How Adequate Yard Maintenance Can Help Protect Your Home from Fire
Posted on: 16 July 2018
Australia is known for the threat of wildfires. When they break out, they can be devastating and will spread very quickly before they can be brought under control. Whether you live in a recognised wildfire zone or not, you need to do your best to protect your property from this type of outbreak, and this begins with proper yard care. If you have a lot of trees, bushes and other material in your garden and you haven't paid much attention to their maintenance, what should you do to bring things back into line?
Taking Control
You need to begin by taking an inventory of your property. If you like the wild look, then you may have let Mother Nature take her course, but this is definitely the time for you to intervene.
Maintaining Space
Ensure that you maintain an adequate amount of space between any two trees from both a vertical and horizontal perspective. You shouldn't allow the bigger trees to overshadow smaller ones and should begin to chop back branches so that they don't interlock with each other.
Removing Fuel
Remember, fire will spread very quickly if it has the right type of fuel; in particular, it will look for dead or diseased wood. Remove any bark that seems to be rotten or branches that are beginning to sag, and look for evidence of general disease. If you come across a tree that appears to have significant issues in this regard, it may need to be removed completely to help with your fire prevention plan.
Working at Ground Level
You will also need to focus on matters at ground level. Make sure the grass is cut right back, and remove weeds and other undergrowth. If you have any man-made structures in your yard, like a tool shed or even a treehouse, consider removing them so that you can eliminate a vital source of fuel.
Doing a Thorough Job
You must do a comprehensive job here and not focus on what is, quite literally, the 'low hanging fruit'. Fire can often race from treetop to treetop, and you need to trim the higher branches or lop the top off some trees to help eliminate the threat.
Getting Help If You Can't Reach
Of course, this area may be very difficult to reach and, in this case, you should bring in a professional tree lopper to do it for you. After all, safety is paramount, and you shouldn't take undue risks, even though you are performing a very important task.
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