SACRAMENTO, Calif. — With gloves on, helmet strapped, Richard Jospeh Stutz starts to weed whack, but it’s not for aesthetics. This simple weed waking serves a much higher purpose.
“Weed eating, mastication and dead tree removal are great things property owners can do to help keep their property safe from fire,” Stutz said.
On this day, Stutz and his team were helping create a 100-feet defensible space on a property in Auburn. Fire officials say doing so is a primary wildfire safeguard for homes.
“Thinning the property will decrease the intensity of the fire and give the firefighter, or agency, a better chance of stopping it before larger trees burn, or the residence burns,” he said.
Reducing wildfire fuels in Auburn is important, as a report commissioned by the city’s fire department shows roughly one-third of the City of Auburn has been designated as within the high or very high fire hazard severity zone.
The designation has prompted the city to hold a Wildfire Festival to educate the public in a fun and family-friendly environment about what they need to do to mitigate the risks.
Stutz and his team will be showcasing at the festival.
“We will also be showing some pruning technics to do defensible space,” he said. “Including some rigging of limbs that are hanging over structure.”
Part of the thinking behind the festival, Auburn Fire Chief Dave Spencer said the report was eye opening because during a wildfire, many would have to evacuate the city, which sits on top of a ridge.
“What we’re finding is that really the very best we have is an hour to two hours to evacuate some of these neighborhoods that are throughout the city,” Spencer said. “And that’s very eye-opening and certainly concerning for myself and city leaders.”
Spencer said some might feel that with the heavy rains the fire risk is lessened, but the extra water, he said, means more grasses that create fire fuel.
He also said they’ll be reminding people it’s not about what looks the prettiest in your garden, but what’s lifesaving.
“Put down a bed of rock instead of mulch,” Spencer said. “Because we do know that mulch even though it helps with erosion, in the case of ember cast, that’s one of the No. 1 things that catches on fire and spreads to the structure,” Spencer said.
Doing simple things like putting down a rock bed and creating a defensible space, Stutz said can aid with home insurance premiums.
“Doing defensible space work around your property increases your chance for your property to be reinsured,” he said.
Stutz and Spencer hope the festival will see a large attendance, because when it comes to wildfires, you don’t always get second chances.
If you would like more information about the wildfire festival, visit here.