Living on the West Coast makes you no stranger to natural fires. California’s wildfire season typically occurs during the summer and lasts until the fall. However, some fires can manifest as early as May. These fires can be extremely damaging to the environment, not hesitating to swallow the properties around them.
Experiencing these wildfires can be terrifying, but preparing you, your family, and your home for this natural disaster can help prevent destruction. One way to protect your home is by creating a fire-resistant parameter using creative landscaping. Here are four ways to make sure your landscaping is fire resistant.
Create Defensible Areas
When planning your home’s landscaping, you should create a defensible space around your property. This secure perimeter should be at least 30 feet from the home and contain little vegetation. Using this area to add hardscape projects, such as paver stone walkways or retainer walls, will help the yard look cohesive.
You should also consider creating a secondary defense zone about 75 feet away from the home. There, you can grow high-moisture vegetation, which we’ll discuss in the following section. With two defensible areas, you get about 100 feet of protection around your house.
Grow High-Moisture Plants
All plants can become fire hazards if you don’t care for them and they die. However, there are plenty of plants that have fire resistant properties. Plants with a high-moisture content help slow the spread of wildfires.
Use the following plants in your garden to make your property more fire resistant while also improving the look of your landscape:
- Yucca
- Lavender
- Sage
- Agave
- Tree houseleek
- Coral bells
- Stone plants
- Dead nettle
Landscape With Fire-Resistant Materials
Another way to ensure your landscaping is fire-resistant is to use resistant materials. Rather than using wood to build your patio, deck, and other outdoor structures, you should consider using brick, stone, or cement. Not only are these materials natural and sustainable, but they’re also fire resistant, making them protective elements of your home.
Maintain Your Lawn
The easiest way to prepare your property for the upcoming natural fire season is to clean up your landscaping. Removing dead leaves, limbs, and grass clippings will significantly reduce your home’s fire risk. Likewise, ensuring your grass is well watered and has a good irrigation system is also a must.
Who knew that yard work could potentially save your home from wildfires? By raking up dead leaves, installing hardscape features, and maintaining your yard space, you could help prevent a fire from reaching your home. Another way to protect your home is by having home insurance. If you need affordable but high-quality home insurance in Anaheim, contact us. Saferoad Insurance always looks for ways to help clients save money and stress.