Having trees around a home is good, but having them too close to the house is not such a good idea. Trees too close to the house may not only fall on your house, but they also present a significant fire hazard. Here are some tips to help you create a defensive space between your house and the trees:
Leave Adequate Space between the House and the Trees
Having too many trees near your house is a fire risk because fire can easily jump from the trees to your house. Therefore, determine a reasonable distance between your house and the nearest tree and remove all the trees between them. The right distance will depend on a number of factors including:
- The size of the trees
- The size of the trees' canopies
- The tree species (that determine how well they withstand fire)
A tree professional can help you with the analysis so that you end up with the best defensive spacing possible.
Remove All Dead Vegetation around the House
Once you have achieved a suitable defensive spacing, you need to remove all dead trees whether they are in the defensive spacing or within the acceptable trees. In fact, you should take it a step further and also remove their stumps because those will spread fire in case of an outbreak too. The good news is that you don't need anyone's permission to remove dead trees from your property. Consult a tree removal company to help you take care of the stumps.
Clear Shrubs between the Trees
It's not just the trees you need to worry about; even shrubs around your house and between the trees can act as a fire hazard. The thicker the shrubs are the more risk they present in case of a fire outbreak. Therefore, if you are worried about fire, you need to clear off these shrubs too, especially those that are growing unplanned. A landscape architect can help you design your compound so that the remaining shrubs don't pose a threat. For example, you can use gravel or rock or paved sections of the compound to reduce the spread of fire.
Trim Off Low Tree Branches
It's also a good idea to trim the lower tree branches if you want to reduce the risk of fire. This is because fire tends to spread on the lower vegetation fast before engulfing tree canopies. Trimming off the lower branches will also introduce a defensive distance between the trees an the shrubs to reduce the risk of a fire jump between the two.
Contact a company like Alley Tree Removal for more help.
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