What Do You Use To Mend Jack – O – Lantern?… A Pumpkin Patch!
It has been a disastrous year in many countries with some getting outrageous amounts of rain and others getting none leading to fires and floods that we have never experienced. Although the fires in B.C. and the Northwest Territories have been devastating at least we have not had to experience the loss of life such as occurred with the fire in Maui. The loss is still devastating and it breaks my heart that so many people have lost their homes and businesses. It is Sunday evening and I hope the forecast for rain starting on Tuesday does happen and it is more than the tablespoon we last received and that there is not lightning that comes with it. That should help with the air quality as well. The nights are starting to get dark earlier and for the most part they are cooler as well, this will help with the fires and will definitely be a relief for the brave men and women that are out there fighting to save homes and properties. I Thank You! There are many things that we can do to help protect our homes and properties as well and here are a few of them that you should consider and put into place.
Although we know that covering vents such as in attics and crawl spaces with wire mesh can help keep rodents and other pest out of the house with the use of wire screens this can also help with keeping airborne embers from getting into your home during a fire. The screen should be 1/8 of an inch and no smaller as it can prevent good air flow in your home if it is any smaller. There is even some that will swell when exposed to heat and almost seal your home from flying embers. Screens on your windows will not only help keep insects out but also can act as heat shields. Bronze screens will be more efficient than aluminum. Also metal doors instead of wood can be helpful.
Be sure to clean up all waste, vegetation and debris especially evergreen needles as these are heavy in resin and will burn very hot and for a long time, with the heat this summer there was a lot of trees that dropped large amounts of their needles. The leaves and needles on your roof and in your gutters too should be cleaned out well and checked again during the hotter months starting in June. With the extreme heat and dry weather evergreen trees will have shed a lot of needles and these are high in resin and will burn very hot and for a long time so they should be raked up and disposed of.
Fire wood should not be piled any closer than 30 feet from any building or wooden fence line. This includes scrap lumber and do not keep propane tanks, paint tins or other combustibles like gas for small appliances near your home or under your porch.
Trees and vegetation should be removed from around the house and all bark mulch should be removed as well, although attractive it can be an issue in a fire, you can switch to rock mulch and only have small plants that do not reach up to the siding on your home and well spaced so fire can not devour these plants and lead directly to your home. Perhaps nice pots with plants can be placed along a fire proof band that surrounds your house. Trees, although safer than bushes should be no closer that 6 feet from buildings and should have no limbs that are below the 6 foot mark as well. Plants that should not be near your home include Cedar, Juniper, Yew, Tall Grasses and Spruce. Any plant with aromatic leaves or needles have a heavy resin in them will burn hot and ferociously when ignited. Keep your lawns mowed to a maximum of 6 inches and be sure to clear out vegetation around buildings and under trees.
Fences can be a big fuel source as well so if you are replacing an old wooden fence consider metal fencing instead. If wood is being used there are fire resistant woods available and use thicker planks as they are more resistant to fire, be sure to keep grasses down under and along your fence and the supporting posts. Chain link can be very attractive with Ivy growing on it that will provide the privacy wanted.
Happy Gardening!
Samantha Nason
BS Ranch & Greenhouses
250 547 6567
sam1nason@gmail.com
