Firewise Program
The Apple Mountain Lake South Property Owners Association is proud to be a Firewise Community!
Each year, the AMLSPOA Board applies for a Firewise grant that allows us to participate in this program. Part of the grant requires that we keep track of the number of hours each person takes to collect brush/limbs and place them in a designated space near the roadway. These "in-kind" hours are very important for our funding.
Activities or Projects that can be used for In-kind hours/work.
Note: for any of the below activities, In-kind is based on physical work hours, equipment hours (for chainsaw, pole saw, farm tractor, chipper), or money paid to contract these projects. These projects can be done on personal property or common property within the community
Building Emergency Access around the home
Landscaping Firewise
Construction Upgrades
Community Projects
Great information about Firewise, fuel reduction, landscaping to help reduce the threat from wildfires, etc. can all be found at this website http://www.firewise.org/.
Each year, the AMLSPOA Board applies for a Firewise grant that allows us to participate in this program. Part of the grant requires that we keep track of the number of hours each person takes to collect brush/limbs and place them in a designated space near the roadway. These "in-kind" hours are very important for our funding.
Activities or Projects that can be used for In-kind hours/work.
Note: for any of the below activities, In-kind is based on physical work hours, equipment hours (for chainsaw, pole saw, farm tractor, chipper), or money paid to contract these projects. These projects can be done on personal property or common property within the community
Building Emergency Access around the home
- Encircle the home with well-irrigated areas of at least 30 feet on all sides, providing space for fire equipment in the event of an emergency.
Landscaping Firewise
- Remove highly flammable vegetation around the home. Use less-flammable plants: Examples - Azalea, Viburnum, Crepe Myrtle, Spirea, Hydrangea, Annual and Perennial Flowers, Ferns, Dogwood, Redbud, Red Maple and Oak – there are other plants that can be considered.
- Take out the “ladder fuels”, the vegetation that links grass and tree tops. These fuels can carry fire from the vegetation to a structure or from structure to vegetation. Ladder fuels are created when vegetation of different heights is close enough to allow a ground fire to climb up into tree tops.
- Keep trees and shrubs pruned. Prune all trees up to six to ten feet form the ground.
- Mow the lawn regularly.
- Rake Leaves away from home
- Clear dead wood and dense vegetation within 30 feet of your house;
- Move firewood away from house or attachments outside of the 30 feet zone.
Construction Upgrades
- Use construction materials that are fire-resistant or non-combustible whenever possible.
- Consider both size and materials for windows; smaller panes hold up better than larger ones. Double-pane glass and tempered glass are more effective than single-pane glass; plastic skylights can melt.
- Prevent sparks from entering your home through vents by covering exterior attic and crawl space vents with wire mesh no larger than ⅛ inch.
- If you wish to attach an all-wood fence to your home, use masonry or metal as a protective barrier between the fence and house.
- Use non-flammable metal when constructing a trellis and cover with high-moisture, fire-resistant vegetation.
- Prevent combustible materials and debris from accumulating beneath decks/steps or elevated porches; screen underneath with wire mesh no larger than ⅛ inch. Decks that are elevated over 3 feet, don’t store flammable or combustible material under them.
- Keep your gutters, eaves and roof clear of leaves and other debris.
Community Projects
- Meeting time where Firewise Program is discussed
- Home Assessment meeting
- Fuel Reduction Project participation
- Administration time for management of the Firewise Program for the community
- Road repair/ maintenance /upgrade work
Great information about Firewise, fuel reduction, landscaping to help reduce the threat from wildfires, etc. can all be found at this website http://www.firewise.org/.
| firewise_hour_log_for_owners.pdf |
