Issue 7

Landscaping to Reduce Fire Risk

by Annie Hermansen-Báez

Landscaping - either by using horizontal separation or by using plants with low flammability - can reduce the risk of fire to houses. (Photo by Larry Kohrnak, University of Florida)

You probably weren’t thinking about wildfire when you landscaped your yard. If you live in a fire-prone area, you might want to think again. The good news is that SRS research can help you plant in a way to reduce the risk of fire reaching your home.

When researchers at the SRS Southern Center for Wildland-Urban Interface Research and Information asked fire specialists across the South about their information needs, many responded that they needed to know more about the flammability of the plants and mulches used in southern landscaping. This kind of information is particularly important where homes are close to or within fire-prone natural areas. Although all plants will burn with the right conditions, some species are less flammable than others, making them more desirable for firewise landscaping. (...continued...)