Ways to Reduce Wildfire Risk
Fire can quickly spread through overgrown fields becoming a potential threat to structures and homes.
Maintaining your fields well-kept and selecting the right type of vegetation or materials, when creating the defensible space around the home, are highly necessary to help reduce the risk of wildfires on your property and neighborhood. If you own acreage, then choosing the proper brush clearing method is crucial. For us, landscaping using goats, a.k.a. goatscaping, is the safest way to go! With regards to decorating your grounds, consider fire resistant landscaping alternatives. Using fire-smart landscaping techniques, such as using fire resistant plants and materials, will help you with fire prevention. The key is that you should be able to create a pleasant and fire-safe home or environment using the most natural and sustainable alternatives out there.
Brush Clearing
Although you can opt to hire crews and machinery to cut the vegetation quickly, this practice is difficult to do on hilly areas. Also, using tractors, lawnmowers or weed whackers is risky because they can spark fires, especially during the dry months. At the same time, this method can be very expensive. However, with goatscaping your fields will be nicely kept in an efficient, eco-friendly, and economical manner. Plus, our customers have told us that it is so entertaining to watch the goats eating the grass. So, just picture yourself, alone or with a crowd, watching goats in action, on your property! Not many people are fortunate to experience that kind of fun!
GOATSCAPING
Our goat crew—actively grazing fields that surround a home—to help reduce wildfire risk.
Ideal for steep, rocky, and flat pastures
Goats are able reach places that large animals or machinery can’t
Buying goats helps with year-round brush maintenance
For seasonal brush clearing consider hiring goats
Goats fertilize the land naturally as they roam
Thorny flowers, green or dry bushes, and even poison oak are like candy to goats
Unlike machines, goats don’t spark fires as they trim
Depending on the size of the crew, the goatscaping service can be done fairly quickly
Goat labor is not only economical, they put up a side free show to watch and enjoy!
Fire Resistant Landscaping
Just as important and safe as goatscaping, knowing what type of plants and materials to use to decorate the landscape around your home is also important for wildfire prevention. For example, oily plants present a fire risk. Likewise, some ground covers can become a fire threat, depending on the material. Therefore, looking into fire-smart landscaping methods, as advised by CalFire, is so important.
FIRE-SMART LANDSCAPING
Harden a home against fires by creating defensible space with non-flammable materials such as stone.
Plant drought resistant vegetation
Choose native plants
Make sure your plants are not high in oil, resin or wax content
Prune plants and bushes often to decrease the fire spread risk as they grow
Water your vegetation properly
Maintain a 0-5 feet zone free of combustible materials and plants
Avoid using flammable mulch near the your structure
Make sure to keep this information handy! We hope it can be useful when determining the best ways for you to reduce wildfire risk and help maintain your community safer. Remember, we are always here to help!