It looks like we’re going to be in for another long hot summer. Wildfires are already burning out of control across British Columbia (our hearts go out to all our friends in Fort Mac). There are a number of causes of wildfires, including:
- Out of control burning
- Vehicle exhaust
- Cigarette butts/smoking
- Camp fires
- Arson
- Children
- Rail roads
- Machines
- Lightning
Before the drought and bone dry conditions set in again, take a look around your property. Could any of the wildfire causes listed above happen where you live? It might not be as straightforward as it seems. Here are few tips on what to look for:
- Old piles of branch debris can become tinder dry, function as an easy source of ignition and block sight of fire in its early stages of development
- Low hanging tree branches can act as ladders for fires to jump into the trees
- Tight, thickly forested areas make it easy for fires to move from tree to tree
For more information about how to FireSmart your home and property head to the BC Wildfire Service website.
Courtesy of the BC Wildfire Service website
Our experienced, professional arborists can assess your property’s fire risk and help draft prevention measures. We offer a number of services to help mitigate the fire hazard on your property, such as:
- Chipping and hauling away combustible branch piles
- Pruning and thinning forested areas
- Crown raising (cutting the lowest branches off of the trees to give more clearance from the ground)
- Removing volatile species like spruce in order to replace with fire-resistant species like aspen
Disassemble the stock fibreglass rake. I’d recommend starting with a rake with shorter tines, since the longer tines tend to be weaker and are prone to losing their stiffness (which makes raking more difficult). When looking at rakes, force the tines into the ground and test for flex, choose the rake with the stiffest tines possible.