Selwyn Times: February 21, 2018

SELWYN TIMES Latest Christchurch news at www.star.kiwi
Wednesday February [Edition 21 datE] 2018 37 5
HOME PROFESSIONALS
Fireproofing
your outdoors
Hot summers and windy conditions help
fires take hold with the potential for them
to threaten our homes, whether controlled
burn-offs or due to inadvertent actions.
Potential risks to your home
Fires threaten homes in three ways:
• burning embers landing around a home
• a ground spreading fire, or
• through radiant heat.
Embers are a leading cause of house fires
as the wind can carry them for kilometres,
igniting when they land on flammable
materials such as tall dry grass, leaves,
debris in roof gutters, hessian door mats,
outdoor furniture coverings, and rubbish or
materials stored near or under a building.
Embers may also make their way into a
home through open windows and doors or
vents.
The effect of blown embers from a scrub
fire was witnessed in West Melton recently
when they ignited pea straw and bark
garden mulch, threatening homes and
frightening homeowners.
Low vegetation can help spread ground
fires. These travel faster downwind and
up slopes, burning anything in their path
including fences, garden edging, trellises,
sheds and homes.
Fires caused by radiant heat, preheat
igniting flammable materials in and around
a home.
Protecting your home
Unlike other natural disasters like
floods, wind events and earthquakes,
homeowners can be proactive in protecting
their properties from fire. What is within
60 metres of your home will influence the
potential for it to catch fire.
Following some simple steps can increase
your home’s chance of surviving a fire:
• Keep vehicles and wood away from the
home.
• Clean debris out of roof gutters
(especially over summer).
• Stack and store outdoor furniture when
not in use.
• Use non-flammable door mats.
• Keep decks free from vegetation and
debris.
• Fix fine mesh over vents, outdoor pizza
ovens and fireplaces.
• Keep vegetation back from the home or
grow less flammable species like magnolias,
citrus, feijoa, prunus, mulberry, photinia,
deciduous oaks, and succulents for
groundcovers.
• Prune tree branches at least two metres
above the ground, keeping large trees back
from the home and spacing plantings so
they are less likely to spread fire.
• Create a ‘clear zone’ between vegetation
and your house with a lawn or hard tiled,
concrete or stone surface.
• Keep grass cut and irrigate lawns so
they stay green over summer.
• Keep trees, shrubs, logs, twigs, pine
needles and other fuel 10 metres away from
your house.
• Ensure your driveway is at least 4x4
metres wide for emergency vehicles access.
• Choose fire retardant, non-flammable
materials when building or renovating and
metal or roofing iron for fences.
• Work with your neighbour to keep your
home safe.
• Clearly exhibit your street number so
emergency services can see it.
• Thoroughly wet down fire ash.
• Use your barbecue in a sheltered
spot, away from wind, shrubs, trees and
flammable materials.
• Never leave candles burning opting
instead for battery lanterns and electrical
lighting.
• When letting off fireworks, have a hose
close by and bucket to drop spent fireworks
into, lighting them in a barren area.
Summer iS here...
So its a great time to start
thinking about your new lawn.
Give us a call and we can come
and give you a free quotation!
Kirk Macfarlane, Canterbury Lawns Ltd
347 4000 | 0274 56 7777
kirk@canterburylawns.co.nz
Your hydroseeding specialists!!
Landscape construction
& Garden Maintenance
Paving, Irrigation, Lawns, Planting, Fences, Pergolas, Water-features,
Outdoor fires, Raised Vege beds, Decks, Artificial grass & more...
Call Aaron & the team today! Phone: 03 3474422 or 021542402
Email: landscapeyouroutdoorspace@gmail.com
www.theoutdoorspace.co.nz
You can have
your gardens,
trees, shrubs,
plants and lawns
maintained to
look their best
all year round,
for a great price.
RESIDENTIAL, NEW HOME
LANDSCAPING & MAINTENANCE
P: Ross Legg - 027 222 0388 E: ross@revivelandscaping.co.nz
www.revivelandscaping.co.nz