I know, it seems early. We haven’t even gotten to spring equinox yet and summer still seems far off. But now really is the time to start thinking about how to prepare your property for wildfire season in Central Oregon. Now, if you live in the middle of town, this might not apply to you. However, even if you live in the West Hills, Awbrey Butte, Overturf Butte or any are that interfaces forested land, we encourage you take a look at your property with an eye for wildfire.

Here at Arbor 1, we can help you assess your property and determine how you can best tackle the project of creating a defensible space around your home. We have the equipment, crews and knowledge to improve your property safely and efficiently. When it comes to trees and brush on your property, wildfire fuels reduction tasks include many things such as:

  • Trimming and removing brush, eliminating a direct path for fire to reach your home or spread into nearby trees.
  • Pruning low hanging branches in trees to reduce the risk of fire reaching into the crown of trees.
  • Thinning out dense stands of trees to open up space and reduce the risk of a fast igniting and growing fire.
  • Trimming grass and weeds to prevent the spread of fire.

There are tons of resources out there in Central Oregon to help you protect your property:

The Central Oregon FireFree program educates residents about wildfires. They are chock full of great tips and resources for keeping your property safe from wildfires.

Oregon State University Extension has a very comprehensive guide to fire-resistant plants for home landscapes.

The City of Bend has information on watering your plants for wildfire preparedness.

The U.S. Forest Service’s “Understanding and Preparing for Wildfire in the Wildland-Urban Interface” is a hefty, yet complete guide to living with the risk of wildfire.

The Central Oregon Fire Information website has live feeds and blog posts about all things fire related in Central Oregon.

Remember, like Smokey the Bear, it is up to YOU to prepare your property for wildfire season. More importantly, it is up to YOU to create a defensible space at your home! Arbor 1 Tree Service can help. Give us a shout via email or call us directly at 541-480-4223 to have us come out and provide an assessment of your property.

— Mike D. and the Arbor 1 Crew

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