1. FIRESCAPING WITH OTHER LANDSCAPE OBJECTIVES
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FIRESCAPING WITH OTHER
LANDSCAPE OBJECTIVES
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2. PROJECT PARTNERS: FUNDED BY:
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This work is supported by Smith-Lever Special Needs grant no from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture to address disaster education through Extension programming.

3. Learning Objective
Discuss ways firescaping can be combined with other landscape objectives

4. MULTIPLE LANDSCAPE OBJECTIVES OVERVIEW

5. Multiple Landscape Objectives: Overview
A homeowner may not be interested in firescaping their property because they think it conflicts with other objectives they have for their landscape.
Firescaping and other risk reduction measures can increase chance home will not burn in the event of a wildfire (reduces risk and increases firefighter accessibility to home). In WUI areas, finding ways to combine firescaping with other landscape objectives becomes essential.
Landscape Objective Examples: wildlife-attracting gardens, tree planting for energy conservation, water conservation, aesthetics, privacy, HOA rules
Presenter notes:
This presentation discusses some potentially conflicting landscape objectives a WUI resident may have when these objectives are combined with firescaping. This presentation will also make recommendations for ways these other landscape objectives and firescaping can work together. For this presentation we will assume all examples are to be applied to WUI areas.
This is an important section of the training because homeowners may be hesitant to adopt firescaping if it conflicts with other objectives they have for their landscape. Again, as we have mentioned several times, if a homeowner/ resident lives in a WUI area, firescaping and other risk reduction measures can increase the chance that their home will not burn if a wildfire occurs. So, in these high wildfire risk areas, it becomes essential to find creative and effective ways to combine firescaping with other landscape objectives.
The firescaping and landscape objectives we will cover in this video include wildlife gardens, landscapes that try to maximize energy and water conservation, gardens for beauty and aesthetics and privacy, and we will discuss some challenges with HOA rules governing landscape design.

6. Firescaping & Wildlife Gardens
Features of a wildlife garden:
Creating habitat that provides food, cover, space, nesting, and water for wildlife
Native plants for wildlife food
Limited lawn area
Layering plants (ladder fuels) for wildlife cover
Retention of dead plant material/ brush piles for cover and nesting
Presenter notes:
A wildlife garden, much like the one in the image on this slide, primarily focuses on creating habitat that wildlife can utilize. This includes providing food, cover, space for daily activities, safe nesting, and water.
Wildlife gardens often utilize native plants and limit manicured lawn areas (because lawns provide fewer resources for animals). Safe cover is often achieved using plants of multiple heights in close proximity and dead plant material (like a standing dead tree or snag) and brush piles may be retained onsite for cover, food, or nesting.

