WISCONSIN DNR
Sheds should be at least 30 feet from the home. Keep your roof clear of leaves, needles and other debris.
Keep burnable materials from under and around all structures. Keep your woodpile 30 feet from structures.
Remove all but scattered trees and keep grass mowed within 30 feet of structures.
THE HOME IGNITION ZONE
BE FIREWISE HOW TO PREPARE YOUR HOME FOR WILDFIRES
KATHRYN A. KAHLER
Ladder fuels including shrubs
and small trees carry fire to treetops. Heavy fuels like Wisconsin has a long trees, large limbs, history of dangerous downed logs and outwildfires that can burn buildings burn longer homes and other and produce more structures in forested heat. areas and elsewhere, Finally, think about and spring is the most ignition. Most homes prolific time for wildfires near forestland destroyed in the state. The DNR Keep woodpiles at least by wildfire are ignited by small estimates that 80% of all build30 feet from buildings. surface flames or flying embers ings destroyed by wildfire in Wisthat land on roofs, porches or other flamconsin are lost between March and June. mable surfaces. Most buildings are burned by fires that Three factors that affect wildfire are weather, topogstarted on the same property or at a neighbor’s. raphy and fuel — naturally occurring flammable material. With a little effort, you can improve your home’s While the first two are beyond your control, you can chance of surviving a wildfire. A home that is Firewise assess your risk, manage available fuel and take steps to can survive a wildfire even without help from firefighters. prepare your home for wildfires. Picture your home in the center of a 100 to 200-foot To assess your property for risk, first be aware of the circle, called the home ignition zone. In a well-managed grades of fuel and how they are ignited: Fine fuels such as grasses, leaves and pine needles zone, fuel sources are reduced so an approaching fire is starved of the fuels it needs to burn. ignite easily and burn quickly. W
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