More than 2,700 homes have been destroyed since Texas wildfire season began last November – but there are steps you can take to help protect your property.
Firewise Communities is a program that offers construction and landscaping techniques designed to help your home withstand a fire. These firewise practices can beautify your home while also making it a safer place to live.
Texas Forest Service has compiled a list of tips to help you become firewise:
- Select plants that are drought-tolerant, high in moisture content and can be easily pruned and maintained.
- Select trees such as oaks and maples have open branching, which can help slow down the spread of fire.
- Plant small trees and shrubs away from larger trees to avoid creating a ladder of vegetation that could lead a fire up from the ground into the crowns of the trees.
- Plant the right tree in the right place. Avoid planting potentially large trees and shrubs under utility lines.
- Avoid planting vegetation with high oil and resin content such as pines, cedars and junipers. These types of plants burn quickly and can greatly increase the speed with which the fire spreads.
- Restrict the use of flowerbeds and shrubbery against your house. Nonflammable mulches such as rock or crushed brick are preferred.
- Make sure to mow grass around your home and collect leaves and other debris in your yard for proper disposal.
For more information, go to http://texasfirestorm.org.