7. Firescaping & Wildlife Gardens
Blending firescaping and wildlife-attracting gardens:
Create small beds of wildlife-attracting plants ≥ 30 feet from home (can include some ladder fuels) that are surrounded by fuel breaks (ex., lawn, non-flammable mulch)
Consider non-native wildlife-attracting plants if they are less flammable than native ones
Isolated, brush piles can be used ≥ 60 ft from a home
Isolated, dead standing trees (snags) can be left in the outer portion of the Extended Zone if surrounded by fuel breaks. Remove limbs up 10 feet.
Presenter notes:
From the previous slide, we can understand how wildlife-attracting garden objectives may conflict in some ways with firescaping. For example, wildlife-attracting gardens, to create habitat, may end up creating ladder fuels through layering of vegetation. They may also lead to heavy fuel accumulations from densely planted beds, a certain plant species’ shape and maintenance, and brush piles for cover and nesting. Also, just because a plant may attract wildlife does not mean it is low flammability.
This slide attempts to find some middle ground where firescaping and wildlife-attracting garden objectives can overlap. Let’s revisit several aspects of firescaping, such as avoiding ladder fuels and breaking up continuous fuels with fuel breaks, using fire-resistant plants, and removing heavy fuel accumulations. The publication Fire in the Wildland-Urban Interface Reducing Wildfire Risk while Achieving other landscape goals by Randall et al. makes several recommendations, as included on this slide.
As you can see from several of these recommendations, areas to attract wildlife in a firescape are located as far from the home as possible and are surrounded by fuel breaks- like a well-maintained lawn- yet habitat can still be created. For example, the authors recommend creating small, isolated beds of wildlife-attracting plants that can even include some ladder fuels for the creation of cover, yet these beds should be 30 feet or more from the home, if possible, and surrounded by substantial fuel breaks. The publication also recommends locating brush piles 60 feet or more from the home and standing dead trees, that could be used for bird food- in the case of insects for woodpeckers- or nesting, about 100 feet or more from the home. Both of these features should be surrounded by fuel breaks. Clearly, some of the latter recommendations are best suited for a larger lot.
Also, as mentioned, many wildlife gardens recommend use of native plants- which we highly recommend for supporting native biodiversity, increasing abundance, and supporting a native seed bank- yet, some of these plants may be highly flammable, for example, the common yaupon holly (Ilex vomitoria), which is a great southeastern Coastal Plains, native wildlife plant. It is recommended that the least flammable plant be used in a firescape that also offers wildlife-attracting properties. In some cases, this may be a non-native plant. Homeowners, of course, should take care to avoid using highly invasive, non-native wildlife attracting plants like privet, eleagnus, bush honesuckle, and other invasive plants. If, on the other hand, a homeowner wants to use a more flammable plant species for its wildlife attracting qualities, the plant must be located as far from the home as possible, isolated from other plants, and surrounded by fuel breaks.
Source: Randall, C.K., Hermansen-Baez, A., and G. Acomb. Fire in the Wildland-Urban Interface: Reducing Wildfire Risk While Achieving Other Landscape Goals

8. Firescaping & Energy Conservation
Features of using plants for energy conservation:
Trees planted on south and west side of house, shade against summer heat
Tree/ shrub shade air conditioning
Tree/ shrub planting for wind break (winter energy reduction)
Trees may be close to home or branches overhang home
Vines planted near home to shade walls
Presenter notes:
Let’s now consider combining firescaping with planting trees and other plants for energy conservation, which helps cool a home during the heat of summer and can provide winter cold relief through wind breaks. As can be seen in the lower image on this slide, trees that support energy conservation can be planted quite close to the home- sometimes in the immediate zone or 0-5 feet from the home- to optimize shading of the home. Vines are also used to shade walls or windows and shrubs are sometimes used to shade air conditioner units. Trees may also be used to shade carports, driveways, and other landscape structures. Trees also can be planted as a wind break to block cold winter winds. Windbreaks are often closely planted evergreen trees or shrubs that may or may not lead up to the home. As can be seen in the top image, trees- often deciduous- are recommended on the south and west sides of a home to maximize summer shading while allowing winter warming.

9. Firescaping & Energy Conservation
Blending firescaping and energy conservation:
Consider the “right tree for the right place” in selecting a shade tree that meets firescaping recommendations (consider the mature width of the tree in placing)
Keep tree canopy edge/ driplines ≥ 10 ft from home while maintaining tree health (proper pruning)
Plant less flammable tree and shrub species
Use less flammable shrubs around AC/ heating unit, but outside the Immediate Zone (≥ 5 ft)
Prune up trees 6-10 feet, maintaining a 60% live crown ratio
Presenter notes:
Let’s now explore how energy conservation plantings may conflict in some ways with firescaping. Again, we will refer to the recommendations from the Randall et al publication, as well as draw upon Firewise USA recommendations to explore ways to develop a firescape, while also using plants for energy conservation.
It is important to use the “right tree in the right place” in selecting a shade tree that also meets firescaping recommendations. For example, a homeowner should consider the mature width and height of the tree to not only cast shade on the home for cooling in summer but for the drip line of the mature canopy to be no closer that 10 feet from the home to meet firescaping objectives. Also, homeowners should use low-flammability tree or shrub species. Shade trees can take decades to grow large enough to shade a home, so faster growing species could be grown alongside a larger shade tree and then later removed when they grow too large or no longer meet firescaping spacing objectives, as just mentioned. These trees would be planted in a grouping surrounded by fuel breaks.
If a wind break is utilized around the home for winter wind relief, especially since it is often composed of evergreen, coniferous trees-which are highly flammable- the homeowner should avoid planting the windbreak leading up to the home, so a fire is not led up to the home via the windbreak trees.
AC units can be shaded with low-flammability shrubs planted around the unit, but outside of the immediate zone, or ≥ 5 feet from the home.
Vines should not be planted on walls of a home in high wildfire risk areas.
As always, pruning up large shade trees to 6-10 feet with ladder fuels, or shrubs, no closer than 10 feet from the lower tree branches, is essential in a firescape. But, it is important to maintain a 60% live crown ratio, or 60% of the total tree’s height as crown, for the health of the tree. So, raising the canopy of the shade tree may take a few years to a decade or more, depending on the species.
Source: Randall, C.K., Hermansen-Baez, A., and G. Acomb. Fire in the Wildland-Urban Interface: Reducing Wildfire Risk While Achieving Other Landscape Goals & Firewise USA®

