away from the home, not stacked against the wall. Just keeping an eye out for safety might inspire you to make some great new landscape choices. Remember, wildfire season is year-round.
If you’d like to see more resources for wildfire preparedness, visit our website at https://www.aarbf.org/wildfirepreparedness/