Wildfires, whether minor events or major calamities, are becoming increasingly frequent year by year – the summers are getting hotter each year, increasing the risk of fires that start in wooded areas and move unstoppably toward settlements. One of the ways that Colorado homeowners can use to protect their own property as well as their neighbors’ properties from wildfires is vegetation management, with special emphasis on the tree removal Parker CO has that have become weakened, diseased or that have dried out completely. Here are some benefits of vegetation management and how tree removal can help you protect your property from wildfire hazards.
Risk Factors on Your Property
Whether your yard is large or small, any kind of dead vegetation is a risk of fire. Dry grass, pine needles on the ground, dead branches with dry leaves on bushes, shrubs and trees can all catch fire from the tiniest ember and can be wrapped in large flames in an instant. The risk is especially high in the case of properties with thick vegetation and of those located very close to forests.
How to Manage Your Vegetation
Regular landscape maintenance is an essential task not only for the beauty of your landscape, but for the fire safety of your property as well. Here are the activities that should be carried out every couple of weeks:
- Proper tree care – removing dead trees, cutting dead tree limbs and branches that seem weakened is essential for fire safety. The lower branches of the trees should also be removed, up to a maximum of one third of the height of the tree;
- Clean the ground – dead leaves, dry pine needles, twigs and dry grass can all catch fire easily, therefore it is very important to rake the ground and to remove all the debris. Regular turf care is also very important – periodic mowing and watering can keep your Colorado grass strong and healthy, reducing the risk of fires;
- Install a landscape design that breaks the path of fires – small ponds and structures made from fireproof materials, such as stone, can slow down the progression of fire.
How to Remove Dead Trees
Out of all the above activities, the identification of the trees that cannot be saved and the removal of those trees is perhaps the most complex task. It takes a trained eye to see that a tree that still has some canopy is beyond saving and it also takes experience and professional knowledge to figure out how to cut a large tree without damaging the structures and the vegetation around. The best way to ensure the safety and the efficiency of the process is to turn to a professional tree removal service – the contractor you hire will know exactly how to handle the task.
Tree removal companies can also help you with the other tasks involved in vegetation management – you can hire them for a one-time maintenance task or you can enroll your property into a maintenance program to have scheduled maintenance visits from your contractor.