November 20, 2008
CONTACT: Dohee Kim, (323) 260-3880, deekim@ucdavis.edu
UC Cooperative Extension's 2009 SAFE Landscapes calendar and guidebook hopes to increase fire safety in LA County
During the past week, Southern California has experienced several large wildfire events. Due to the dry climate and strong Santa Ana winds, fire is a part of the natural environment. Homes are never completely protected from wildland fire; and if one lives in a fire hazard severity zone in the wildland-urban interface, it is not a question of if a fire occurs, but when.
The University of California Cooperative Extension offers a calendar and guidebook--the SAFE (Sustainable and Fire-SafE) Landscapes 2009 Calendar and Guidebook. The guidelines assist homeowners in creating and maintaining fire-safe, environmentally-friendly landscapes in what scientists call "the wildland-urban interface" or the area where urban and suburban development meets native, natural vegetated wilderness.
Cooperative Extension's SAFE Landscapes calendar and guidebook takes residents through steps to keep properties fire-safe throughout the year. The calendar advises residents to develop fire-resistant landscape that does not easily transmit fire. In addition, the calendar encourages homeowners to be good neighbors to surrounding wildlands by eliminating invasive plants that fuel wildfires, contribute to soil erosion, clog streams and rivers, increase flooding, displace native vegetation, and reduce wildland diversity. The calendar also encourages residents to use fire-resistant building materials and architectural features, observe good fire-safe practices in and around the home, and create a good fire response plan for the family.
"Wildland fire is a fact of life. Proper landscape management can help keep property and neighboring habitat safe and healthy," says Dr. Sabrina Drill, UC Cooperative Extension's natural resources advisor.
To learn more about SAFE Landscapes, download the free calendar and guidebook, or get information on Cooperative Extension's upcoming fire-safe workshops, visit http://ucanr.org/safelandscapes.
With support from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and the California Department of Food and Agriculture, the SAFE Landscapes project is a collaboration between UC Cooperative Extension in Los Angeles County, the Los Angeles and San Gabriel Rivers Watershed Council, the Los Angeles County Fire Department, and numerous public, nonprofit, and business organizations.