Reduce Wildfire Risk With These Tree Care Tips
ISA Certified Arborists from Seattle Tree Care share how to reduce fire hazards on your property. While Seattle’s unusually cool and wet summer weather this year has meant less fire-related danger, it’s still important to take proper action to reduce fire hazards on your property. A good fire mitigation plan
ISA Certified Arborists from Seattle Tree Care share how to reduce fire hazards on your property.Â
While Seattle’s unusually cool and wet summer weather this year has meant less fire-related danger, it’s still important to take proper action to reduce fire hazards on your property. A good fire mitigation plan starts with the tree care.Â
Here some simple tree care steps to help prevent a fire at your home:
Bring out your DeadwoodÂ
Pruning dead branches is the first step in any proper fire mitigation technique. Dead branches do not hold water and are far more likely to catch fire.Â
All dead branches that hang over your roof should be removed. Leaves, needles and other dead vegetation should not be allowed to build up on the roof or in gutters.Â
Likewise, if you have a dead tree on your property, you may want to talk to an ISA Certified Arborist about removal. Having less deadwood on your property will greatly reduce the likelihood of fire spreading, both to your property and other trees.
Make Space
Provide enough tree- and shrub-free space between your home and the undeveloped land to help ensure that your home can survive without firefighters. Â
On that note, we recommend reducing the amount of debris that may surround your property, both from deciduous trees losing their leaves, and especially evergreen trees, whose needles can pile up year round if left unchecked.
Design a flame-resistant yard
When it comes to planting trees around your home, consider a fire resilient tree. Hardwoods such as cherries, poplars, and maples are more dense and less resinous than conifers, and are therefore far more fire-resilient.Â
If you are looking for a native evergreen, the tried and true Douglas-fir is more resilient than its coniferous cousins.
Keep it Healthy
As a general rule, the healthier the tree, the more likely it is to survive a fire. Mulching your tree is a great way to reinforce its resistance to drought. Mulch also slowly feeds the tree, improves the soil, and provides good ground cover to help break up fire-prone areas.
In addition to pruning, a professional arborist can recommend fertilization, soil management, disease treatment or pest control measures to promote healthy trees.
About Seattle Tree Care
Seattle Tree Care has been providing residential and commercial tree services since 2007. Their team of arborists is experienced in tree trimming, and pruning, stump grinding, and emergency tree services. The arborists at Seattle Tree Care are ISA certified and available for free estimates.
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