Reducing vegetation on your property can dramatically decrease the spread and intensity of a wildfire. It can also increase the chances for firefighters to contain the fire quickly and creates a safer environment for them to work.
Fuels reduction focuses on removing excessive or hazardous fuels such vegetative debris, immature trees, shrubs, and dead or downed branches. Shrubs and small trees can serve as ladder fuels which may carry a ground wildfire into the crown of trees, increasing the complexity of the fire.
There are several different methods to manage vegetation on your land.
Fire breaks
A fire break is a break in vegetation. It may be a gravel road, river, or clearing made by a bulldozer. A ‘green’ fire break uses grasses with high moisture content, like winter rye or winter wheat, to provide a break in the continuity of fuel.
If wide enough, a fire break will stop the spread of direct flame. However, embers can still be lofted into the air and travel across the line.
Fire breaks can be incorporated into fire-resistant landscaping. Driveways, sidewalks, and ‘green’ fire breaks can be strategically placed to reduce fire behavior and protect your home, barn or other values at risk.
Fuel breaks
A fuel break is the thinning of vegetation, or fuels, over a specific area of land. They are most used around a community to slow the spread of wildfire.
By decreasing the amount of vegetation available to burn, you significantly reduce the risk of extreme wildfire behavior. Fuel breaks are most effective when placed along a natural fire break like a road. Choosing a site along a road also allows easy access for equipment.
When creating fuel breaks:
- Follow a natural fire break or contour lines
- Prune large trees to 10 feet from ground
- Remove ladder fuels such as tall brush and small trees
- Thin trees to create a crown spacing of 25 to 30 feet
- Break up thick areas of brush
- Maintain a minimum width of 60 feet on flat land and 100 feet on slopes
Regular maintenance of breaks increases their effectiveness in preventing wildfires. Mulching, followed by applying herbicides, helps reduce the amount of weed sprouts. Grazing is also an option to maintain a fuel break.
Mechanical treatments
Mechanical treatment reduces the intensity of wildfire. It removes fuels by cutting shrubs, small trees, and ladder fuels in the understory of a forested area. If there is less fuel to burn the fire is more likely to stay at a lower intensity, giving firefighters safer conditions to work.
Vegetative materials are either removed from the site or chipped into smaller pieces. Fuels are selected for removal based on how they could contribute to a wildfire. For example, a thick patch of cedar could readily ignite and release significant heat and embers, contributing to the rapid spread of wildfire and would need to be removed.
Mulching
Mulching breaks vegetation into smaller pieces and spreads them within the fuel break. While the smaller pieces will still carry fire, their intensity will be greatly reduced.
Mulching reduces ladder fuels like tall brush that could carry a ground fire into the top of a tree. Mulching equipment can be traditional mowers or mulchers that grind the vegetation. Heavy duty mowers are useful when fuels are small enough to be pushed over. However, for sites with an established woody mid-story, or ladder fuels, other equipment may be needed.
Herbicide treatment
Herbicides are used to control invasive species that will “take over” an area. Invasive species can also be reduced with mechanical thinning.
Grazing
Removing fuels by grazing relies on the consumption of plants by animals. Various livestock are used to reduce fuels across the state.
Prescribed fire
Prescribed fire is the most commonly used tool for managing hazardous fuel buildups because of its relatively low cost per acre. Prescribed fire improves natural habitats and reduces heavy fuels. It is important to use a certified prescribe burn manager to improve fire safety and reduce smoke management issues.