Fire Safety – Wildfire Prevention

Travis County is under a FULL BURN BAN

Steps to help protect your home: Creating a Defensible Space

Defensible space is the required space between a structure and the wildland area that, under normal conditions, creates a sufficient buffer to slow or halt the spread of wildfire to a structure.  It protects the home from igniting due to direct flame or radiant heat.  Defensible space is essential for structure survivability during wildfire conditions.

  • Remove all dead or dying vegetation.
  • Trim tree canopies regularly to keep their branches a minimum of 10 feet from structures and other trees.
  • Remove dry leaf litter (dry leaves/pine needles) from yard, roof and rain gutters.
  • Relocate woodpiles or other combustibles at least 30 feet away from home.
  • Remove combustible material and vegetation from around and under decks.
  • Remove or prune vegetation near windows.
  • Remove “ladder fuels” (low-level vegetation that allows the fire to spread from the ground to the tree canopy).
  • Create a separation from low-level vegetation and tree branches.  This can be done by reducing the height of low-level vegetation and/or trimming tree branches.

Click HERE to download a comprehensive defense plan from the Texas Forest Service

Source:  Texas Forest  Service

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