Creating Fire Resistant Landscaping Santa Barbara, Ca

1. Santa Barbara Brush Clearing Services Considered a necessary evil by many, clearing brush is a service that is not only a crucial part of general upkeep, it can also be a life and property saving measure.

2. Brush clearing in Santa Barbara Considered a necessary evil by many, clearing brush is a service that is not only a crucial part of general upkeep, it can also be a life and property saving measure. Anyone in the Santa Barbara region understands the importance of maintaining a defensible zone around buildings in preventing damage from wildfire. The first thirty feet around a home’s perimeter should be free of all dead and dry landscape material; brush, especially, should be cleared to control and divert fire spread.

3. Note, however, that Santa Ana winds are forceful enough to blow dangerous embers far beyond the distances dictated by defensible zone guidelines.  Therefore, while masticating dry and dead plant material can be effective in controlling fire spread at the ground level—especially if firefighting forces are at the ready to prevent its reach between zones—impracticality and the impact on the ecosystem should be considered as part of a more robust and thorough defense plan.  Full clearing of vegetation leaves only bare soil upon which seeds of invasive weed species can take root.

4. Recent studies have shown that chaparral, once considered a prime culprit in the spread of wildfire, burns far less frequently and easily than the “flashy fuels” of errant weeds. Debate continues regarding the handling of chaparral throughout Southern California’s coastal regions, but for the home or business owner, replacing brush material with lush, fire-resistant native material while following the guidelines for defensible zones and wildfire prevention is best. A landscape contractor can assist in eliminating the quick igniting materials as well as planning and installing a safer, attractive landscape that is effective in slowing the spread of fire.

5. Wildfires are destructive, deadly, and difficult to stop, but many experts agree that fire-smart landscaping is your home’s best line of defense. Follow these landscape design and maintenance tips to help keep your home safe. Creating Fire Resistant Landscaping

6. How to Create Fire Resistant Landscaping Use stone patios, walkways, retaining walls, and other hardscape installations to create fire-safe zonesStrategically place flower beds, gardens, rock, and mulch as firebreaksopt for dense mulches, such as composted woodchips, over shredded barkInstall drip systems or micro sprinklers to moisten mulched areas ahead of anticipated wildfiresOn a flat slope, trees should stand at least 10 feet apart, while bushes should have at least 2x their height between themFires can spread more easily along slopes, so leave more space between trees and shrubs on steeper slopesOnly build decks out of ignition-resistant or non-combustible materialsDon’t plant trees below electrical linesMaintaining a Fire Resistant YardClear all dead plants, weeds, leaves, and branches from within 30 feet of your houseRegularly mow your lawn to no more than 4” tallKeep your rain gutters clear of debrisTrim any flammable plants, especially ones near windows and decksRemove any branches that hang over your roof or near your chimneyMove wood piles more than 30 feet from your houseTrim any tree branches that are less than 6 feet from the groundIf you have trees growing over bushes, multiply the height of each bush by 3 then trim the branches that grow under that thresholdKeep a garden hose ready at each spigotMake sure that your address can be easily seen by firefightersInstall Fire Resistant PlantsIncluding fire-resistant plants in your landscape can help stop the spread of fire to more vulnerable parts of your yard. Check with your local nursery or landscaper to select native species for your area.

7. Fire Resistant Shrubs Hedging Roses Honeysuckle Currant Heather Raspberry Rose Sumac Shrub Apples Fire Resistant Trees Hardwood Maple Poplar Cherry Black Oak River Birch Crabapple Other Fire Resistant Plants & Flowers Rockrose Ice Plant Aloe Vera French Lavender Red Monkey Flower California Fuchsia Sage Lilac Coreopsis Coneflower Fescue Poppy Wooly thyme

8. Avoid Highly Flammable Plants No plant is completely fireproof, but some are much more flammable than others. Avoid highly flammable plants in general, and be sure not to plant any near flammable structures. Highly Flammable Shrubs Chamise/Greasewood Cypress Shrubs Evergreen Huckleberry French Broom Manzanita Rosemary Highly Flammable Trees Pine Fir Conifer Juniper Cypress Trees Eucalyptus Acacia Hemlock Spruce Highly Flammable Plants Algerian Ivy Bamboo Pampas grass

9. We are ready to provide our landscaping services to you NOW! Call us at (805) 453-9551