10. Firescaping & Water Conservation
Features of water conservation gardens:
Drought-tolerant plants
Plants grouped based on water needs
Limited lawn
Lower irrigation or water use
Blending firescaping and water conservation gardens:
Islands of plants, separated by non- flammable fuel-breaks
Select low-flammability plants that also are more drought tolerant
Credit: The Press Enterprise
Presenter notes:
Water conservation gardening, otherwise known as xeriscaping, is a landscape or garden that reduces or eliminates the need for supplemental water from irrigation. Features of a xeriscape are drought-tolerant plants, plants grouped based on water needs, a lack of or reduced area of lawn, and very low water use. Some of these gardens only rely on natural rainfall.
Again, we will refer to the Randall et al. publication for recommendations of combining firescaping and xeriscaping. Fortunately, these two types of gardens overlap well in some ways, notably in their incorporation of non-flammable mulch and incorporation of decorative areas lacking plants (as can be seen in both images on this slide). Xeriscapes and firescapes, overall, appear to have less vegetation in the Immediate and Intermediate zones, closest to the home in the 0-30 foot zone, but for different reasons. Since xeriscapes use less or no supplemental irrigation, this limits the amount or type of plants used around the home. You are familiar by now why a firescape contains fewer plants in close proximity to the home, due to a goal of reducing the amount of fuel that could burn near the home.
Xeriscapes do not always consider plant flammability or fuel breaks in their design and this is a recommendation for creating a garden with both objectives. Carefully plan the garden to ensure, overall, that the garden seeks to limit continuous fuels and flammability wherever possible.
Source: Randall, C.K., Hermansen-Baez, A., and G. Acomb. Fire in the Wildland-Urban Interface: Reducing Wildfire Risk While Achieving Other Landscape Goals
Credit: City of Bend, Oregon

11. Firescaping & Aesthetics
Features of gardens focused on beauty:
Variety of plant types
Plants located throughout the landscape and around the home
Blend of hardscapes and plants
Presenter notes:
One of the number one reasons a homeowner creates a garden around their home is for beauty and serenity. Beautifully landscaped yards can increase a home’s property value, can increase homeowner health and well-being, and support a number of professions designing, installing and maintaining home gardens and landscapes. When the objective of a landscape is aesthetics, a variety of plants are utilized throughout the landscape, with a blend of landscape construction features and plants.
A firescape, on the other hand, is not always described as beautiful. The terms stark and boring are often attached to firescaping, but this does not have to be the case.
Credit: Southern Living

12. Credit: Times of San Diego Credit: Washington State University
Credit: City of Bend, Oregon
Credit: Times of San Diego
Presenter notes:
The images on this slide are all examples of firescapes. What can immediately be seen are examples of beautiful landscapes, incorporating a variety of plants and landscape construction features into an attractive landscape. Most of these examples are from western US states, so there is less overall vegetation than may be included in a southeastern firescape. All firescapes will differ from each other, but these images provide examples of creative firescape garden designs.
Credit: The Daily Courier
Credit: Times of San Diego

