The county’s Department of Land Use and Planning Website and others have detailed advice to help homeowners create defensible space around their homes that slow or stop fires.
Among the practical steps are:
Don’t allow trees planted near electrical lines to make contact with the wires; remove tree limbs within 10 feet of a chimney
Clean roofs and gutters to remove combustible debris
Stack no firewood within 50 feet of your home
Dispose of any cut vegetation as well as dead trees and shrubs.
Create a defensible space perimeter by thinning trees and brush within 30 feet around your home.
Eliminate small trees and plants growing under trees.
Space trees 30 feet apart and prune to a height of 8 to 10 feet.
Place shrubs at least 20 feet from any structures and prune regularly.
Plant the most drought-tolerant vegetation within three feet of your home and adjacent to structures to prevent ignition.
Provide at least a 10- to 15-foot separation between islands of shrubs and plant groups to effectively break up continuity of vegetation.
Fire-resistant Plants
There are no fireproof plants, but there are fire-resistant plants.
Select high-moisture plants that grow close to the ground and have a low sap or resin content.
Choose plant species that resist ignition, such as rockrose, iceplant and aloe.
Fire-resistant shrubs include hedging roses, bush honeysuckles, currant, cotoneaster, sumac..
Also remember that properly irrigated plants are less likely to ignite. Even the most drought-tolerant plants can benefit from an inch of irrigation monthly during summer.
— Mary James
