Protect your forest from wildfire

You know all about defensible space and how to make your home safer from fire, but what about your forest? What can you do to protect your forest from wildfire?

Now, before the fire season begins, is the time to give serious consideration to that question. There are a number of things you may want to do. Some are simply common-sense measures, but it’s a good idea to take some time and actually develop a fire plan for your property.

The approaches you take will depend on your unique situation—your property size, location, habitat, fuel load, forest health, and a host of other factors, including your own landowner objectives.

According to Wayne Mitchell, Fire Specialist with the California Department of Forestry & Fire Protection (CDF), there are three major strategies for protecting your forest. You can:

1. prevent a fire from occurring in the first place
2. suppress a fire quickly after it starts
3. reduce the damage from any fire that does break out

You will want to consider all three. Start by trying to determine the fire risk for your property. Some areas of the property may be at higher risk than others. Identify the priority areas to protect. In addition, look at the fire risk for the surrounding area. If neighboring properties are at high risk, you may want to establish a fuel break or other barrier around your property to protect it from a fire that originates elsewhere.

A fire history of your area will also provide useful information. Your local CDF Unit has data on fires over the last 20 years and often longer.

There are a number of common-sense steps that can be taken to reduce the risk of a fire breaking out in your forest. Make sure that all your equipment (e.g. chain saws, tractors) is fitted with spark arrestors. Be careful where you drive and park—especially avoid driving on dry grass which can catch fire from the heat of the engine. Certain activities, such as welding and burning in wildlands, are regulated by state law to help reduce the risk of fire.

If a fire should start on your property, you want to be prepared to put it out quickly. Know where your water sources are (map them out) and keep up-to-date on the condition of your roads to know what kinds of vehicles can get through.

It’s important to have basic fire fighting equipment close at hand—shovels, axes, McLeods, rakes, pulaskis, personal safety gear, etc. A 5-gallon back pump can be mounted on your vehicle along with the tools so that you are always prepared for an immediate response to a small fire.

If a fire does occur, you want to minimize the damage to your forest. One way to do this is with fuel breaks in appropriate places. Fuel breaks are areas where the forest is thinned and the undergrowth removed—by cutting, prescribed burns, chipping, etc. Trees are pruned to get rid of lower limbs that could take the fire up the tree and any fuel ladders are removed. (Of course, any pruning and other material generated by this activity should be collected and chipped, burned, or lopped and scattered safely.) The goal is to keep the fire on the ground surface and out of the crowns of the trees.

If your forest is a large one, you may want to break it into smaller chunks with strategic fuel breaks so any fire will be contained within a single portion. A good place for strategic fuel breaks is often along roads, which themselves act as fuel breaks. With smaller properties, the same concept is used, but the fuel break may be around the property to provide a barrier in case a fire starts on a neighboring property.

Remember that you don’t have to do all this planning yourself. There are fire experts who are willing and eager to walk your property and give on-site advice. All CDF Units have personnel who are trained to help. Look in the phone book for the Unit (Gov’t, State, Forestry & Fire Protection) nearest to you or call the Forest Stewardship Helpline, 1-800-738-TREE.

In addition, Fire Safe Councils are active in many communities. These valuable organizations provide a setting where people can get together to share ideas and experiences. Many councils also plan community projects and receive grants for larger jobs. You can find a Fire Safe Council in your neighborhood.