13. Firescaping & Privacy Features of planting for privacy:
Closely planted shrubs
Plants may be close to home
Evergreen plants commonly used
Blending firescaping with privacy:
Screen separated by non- flammable fuel-breaks
Select low-flammability plants/ screening material
Screen not connected to or too close to home
Credit: Garden Goods Direct
Presenter notes:
A landscape objective homeowners who live in neighborhoods often have is privacy and their gardens may incorporate plantings to achieve this objective. Several features of privacy plantings include closely planted shrubs, or a hedge. Hedges are often created with evergreen conifers, as seen in the top right image. As you remember from the plant flammability video, most conifers are highly flammable, yet they make excellent screens due to their evergreen leaves and needles.
Homeowners may have other ways to create privacy, such as fencing, a vine on an arbor or screen or, as seen on the image on the left, plantings of bamboo. It should be mentioned that bamboo is also a highly flammable plant and is very invasive, though the homeowners in this image have planted the bamboo in containers which helps prevent it from spreading. Another point to remember is that many of these privacy screens can be very close to a home, as seen in two of these images.
To maintain privacy in a firescape while reducing the likeliness of igniting the home, ensure that whatever screening is used (be it fence or plant) does not have the potential of igniting the home. As with other firescaping recommendations, use low-flammability plants for a live screen. The density of plants in a living privacy screen is a significant fuel source. For this reason, separate the screen from other parts of the landscape with fuel breaks and ensure it is not directly connected to the home. Non-flammable screening should be used 0-5 feet or more from the home.
Fencing materials won’t be discussed in this section since we have addressed it in other parts of the training.
Credit: David Enterprise
Credit: Country Living Magazine

14. Firescaping & Flammable Plants
Some homeowners may wish to keep some flammable plants in their yard (ex., pine trees, saw palmetto) because they provide shade, privacy, native flora, etc.
Troubleshooting:
Recommend following plant spacing in zones
Limit ladder fuels
Incorporate fuel breaks
Locate flammable plant ≥ 30 feet from home
Less risk: Landscape contains flammable plants (pines) but tree limbs pruned high up, so ladder fuels not present to ignite canopy
Presenter notes:
Though firescapes should contain low-flammability plants, several homeowners may want to incorporate some moderate to high-flammability plants in their yard for various reasons. For example, pine trees are native to the southeastern US region, as seen in the top image, and many homeowners desire to keep them in their yard. If a homeowner wants to keep plants like pine or rhododendron or saw palmetto, which are also very flammable, it will be important to ensure they do not ignite the home via ladder or continuous fuels. So their placement becomes very important. If the homeowner desires to keep several or just one moderate to high flammability plant in their landscape, basic firescaping recommendations apply with following proper spacing according to Firewise USA zones. As well, the plant or groups of plants should be isolated in the landscape, to prevent ladder fuels and from becoming a source of embers, and should be surrounded by fuel breaks. Ideally, the flammable species should be as far away from the home as possible- greater than 30 feet.
More risk: Many flammable plants, ladder and continuous fuels

15. Firescaping & HOA Rules
Features of some HOA landscaping rules:
Foundation plantings
Certain types of mulch
Certain plants
Certain landscape design
Blending firescaping with HOA rules:
May require changing guidelines
We suggest providing this training to HOAs!
Presenter notes:
The final potentially conflicting landscape objective to discuss considering firescaping is working with Home Owner Association (HOA) rules. A few examples of HOA rules include requirements of foundation plantings and landscape design. HOAs may even dictate certain plants and mulch be used.
HOA rules governing landscaping is a potential challenge to firescaping that few recommendations are available for except that homeowners work to educate their HOA about the importance of firescaping in high wildfire risk areas and work to change the landscaping requirements to be more fire-safe, neighborhood wide. One way a community can work towards this is learning about becoming a Firewise USA Site. Visit the website on this slide to learn more. This website will be included in the additional resources of this chapter.
Firewise USA® Sites:

16. A PDF of this publication is available as part of your training
Presenter notes:
Much of the information included in this presentation can be read about in more detail in this publication, which a copy is available as part of Master Gardener firescaping training materials.
Source: Randall, C.K., Hermansen-Baez, A., and G. Acomb. Fire in the Wildland-Urban Interface: Reducing Wildfire Risk While Achieving Other Landscape Goals

17. MULTIPLE LANDSCAPE OBJECTIVES DISCUSSION

18. Discussion
What questions or concerns arise when thinking about combining firescaping with other types of landscaping?
Presenter notes:
Answers to these questions can be written on a dry erase board or large sticky note.

19. Any…?