On March 8, the Boothbay Region Garden Club welcomed Maine Forest Ranger and Fire Protection Specialist Kent Nelson to speak on the science of keeping your home safe from the threat of wildfire. Hard to imagine a forest fire while the Maine landscape is still under a winter blanket of white but spring and nature's rebirth really is just around the corner!

With that in mind, Nelson introduced the group to Firewise Landscaping, a nationwide program designed to help homeowners understand the threat of wildfire and learn easy, inexpensive ways to reduce the risk to your home.

Nelson said there are 50 rangers here in Maine who work with local fire departments in the event of a wildfire. In 2016, a drought year, Maine experienced 742 wildfires. For many whose homes are adjacent to or within heavily wooded areas that is a number that can give one pause. Nelson reported that wildfires can be set off by a spark that can ignite brush and spread quickly to nearby structures. Seventy-five percent of all fires threaten or destroy those structures within close proximity.

Wildland Urban Interface is a program that helps determine the risk to an area and then offers recommendations for the prevention of fires. Taken into account would be the topography of the site, access roads and signage, defensible space and vegetation.

Defensible space is defined as the distance between a house and the start of vegetation or trees which ideally would be 30 feet. Vegetation should be managed so that fire reaching the vegetation cannot get to the structure. Nelson noted that most fires in Maine are surface fires, not the wall of fire often seen in other places such as west coast wildfires. The nature of the construction and building materials used in structures are important factors in minimizing fire risk. Finally, the availability of water plays an important role in stemming a wildfire. We are fortunate in Maine to have an abundance of fresh water from lakes, ponds and rivers. Salt water, though plentiful in Maine, is not the best for fire hoses!

The Firewise Program began in Maine in 2008. Currently eight communities are involved, one being Sprucewold, Boothbay Harbor. Rangers work with the communities to prevent fires by clearing trees and brush and managing the vegetation near the homes. Homeowners are involved and must agree to work with the program.

Nelson offered the following suggestions for keeping your home safe from the danger of wildfires. Avoid contiguous vegetation, minimize the use of softwood trees close to your home and keep them pruned to eliminate "ladder fuel" fires. Create firebreaks between the forest and nearby structures and clear leaf litter from roofs and gutters and from under decks. Landscape near your home with fire resistant shrubs and plants that are high in moisture, have a low oil and resin content, are drought resistant, have open and loose branching and minimal litter. Keep vegetation three feet from your structure and use stones or shells rather than bulk mulch.

Check out the below websites for more information on how to protect your home from wildfires:

www.maineforestservice.org

www.fireplantselector.org

www.wffoundation.org

www.firewise.org

The Boothbay Region Garden Club offers a variety of informative programs throughout the year and guests and new members are always welcome. BRGC is affiliated with NGC (National Garden Clubs Inc.) and is a member of the GCFM (Garden Club Federation of Maine).

For more information on upcoming events and activities check out the BRGC website at www.boothbayregiongardenclub.org/.