While Arbor Day celebrates the importance of trees and encourages planting and caring for them, it’s also essential to keep your home clear of trees to mitigate fire risks and ensure safety. Here are some tips for managing trees around your home:
- It is important to maintain defensible space. Create defensible space around your home by removing dead vegetation including both tree and shrubs.
- Regularly prune trees to remove dead or overhanging branches that could pose threat close to the house or power lines.
- Keep trees away from structures and avoid planting trees near your home, garage, and other dwellings. Trees too close to a building can increase the risk of fire spreading and pose a threat during storms or high winds.
- When planting trees near your home, choose species that are less flammable and more resistant to fire.
- Clear vegetation near structures including trees, bushes, and grass to reduce the risk of fire spreading from plants to structures.
- Monitor for signs of disease or decay. Regular inspect trees on your property for disease or decay or pest infestation. Promptly remove any trees that pose a safety hazard.
By taking these proactive steps to manage tress and your home, you can help reduce the risk of wildfires and improve the safety of your property. For more information on how to keep your home safe, please visit: NFPA – Preparing homes for wildfire.