Preparing Homes and Structures for Wildfire in Oklahoma, Kansas and Texas
Wildfires in the Great Plains can occur at various times throughout the year. However fuel and weather conditions in late winter/early spring usually offer the biggest opportunities for wildfires. Despite preparations, wildfires can still cause undesirable outcomes. Our goal is to help you prepare the best you can to prevent burning of structures, livestock, valuable equipment, and most of all human life.
Preparing Homes, Barns, Structures, Equipment & Hay for Wildfire
The best tool to prevent loss during wildfire is preparation. A little preparation like mowing lawns, raking leaves away from structures, cleaning out gutters, clearing roofs, trimming trees and shrubs can help reduce the chance of catching fire and/or buy more time in the event of a wildfire.
Immediate Zone (within 5’ of a home barn or structure)
The Immediate Zone is the most important area and should be the first you prepare for wildfire. Start with the house itself first and then move to the immediate landscaping.
Clean roofs and gutters of dead leaves and debris that could catch embers
Remove all flammable materials from exterior walls such as mulch, grasses, leaves, firewood piles – anything that can burn
Remove anything stored underneath decks or porches
Reduce embers that could pass through vents in the eaves by installing 1/8 inch metal mesh screening.
Clean debris from exterior attic vents and install 1/8 inch metal mesh screening to reduce embers.
Intermediate Zone ( 5’-30’ from structures)
The Intermediate Zone is 5-30’ from the furthest exterior point of the home. Careful thought and intention to landscaping, especially in fire prone areas, can influence or reduce wildfire.
Create fuel breaks with driveways, walkways/paths, patios, and decks
Keep lawns and native grasses mowed to a height of four inches or less
Remove ladder fuels (vegetation under trees) so a surface fire cannot reach the crowns. Prune trees up to six to ten feet from the ground, shorter trees do not exceed 1/3 of the overall tree height
Clear vegetation from under large stationary propane tanks
Tree placement should be planned to ensure the mature canopy is no closer than ten feet to the edge of the structure
Space trees to have a minimum of eighteen feet between crowns with the distance increasing with the percentage of slope
Tree and shrubs in this zone should be limited to small clusters of a few each to break up the continuity of the vegetation across the landscape
Extended Zone (30-200 feet from structures)
Create firebreaks with roads, driveways in the direction fire is most likely to come from
Dispose of heavy accumulations of ground litter (grasses, cut grass & leaves) and brush piles
Remove small cedar (juniper) tress from growing between mature trees
Consider removing all cedar trees within 200 feet of structures
Trees 30 to 60 feet from structures should have at least 12 feet between canopy tops, and even more when there is an upslope
Trees 60 to 200 feet from the home should have at least 6 feet between the canopy tops
Additional Tips
Selectively graze cattle in areas near structures, especially upwind of likely directions fires come from
Design cattle traps so they are upwind of structures
Patch burn an area in Summer or Fall around structures
Use prescribe burning along roads to prevent the ignition from roads or create an additional barrier if a wildfire is coming from the other side of the road
Have an evacuation plan for your family
Have an evacuation plan for your livestock - move them to sites that are grazed down, keep gates ready to open quickly if a wildfire is coming, keep fence pliers on hand to cut fences
Be weather aware during late winter and early spring when fuels are dormant, humidities are low and big systems bring in very high winds