Owning property comes with numerous responsibilities. Wildland fire is responsible for millions in lost timber revenue and expenses, for fire suppression and rehabilitation of the land and timber, and structural property damage. If your property or neighboring properties have heavily forested areas, you should focus on how to prevent wildfire occurrences on your property. Preparation and prevention of windblown ember ignition elements is also a major consideration.

The likelihood of wildfires occurring on your property depends highly on the probability of the ignition of any plants, trees, or debris located on your property. In order for that to happen, an ignition source is required. Typically, lightning and human activities are the main sources for wildfires. These types of fire cause damage to property, both material and organic, and sometimes cause injury or death. 

In arid climates such as Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, Oklahoma, and Texas, the risk of a wildfire occurrence increases due to prolonged drought and high winds combined with hot and dry climates. The winds in these areas typically travel through the mountains and approach across the plains fueling and spreading the wildfires. Areas such as these are more likely to encounter larger fires and potentially experience more damage, so people in these areas should constantly work on solutions and ways to prevent these types of fire.

Wildfire Prevention Considerations

People who observe their property closely and who take the time to go through the steps of combustible prevention and control are less likely to have damage loss and they can decrease the likely-hood of the occurrence of a wildfire. Statistically, the people who have been successful confronted the following vulnerabilities:  

A.     Vegetation Management

It is a good idea to create a perimeter around your home and structures that is clear of any combustible or flammable items including debris, chemicals, fuels, plants, weeds, and trees that could potentially be combustible or flammable. Clearing a perimeter around your house and ac unit will not only reduce the risk of fires, it will also increase the energy efficiency of your home in regards to climate control. Failure to have a vegetation management plan can result in a wildfire, thereby increasing the risk of financial hardships for you, your family, and your neighbors.                            

B.      Locate Structural Threats

Locate anything that appears to be flammable in regards to the outside of the structure itself. An example would be a wood plank close to hot burning bulbs, or loose metal swinging close to open electrical wires or electrical boxes. It is important to identify the structural threats located around your property to help prevent wildfires from occurring or spreading.

Wildfire Preparation

True to the name, wildfires is exactly that, wild and uncontrollable. However, with the proper wildfire preparation and by exercising precautions, you can prepare yourself, your home, and greatly reduce the risk of wildfire outbreak on your property. Sometimes the materials of the structures themselves can be a facilitator for wildfire ignition. In the case of a wildfire on your property where there are multiple structures, the primary focus should be to do everything possible to keep the structures or anything flammable close to them from igniting. The foliage and underbrush alone can be a pathway from a nearby fire, to your property or your house.

Radiant energy is the heat you feel when you are close to a campfire. The same thing applies when you have a situation where a wildfire is too close to your structures or debris located on your property on in your yard. The radiant heat builds to the point that it ignites the fuel closest to it, which just might be your house. You can sometimes minimize this by digging a "super-highway" around each of the structures and the borders of your property using a tractor or other type of digging machinery. This "super-highway" or track of cleared dirt perimeter around the house, can keep the fire from being as likely to jump to other available fuels and therefore easier to contain.

C.      Overabundance of Hazardous Fuels

If you keep your perimeter clean of hazardous fuels including dead or unhealthy plants and trees, combustible and flammable chemicals, the primary remaining concern would be wind-blown embers from a neighboring fire. If you live in an urban area merged with wildland, we call this the urban wildland interface and the risk for wildfire due to human negligence increases in these areas.

D.     Under-burning

Statistically, the majority of wildfires "under-burn" tree stands, burning only the younger smaller shrubs and weed trees or under brush, while leaving mature trees intact, due to the level of flammability or combustibility of the various plant materials in the stand. Other wildfires consume the forest entirely. In many cases, doing a control burn of the underbrush or clearing can significantly reduce the risk of embers from neighboring fires igniting your stand of woods or house.

Knowing Your Property

As a property owner, you can prevent and avoid many disputes by understanding the laws and knowing the boundary lines of your property. Property lines are often GPS coordinate reference points. Ideally, you will use a survey map to identify and locate your property lines. Knowing these boundaries helps you to decide the placement of items within your defensible space.

A.     Finding Out Where the Property Lines Are for Your Property

Many times, there will be some sort of visual landmark, like a flag tied off on certain trees if there is no fence. In some parts of the country, people paint certain trees located on their property lines for other references. The best way to head off most issues is to talk with your neighbors about the property lines and come to an agreement. Therefore, a quick fix to locate the property information is to one of the following:

I.   Survey Map

If you have purchased your home, you should have received a survey map that shows the property lines, and measurements of your property. If you do not have access to the survey for your property, you will need to hire a surveyor.

