How can you help make your property safe during wildfire season.

Maintaining a defensible space is crucial to helping Greer Fire District effectively protect your properties during a wildfire. What is defensible space, and how can you maintain it?  Defensible space is the area around your home and on your property that can slow or stop the spread of wildfire on the ground. Below is a list of things you can do to help us help you.

 Raking pine needles out 20’ from your home is a perfect start. Pine needles can be a conduit to wildfire spread if the needle bed is too thick, but raking down to bare soil is not healthy for your trees and erosion control of the soil. Finding the happy medium by leaving a thin layer will minimize wildfire spread while still allowing moisture retention that will help keep your trees and live vegetation healthy.

Trimming up any ladder fuels. Ladder fuels are what allow a ground fire to climb up into the trees. Limbing up trees 4-6’ from the ground will help to keep fire on the ground.

Keeping your woodpiles neatly stacked away from your structures and outbuildings.  During a wildfire embers and sparks can quickly get into a woodpile and easily ignite that cured fuel. When it is placed against a structure such as your home, that can spread to the siding, decks, and roofs.

Keep your gutters and roofs clear of pine needles. Blowing embers can find their way into those needles and ignite your roof.

Have screens and spark arresters on your chimney to keep your fireplace or stove from pushing hot ash and coals up into the air where it becomes a hazard.

Screens on the gable end vents of your homes will help to minimize any flying embers from entering your attic and igniting.

Fire Pits should be an area where pine needles are kept a minimum of 6 to 8’ from the ignition area. Keep a hose as well as a shovel or rake close by in case those campfires start to get out of control. Fire Pits should also not be built under low hanging branches, or roof lines.

Greer Fire asks all residents and visitors to obtain a burn permit to have any outdoor fires and to call before lighting them. This allows District personnel to discuss current conditions with you, and to advise on any burn restrictions. It’s vital should smoke reports be called in that we are aware of permitted burns so we can respond accordingly.

Be mindful of Red Flag days. Red Flag days are days when we experience warm temperatures, low humidity and high winds. This indicates an increased risk for wildfire. Red flag days are determined by the National Weather Service. If you see Red Flags out, it means no burning, no smoking outside of your vehicle, and no use of equipment that could spark and cause ignition.

Greer Fire staff is happy to come and look at your property to make suggestions to help you mitigate your wildfire risk. We encourage you to stop by Station #2, get to know your Firefighters and set up a consult. This fire season is shaping up to start early and be drier than normal let’s all work together to make Greer as safe as we can.

Finally. Never leave a fire unattended, and make sure when you put it out it is out and cold.

Thank you for your ongoing support of the GFD