Practical tips for homeowers to reduce their risk of damage from wildfires
NFPA's Firewise USA® program teaches people how to adapt to living with wildfire and encourages neighbors to work together and take action.
The image above was the exact one that my mom shared with me while asking for my assistance in preparing her log home and ponderosa pine property in Eastern Washington to better protect against wildfire. It was then that I learned of firewise techniques and Firewise Communities. After helping her, a few neighbors of ours in Western Washington were also interested in learning more and becoming a Firewise Community. The process of preparing your home and property as well as encouraging neighbors serves everyone’s best interests. Learn more through the following links! “In the Pacific Northwest, fires are a natural part of the changing landscape. As homeowners continue to build in the wildland-urban interface, they must take special precautions to protect their lives, homes, and property. One way to do this is to create a defensible space around your home. This is the area between your home or other structures, where potential fuel (materials or vegetation) have been modified, reduced, or cleared to create a barrier and slow the spread of wildfire toward your home. A defensible space also allows room for firefighters to fight the fire safely. Three critical steps in creating a defensible space include . . .” from Fire-Resistant Plants for Home Landscapes.
No plant is fireproof. There are a variety of beautiful plants that look great and perform well in firewise gardens. Here are some of our favorites.
Learn best practices to create a fire-resilient home while supporting wildlife and native plants.
Use the following defensible space checklists to build and maintain your defensible space.
Homeowners everywhere need exterior designs that enhance their lives and protect their investment from the elements, especially from more severe events like wildfires.
Many positive things can be said for planting a meadow garden, but meadows aren't one size fits all. Learn elements of different meadow garden designs.
The probability of a home surviving a wildfire greatly increases with two fire-wise home improvements: fire-retardant building materials and, in the yard, the creation of defensible space. Learn how to design an effective and beautiful fire-safe landscape that could save your home
Do you know how to defend your home from fire? No, not standing on the roof with a garden hose, but keeping the landscaping around your house healthy and fire resistant – especially important if you live in a rural area. Ciscoe Morris, master gardener and certified arborist, narrates four shows made for TV that…
Perhaps you are thinking, "Wildfires only happen out west." The last time I checked, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, was on the Atlantic coast. The fire that broke out there on April 24, 2009 burned 19,600 acres and consumed 80 homes.
How one couple stripped their yard of fire-hazardous vegetation, plus an expert offers dos and don'ts for doing it yourself
Incorporate these fire-resistant plants and trees in your landscaping concept can keep your property more protected from wildfires, and also give your landscaping a distinctive and gorgeous look.
A little-noticed indicator was flashing red before any of the blazes began.
This two-page handout is the first in a series describing an asset mapping process for helping communities adapt to wildfire
Authors describe the current state of wildfire social science research and how practitioners on the ground can help define and refine it.
Scorching heat, a thirsty atmosphere and relentless winds: How the North Complex Fire spread so far, so fast.
Losing power also has real consequences for people’s businesses, livelihoods and potentially their health and safety.
It only takes a spark to ignite a wildfire - t-shirt by mojokumanovo
Explore KarlGercens.com GARDEN LECTURES' 192218 photos on Flickr!