II.  Deed

The deed to your house should have the measurements and details of your property written out. Measure and compare the landmarks and description of the deed to that of the property lines. Then create your own surface visual landmarks to avoid any dispute, in case of a wildfire.

Protecting Your Property

Protecting your property from wildfire is vital to keep you and your family safe. Some things you can do to help reduce the risks of a wildfire around your property or yard are as follows:

A.     Structures

B.      Lawn

Your lawn is also very important in the protection of your property. It is best to trim your lawn short and it is beneficial to have a sprinkler system in your lawn. The sprinkler system can provide water to the lawn, and in the case of a nearby wildland fire, the sprinklers can be a fire deterrent.

C.      Water Sources

Water sources are one of the most important elements in protecting your property, as they can put fire out. The more sources of water located on your property, the better. Multiple water spigots can aid in fighting off a wildfire. Ponds located on your property are also very helpful when fighting a wildfire.

D.     Siding

If your home of office has siding, the type of material your siding consists of can intensify and spread fire. In the occurrence of a puncture or penetration of the lap joints in both combustible and noncombustible siding, the hole has the potential to be a pathway into the structure. The best options for noncombustible siding include fiber cement, traditional stucco, and brick.

E.      Roof

One of the most flammable and problematic parts of your home is the roof. You should make sure to remove any limbs and dead vegetation from your roof on a regular basis. Also, replace any missing shingles and those that are hanging off that may create a breach or pathway into the structure.

F.       Gutters

If your house has rain gutters, there will be debris that accumulates in the gutters, and in the down spouts. To minimize the amount of accumulated debris in the gutters you can install screens over them. However, a downfall to installing these screens is that the debris will collect just behind the screens on the roof, which is also a fire hazard. It is best to remove large debris as often as possible. There are sprinkler systems designed to attach to gutters that aid in fighting fire.

G.     Underpinning

It is very helpful in the prevention of spreading wildfire to install under pinning to keep both animals and hot embers from reaching the structures underside.

A.     Perimeter

When it comes to vegetation management around homes and businesses located next to wildlands, fire authorities suggest clearing a one hundred foot perimeter called a "vegetation management zone" or "Defensible Space". Clear the area of all plants, weeds, trees, and other fuels that are potential pathways to spread fire to your door. In addition, the defensible space allows wildland firefighters access to the fire. Things like trellises, fencing, kids wooden or painted toys, and playground equipment should be located away from the zone.

B.      Firewood piles

When managing your defensible space make sure to include your firewood stack. The spaces between the pieces of wood can be an easy pathway for ignition. It is best to place your woodpile as far away from your structure as possible.

C.      Outdoor Debris Burning

If you decide to use a burn barrel, we suggest that you wrap screen over the top of the barrel so that no hot embers can escape. Also, before burning in a barrel, make sure to place the barrel in a place that is not in your defensible space and that it is relatively free of flammables. Make sure to research your state and local burn laws before burning as you may be required to have a permit.

Following are some of the "best practices" for barrel and ground controlled fires:   

1.    Clean and then wet-down the perimeter around your fire to prevent the fire from jumping and spreading

2.    Keep tools such as brooms, rakes, and water handy

3.    Never leave a fire unattended

4.    Burn only when the winds are calm

5.    When you are finished with the fire make sure it is extinguished completely

6.    Place your burn pile in a place with the least amount of fuels

7.    Split large woodpiles into smaller more manageable piles

Before burning, understand the fire laws both local and state. When control burning, you are liable for fire spread and damages so be sure to prepare and observe.

D.     Flowerbeds

It is best to trim and prune plants in your flowerbeds back away from your home. Clear out all of the dead plants and debris, as that debris is flammable.

E.      Propane

If you have propane tanks make sure to store, them a safe distance from your structures. If there is any sort of leak around the valve on the tank and the fire gets close enough, the tanks can explode from both radiant heat and direct flame.

F.       Topography

Slope

Fire burns faster up a sloped incline than on flat ground. The steeper the slope, the faster the fire will travel and the longer the flame tendrils will be. You will want to determine what type of slope your property sits and plan accordingly. Mark a spot in the yard and then walk ten paces. If your head is even with or under your mark, you have a dramatic incline and you will need to plan for heavier vegetation and fuel plan. If you are on a dramatic slope, extend your defensible space to one hundred and fifty feet to two hundred feet to account for the faster rate of spread.

Ultimately, preparation, observation, and action are key to preventing property damage caused by wildland fires.