First off, I want to remind fourteen and fifteen year olds in need of tractor safety training to put either May 31st or June 1st on their calendar. Tractor safety trainings will be from 9am to 4pm local time May 31st at the High School in Cody and June 1st at Valentine Rural High School. Youth must pre register by May 25.
I also want to remind you that the 4-H project drop/add deadline is also coming up. If 4-Hers want to change which projects they are enrolled in, they need to make those changes by June 1.
I want to spend the rest of our time today discussing how to protect your home from wildfire. Firewise is the term we use for making our homes and landscapes more resistant to fire.
To create a firewise landscape, remember that the primary goal is fuel reduction. Let’s think about your property in terms of zones. Zone 1 being closest to the structures and zones 2 to 4 moving progressively further away.
Zone 1 should be a well-irrigated area extending at least 30′ on all sides of the structure. It should provide space for fire suppression equipment in the event of an emergency. Plantings should be limited to carefully spaced low flammability species.
Low flammability plant materials should be used in Zone 2 as well. Plants should be low- growing, and the irrigation system should extend into this section.
You can place low-growing plants and well-spaced trees in Zone 3. Remember, vegetation is fuel so keep the volume of vegetation low.
Zone 4 can be the natural area. It is the furthest zone from your structures. You still need to selectively prune and thin all plants and remove highly flammable vegetation. That means get rid of Eastern red cedar.
Here are a few firewise tips that I want you to remember.
First, be sure to leave a minimum of 30′ around the house to accommodate fire equipment, if necessary.
Widely space and carefully situate the trees you plant.
Take out the “ladder fuels.” Ladder fuel is vegetation that serves as a link between grass and treetops. This arrangement can carry fire to a structure or from a structure to vegetation.
Give yourself added protection with “fuel breaks” like driveways, gravel walkways, and lawns.
When maintaining a landscape:
Keep trees and shrubs properly pruned. Prune all trees so the lowest limbs are 6′ to 10′ from the ground.
Remove leaf clutter and dead and overhanging branches.
Mow the lawn regularly.
Dispose of cuttings and debris promptly.
Store firewood away from the house.
Be sure the irrigation system is well maintained.
Use care when refueling garden equipment and maintain it regularly.
Store and use flammable liquids properly.
We have firewise information available at the Extension Office. You can also get more information at www.firewise.org.
Contact the extension office at 376-1850 for more information on any of the things I’ve covered. You can also visit our web page at www.cherry.unl.edu. Look for the Monday Extension Report in the news section.
