Firewise Garden

Creating the Firewise Garden Takes Planning, Planting and

MaintenancePresented by Judith Leraas Cook

Project ManagerFirewise Communities/USA

International Master Gardeners Association Conference, May 2007Little Rock, Arkansas

What Is Firewise?

• Firewise Communities Program– Sponsored by the National Wildfire

Coordinating Group– Liaisons in 44 states and two BIA regions– 222 Firewise Communities/USA sites

nationwide• $14,182,894 invested since 2003• Almost 300,000 homeowners

What Makes a Garden Firewise?

• The Firewise Communities Vision - With adequate planning and cooperation among varying interests, wildfires can occur without disastrous loss of life, property and resources

A Firewise Garden

• Generally lies within 100-200 feet of the home

• The best way to protect a home from destruction during an extreme wildfire is to take actions within that space---the home ignition zone

The Home Ignition Zone

A Firewise Garden

• A garden can ensure that no high-intensity flames can occur within 100’ of a home– If steep slopes lie

below a structure, this area may extend to 150-200’

City of Beverly Hills, CA Firewise Garden

Planning the Firewise Garden

• Site characteristics give clues to potential wildfire behavior– Is it flat? On a slope?– Does it include a water

feature or a stream?– Is it subject to

prevailing winds?

Planning the Firewise Garden

• The design should accommodate nearby structures– Minimize the volume

of vegetation as you go nearer to homes or outbuildings

Planning the Firewise Garden

– Create a fire-free area that extends five feet out from the home and its attached decks, fences, etc. Can include…

• Mowed, irrigated grass• Flower beds of high-

moisture-content perennials

Planning the Firewise Garden

• Fire-free area can also include…– Nonflammable

landscaping materials like rocks and pavers

Planning the Firewise Garden

• Create fuel breaks with gravel walkways, paths and small lawns, if appropriate

• Water features add to a garden’s ambience

Planning the Firewise Garden

• Wood fences and mulch should not touch structures

Planning the Firewise Garden

• About trees -– Within 30’ of a home,

leave 20-30’ of space between the canopies or between small clusters of two to three trees

– Beyond 30’ from a home, leave 10-20 feet of space between canopies

Planning the Firewise Garden

• Well-placed deciduous trees can act as a shield during a wildfire, blocking its intense heat

Planning the Firewise Garden

• Careful selection of fire-resistant plants can slow the spread of a wildfire and reduce its intensity

Planting the Firewise Garden

• Most deciduous trees and shrubs are fire-resistant

• Native vegetation is often fire-adapted

• Fire-resistant plants can be damaged or killed during a wildfire, but do not contribute measurably to its intensity

Planting the Firewise Garden

• Fire-resistant plant characteristics– Leaves are moist and

supple– Sap is water-like and

does not have a strong odor

– Have little dead wood and tend not to accumulate dry material

Firewise Plants

Planting the Firewise Garden

• Highly flammable plant characteristics– Contain fine, dry or

dead material like twigs, needles and leaves

– Leaves, twigs and stems contain volatile waxes, terpenes or oils

– Leaves are aromatic

Planting the Firewise Garden

• Highly flammable plant characteristics– Sap is gummy,

resinous and has strong odor

– May have loose or papery bark

Planting the Firewise Garden

• Flammable trees and shrubs are typically conifer and non-deciduous broadleaf species

• Both ornamental and native plants can be highly flammable

Maintenance is Important

• During a wildfire, the potential exists for a blizzard of firebrands (embers)– Firebrands collect similarly to falling leaves– Flammable items can ignite, starting small fires

Maintenance is Important

• A clean, healthy garden is not a receptive surface for firebrands (embers)

Maintaining the Firewise Garden

• Avoid developing ‘ladder fuel’ conditions

Maintaining the Firewise Garden

• Proper, regular pruning reaps fire-preparedness dividends

Maintaining the Firewise Garden

• Keep plant debris to a minimum…– Remove dead

leaves and stems

Maintaining the Firewise Garden

• Keep plant debris to a minimum…– Rake– Mow– Dispose of debris

promptly

Maintaining the Firewise Garden

• About trees -– Within 30 feet of a

home, limb trees up eight feet above the ground

– Remove accumulations of dead branch and stem wood under and between trees

Maintaining the Firewise Garden

• About trees -– Beyond 30 feet, prune

lower branches up six to eight feet from the ground

– Remove accumulations of dead branch and stem wood under and between trees

Maintaining the Firewise Garden

• About plants -– Should be carefully

spaced and low-growing

– Ensure they stay healthy and green

– If mulch is used, keep it moist as it can become flammable when dry

In Conclusion, A Firewise Garden Is….

• Well-planned, with proper plant spacing and the adjacent structures in mind

• Planted with fire-resistant species• Well-maintained, pruned and trimmed

Questions?

• www.firewise.org• www.firewise.org/usa,

(Practical Firewise Information contains fire-resistant plant lists)

• firewise@nfpa.org

Grand Haven, Michigan Firewise GardenMaster Gardener Project