This
house was sited on flat ground in an area dominated by lodgepole pine and
native grasses. Pines of all ages grew in close
proximity to the house. Many of the older pines were mistletoe infected,
and some standing snags were present. Earlier thinning had left many tall,
decedant stumps. The native grass had
grown to a height of approximately one foot, and was cured at the time of
this project.
The home was bordered on two sides by public roads. Overhead power lines paralleled these roads and skirted two edges of the property. The possiblity existed for fires causes by downed powerlines, and passers-by in cars or on foot.
This house had several positive points: a metal roof, a driveway that had two entrances/exits, and enough space on the lot to allow for a full 50-foot defensible space thinning without compromising roadside noise/dust barriers.
Trimming the tall, dry native grass was done around the house on all sides. A gasoline-powered string trimmer was used for this. Photo 1, Photo 2, Photo 3, Photo 4.
Most of the thinning, limbing and lopping work was done with a chain saw. Ladder fuels were removed to the sawyer's shoulder height on most of the younger trees, and the lowest branches were removed from the older trees. Thinning and limbing was also done along the driveway (Photo 1 and 2). Felled trees had their stumps cut close to the ground, either during felling or afterward.
More thinning photos: 1, 2, 3.
Thinning of small pines and the lopping of limbs was also done with a bow saw, loppers and a pair of pruning shears. This limited potential damage to the trees from a chain saw. Photo 1, Photo 2, Photo 3, Photo 4.
As debris was created, workers hauled cut limbs and boles to piles on the edge of the property. A chipper would be brought to the site at a later date to dispose of the piles.
Once work was finished, the results were pleasing aesthetically and functionally. Young lodgepole pines had their ladder fuels removed and the grass trimmed beneath the trees.
Remaining to be dealt with by the homeowner is a row of arborvita along the front of the house. Should they ever catch fire, there is a good chance that the windows above the plants would shatter, exposing the interior of the house to flame and embers. Photo 1, Photo 2.
Skylights in the roof may shatter or melt if struck by falling limbs or exposed to prolonged heat.
Most defensible space guidelines caution homeowners about having adequate distance between a fireplace/wood stove chimney and tree limbs. In this case, the distance was adequate without having to do additional thinning or lopping.
The wooden deck off the side of the house had entryways for ground fire and swirling embers (as well as skunks and raccoons). Fine mesh metal screening should be nailed or stapled over the openings beneath the deck. Note, too, the decadent stump near to the deck. Should this catch fire, it could cast embers across much of the yard, and be a sustained heat source that could ignite the wooden deck. The crew cut some of the decadent stumps in the yard, but not all.
Another point of concern was the firewood pile. Although roofed and partially covered on three sides, it was still available to heat, embers and direct flame impingement.
The project profiled on this page was completed during the summer of 2003 by a student crew under the supervision of the Oregon Department of Forestry. The text and photos on or linked to this page are by Brian Ballou, ODF, and may be used for nonprofit fire prevention education projects.
Questions? Problems? Suggestions?
Contact:
Brian
Ballou
Oregon Department of Forestry
(541) 665-0662
Last update: Jan. 24, 2006