Maintaining Your Firewise Home

 Much of what can be considered being Firewise is just proper home maintenance.  Cleaning up your yard, keeping the structures repaired, and checking the overall condition of your property can greatly improve your chances of survival.

Minimize early maturing grasses to reduce the potential for rapid surface fires. Mow and rake grasses during the growing season.  Remove or thin shrubs. A good rule of thumb is to keep space between plants at least five times their height. Prune shrubs to maintain an open structure and prevent dense branching.

Prune tree branches to 10 feet or more above the ground to reduce the possibility of surface fires spreading into tree crowns. Thin trees to maintain at least 10 feet between the crowns. Remove understory trees or space widely.