Fire in the Wildland-Urban Interface: Selecting and Maintaining Firewise Plants for Landscaping

J. Douglas Doran, Jennifer M. Fill, Raelene M. Crandall, Cotton K. Randall, and Alan J. Long

Release Date: 10/30/2023

Reviewed At: 7/19/2023

DOI: 10.32473/edis-fr147-2023

Natural Resources

Abstract

For homeowners who live in an area with a medium to high risk of wildfire, creating an area of defensible space is crucial for protecting houses and other structures. The movement of a wildfire is controlled primarily by the flammability of the plants present and how those plants are arranged, both vertically and horizontally. This publication details how the structure and composition of the vegetation, from leaf to the whole plant, affect the likelihood that a fire will ignite and spread. It also describes how plants' horizontal and vertical arrangement can affect wildfire ignition and spread near homes, concluding with recommendations for firewise landscaping.

About this Publication

This document is Circular 1445, one of a series of the School of Forest Resources and Conservation Department, UF/IFAS Extension. Original publication date March 2004. Revised October 2015 and October 2023. Visit the EDIS website at https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu for the currently supported version of this publication. The development of this factsheet was funded by the National Fire Plan through the Southern Center for Wildland-Urban Interface Research and Information, Southern Research Station, USDA Forest Service.

About the Authors

J. Douglas Doran, former graduate student (degree awarded in 2003), School of Forest, Fisheries, and Geomatics Sciences; Jennifer M. Fill, research assistant scientist; Raelene M. Crandall, associate professor, fire ecology; Cotton K. Randall, former Wildland-Urban Interface fire project coordinator and graduate student (degree awarded in 2001); and Alan J. Long, professor emeritus; School of Forest, Fisheries, and Geomatics Sciences; UF/IFAS Extension, Gainesville, FL 32611.

How to Cite

Crandall, R., Fill, J., Long, A., Randall, C., & Doran, D. (2023). Fire in the Wildland-Urban Interface: Selecting and Maintaining Firewise Plants for Landscaping. EDIS, 2023(5). https://doi.org/10.32473/edis-fr147-2023