Wildfire Season

Wildfires are a natural disaster that reoccurs every year and is one that many individuals are familiar with, primarily if you are located on the West Coast. These uncontrolled fires can damage wildlands, vegetation, and in the worst case, homes. Categorizing the severity of wildfires can are done by the different burning levels; low, medium, and high. It is no secret that California has been experiencing an extreme drought for the last few years. This severe drought is the primary factor that contributes to these wildfires. While we can not control the weather, one thing our communities can do is address the surrounding vegetation. 

The OCFA recommends following the 4 R’s of Vegetation Management, removal, reduction, replacement, and resistance. It is an ongoing commitment that will help reduce the threat of spreading wildfires. 

Here are a few examples from the 4 R’s. 

Removal: 

• Remove all dying and dead plants within 100 feet of your home.
• Remove plans on the undesirable plant list; these will fuel the fire. 
• Remove dry plant material from your yard, roof, and rain gutters. 

Reduction: 

• Reduce and prune plants within 100 feet of your home.
• Remove tree branches or plants within 10 feet of your chimney.
• Keep annual grasses and weeds cut to 4 inches or less. 

Replacement:

• Replace fire-prone plants with fire-resistant and drought-tolerant plants.
• When putting in new plants, leave enough space for them to grow to a mature size.

Resistance:

• Use fire-resistant plants whenever possible. 
• Plants on the recommended list must be maintained. Plant separation is an essential part of reducing the wildfire threat.

At Seabreeze Management Company, we ensure that the HOA communities in high-risk areas for wildfires are adequately prepared, and vegetation is appropriately maintained. For more information regarding fire safety, please visit the OCFA website. If you want to know what your property management company is doing for your community, always reach out to them.