As you are doing your gardening and yard work getting ready for the summer, below are some suggestions to keep your home safe from a brush fire. It is also a good tip to share with friends and neighbors who may need a little tender, loving care.
- Clear branches and tree limbs a minimum of 10 feet from around any chimneys.
- Provide a spark arrester on all chimneys; the screen’s mesh must be ½ inch.
- Clear all leaves, pine needles, and debris from the roof and gutters.
- Be sure the street address is clearly posted, in a color that contrasts with the background.
- To protect against unusual hazards, such as hot winds, clear away all dry weeds, brush, rubbish, dry leaves, and dead trees on your property a distance of 100 feet or more from all structures.
- Maintain at least 10 feet of clearance around liquid propane gas tanks.
- Install protection posts around liquid propane tanks if the possibility of vehicle damage exists.
- Comply with requirements for approved spark plug arresters on the exhaust systems of off-road vehicles, tractors and other equipment used around the home.
- It is important to have a FIRE BREAK around your property. Avoid landscaping with natural vegetation. Rhododendron, azaleas, laurels, hemlocks and other resinous evergreens including the pine needles we use for ground cover are all flash fuels. If you live on the side of a mountain, you are even more vulnerable. Upwinds and downdrafts help spread a fire. You should have at least a 30-60 foot area around the house for a FIRE BREAK. Use hardwood mulch instead of pine needles. When you plant, intersperse deciduous trees with evergreens.
- Make sure your hoses and connectors are in proper working condition.
- Keep firewood piles away from the house.
- Dispose of fireplace and grill ashes in a metal bucket and soak with water.
- Have an escape plan.
Thank you and be safe!