4 Tips for Creating Defensible Space Around Your Home or Cabin

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Each year, people around the world read the news about devastating wildfires. Whether they’re fast-moving blazes in American national parks or staggering bushfires in the Australian Outback, wildfires can have long-term—and sometimes permanent—consequences.

Portable Bandsaw Mill

There are small things each of us can do every day to prevent fires. But should a wildfire break out in your area, you must be prepared with a defensible space around your home or cabin. If your acreage is densely wooded, creating a defensible space might take some time, so it’s best to start well ahead of fire season.

It’s wise to invest in quality forestry equipment, like portable bandsaw sawmills. Then, as soon as the snow in your area melts and temperatures begin to moderate, use these four tips to protect your home, your neighbors, and your family from wildfires.

Embers: The Miniscule Menace

Forestry experts understand that when homes burn during wildfires, embers and small flames are the most common sources of ignition. When the wind carries embers away from the primary fire area, they can ignite dry vegetation and create spot fires.

To protect against embers that might blow toward your home, focus on what’s known as the immediate zone around your home. This area extends five feet around your home’s perimeter. Start by clearing your roof and gutters of any dead leaves or pine needles. Then, take any flammable material away from your home’s exterior. Wood piles, flammable plants, mulch, and other fuels should not be adjacent to a structure.

 Removal of Down Timber

Fallen trees can provide even a small grass fire with the fuel it needs to survive and grow. These larger fuels can also be a prime source of embers, so it’s best to clear down timber from your property. Generally, you want to maintain a 100-foot perimeter around your home or clear up to the property line—whichever comes first.

When it comes to utilizing down timber, firewood is a common first choice. Or if you know a sawyer who has a portable bandsaw mill, you could also invite them to your property and offer your down timber to them. This can save you time and is an excellent way to be a good neighbor.

 Evaluating Tree and Shrub Spacing

Areas thick with trees—especially trees killed by pests such as the Mountain Pine Beetle or Emerald Ash Borer—are prime environments for wildfires. When shrubs and trees are closely grouped together, it’s easy for flames to spread rapidly.

It’s vital to ensure your trees and shrubs are adequately spaced to minimize fire spread. Within five to 30 feet of your home, there should be a minimum of 18 feet between tree tops. Within 30-60 feet of your residence, maintain a spacing of 12 feet between tree tops. And further out, 60-100 feet from the exterior of your home, the National Fire Protection Association recommends a distance of six feet between trees.

Making the Most of Your Acreage

If you live away from the city center and suburbs on your own acreage, creating a defensible space may feel like you’re carelessly discarding valuable natural resources. But there are many ways to use the timber and vegetation you’re clearing from your property and avoid letting it go to waste.

An increasingly popular approach is to invest in a bandsaw mill. By becoming a hobbyist sawyer, you can repurpose your timber. You can mill boards to craft fencing, furniture, or other woodworking constructions. You can also sell your lumber at a good price.

About Woodland Mills

 “Value through Design” isn’t just a motto—it’s the mission of the folks at Woodland Mills. Through cost-effective manufacturing, innovative design processes, and direct-to-customer sales, Woodland Mills has become a global leader by offering the best-valued forestry equipment in the industry. Since launching the flagship HM126 portable bandsaw sawmill, Woodland Mills has expanded their line of mills and added Woodlander™ mobile trailers, wood chippers, stump grinders, and accessories. Perhaps the best thing about Woodland Mills products is they’re available at prices hobbyists can justify. But it’s not just the practical design, durable build, and reasonable price point that keep sawyers returning to Woodland Mills. Ask any member of the Woodland Mills community, and they’ll tell you the customer service is second to none.

 Get equipment to create defensible space from Woodland Mills at https://woodlandmills.com/

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