By Andrew Plyler , REALTOR, Blue Ridge Realty & Investments, LLC
We spend a lot of time talking about real estate statistics for the High Country, about sales prices and days on market and all of the other things that can be quantified when a market is being analyzed. But we also like to look at things that can help you with the real estate you already own, or are likely to own in the future.
As you know, the majority of the High Country has been in what the US Government’s National Integrated Drought Information System’s (drought.gov) drought monitor classifies as a Severe Drought. Parts of Burke county and Caldwell county are in Extreme Drought conditions. We’ve had a little rain lately, which has been a tremendous relief! It hasn’t been enough to pull us out of the drought but it’s been enough that the majority of the local municipalities have lifted their burn bans.
Still, before you decide to have your friends over for a late autumn bonfire or decide to move the Christmas party outside with multiple firepits, take a few minutes to observe what shrubs and brush are around your property.
First and foremost, clear out any old, dead or diseased plant material. Make sure any plant with debris entangled in the limbs are cleaned up, any dead branches are trimmed, or, if they’ve fallen, make sure to clear them out of the brush and shrubbery so they are not fuel for any unwanted fires.
But, going a step further, are you aware of the flammability of the shrubs around your home?
While flammability and wildfires are not things we usually think about when we’re planning our landscape, maybe we should start.
The School of Forest Resources and Conservation, Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences of the University of Florida has a great circular (FOR272) titled Selecting Firewise Shrubs to Reduce Wildfire Risk.
This publication is a fabulous source of information on how to make your landscaping less friendly to wildfires.
The first suggestion is to create a “defensible space,” by dividing the area around your home into three zones. Zone 1 is within 6 feet of the structure and should be clear of most vegetation; any shrubs or trees within this area should fall into the low flammability category. Zone 2 extends at least 30 feet from your home and should be clear of highly flammable brush, shrubs and trees. The two zone method helps minimize the chance of an outdoor fire reaching the house via vegetation.
The publication then goes on to discuss the various properties of shrub flammability; shrubs were categorized as Highly Flammability, Moderate Flammability, and Low Flammability. Flammability ratings were based on: ignitability, sustainability, combustibility, and consumability. There is also a chart on the characteristics of low flammability plants and high flammability plants.
Some of the most commonly used landscaping plants that fall into the High Flammability category are: Chinese juniper, dwarf yaupon, gallberry (aka inkberry) and mountain laurel.
In the Moderate Flammability category are Hershey’s red azalea, Ashe juniper, boxwood, blue holly, Leyland cypress and rhododendron.
The Low Flammability category includes the butterfly bush, gardenia, oleander, bayberry, camellia, Klein’s forsythia and many, many others.
So, take a nice walk around your yard and see what you can do to make your landscape less fire friendly to keep your house, you, and your family safe!
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