How Gardeners Can Reduce Risk of Fire
2023-09-12
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1Invasive grasses might have played a part in the deadly wildfires that burned Lahaina, Hawaii recently.
2The grasses have taken over land that was once occupied by crops like sugar and pineapple.
3Michele Steinberg is wildfire division director at the National Fire Protection Association.
4She said some plants are more flammable than others.
5But, she noted, "there is no such thing as a fireproof plant." All plants can catch fire under the right conditions.
6Those conditions include poor pruning, lack of watering, and letting dry, dead plant parts remain on the soil surface in high-risk areas.
7If you are selecting plants for your garden, knowing which plants offer some fire resistance and which are more flammable can serve you well.
8Plants that produce flammable substances, like aromatic oils, resins, waxes, or sap, are among the quickest to catch fire.
9They will often catch fire even if they have been well-watered and cared for. They include bamboo, rosemary, and eucalyptus.
10Trees with papery bark that falls off, like river birch, are usually more flammable than those without.
11And fine-needled plants like pine, juniper, and spruce contain saps and resins.
12Their needle-like leaves increase the risk of fire when left on the ground or on the top of a house.
13Many grasses are highly flammable.
14Their ability to ignite increases when they are left to stand dry over winter or during periods without rain.
15Additionally, too much heat dries out the soil and under such conditions, many kinds of plants turn into a fire starter.
16As a group, "native plants aren't necessarily less flammable" than introduced kinds of plants, Steinberg said.
17But nonnative, invasive plants often are a greater fire risk because they spread quickly and are usually left alone by wildlife.
18The nonnative plants spread faster than native plants, and often tolerate heat, lack of rain and heavy rain better.
19For the best fire resistance, choose deciduous trees, like ash, crabapple, and maple, over fine-needled trees.
20Plants like succulents with water-filled leaves are slow to burn.
21They include ice plants and sedums.
22Some groundcover plants, like ajuga and creeping phlox, are also slow burners.
23The Washington State University Extension Service has published advice for choosing plants that are fire-resistant.
24Qualities that make a plant less likely to burn include:
25• High water content in leaves (these ignite and burn more slowly).
26• Little or no seasonal gain of dead plant material.
27• Open branching (they provide less fuel for fires).
28• Fewer total branches and leaves (again, less fuel for fires).
29• Slow-growing, so less pruning is required (to keep open structure as noted above).
30• Non-flammable material on the plant, like resins, oil, or wax.
31I'm Gregory Stachel.
1Invasive grasses might have played a part in the deadly wildfires that burned Lahaina, Hawaii recently. The grasses have taken over land that was once occupied by crops like sugar and pineapple. 2Michele Steinberg is wildfire division director at the National Fire Protection Association. She said some plants are more flammable than others. But, she noted, "there is no such thing as a fireproof plant." All plants can catch fire under the right conditions. 3Those conditions include poor pruning, lack of watering, and letting dry, dead plant parts remain on the soil surface in high-risk areas. 4If you are selecting plants for your garden, knowing which plants offer some fire resistance and which are more flammable can serve you well. 5Quicker to catch fire 6Plants that produce flammable substances, like aromatic oils, resins, waxes, or sap, are among the quickest to catch fire. They will often catch fire even if they have been well-watered and cared for. They include bamboo, rosemary, and eucalyptus. 7Trees with papery bark that falls off, like river birch, are usually more flammable than those without. And fine-needled plants like pine, juniper, and spruce contain saps and resins. Their needle-like leaves increase the risk of fire when left on the ground or on the top of a house. 8Many grasses are highly flammable. Their ability to ignite increases when they are left to stand dry over winter or during periods without rain. Additionally, too much heat dries out the soil and under such conditions, many kinds of plants turn into a fire starter. 9Native vs. non-native 10As a group, "native plants aren't necessarily less flammable" than introduced kinds of plants, Steinberg said. 11But nonnative, invasive plants often are a greater fire risk because they spread quickly and are usually left alone by wildlife. The nonnative plants spread faster than native plants, and often tolerate heat, lack of rain and heavy rain better. 12For the best fire resistance, choose deciduous trees, like ash, crabapple, and maple, over fine-needled trees. Plants like succulents with water-filled leaves are slow to burn. They include ice plants and sedums. Some groundcover plants, like ajuga and creeping phlox, are also slow burners. 13What to look for in plants 14The Washington State University Extension Service has published advice for choosing plants that are fire-resistant. Qualities that make a plant less likely to burn include: 15• High water content in leaves (these ignite and burn more slowly). 16• Little or no seasonal gain of dead plant material. 17• Open branching (they provide less fuel for fires). 18• Fewer total branches and leaves (again, less fuel for fires). 19• Slow-growing, so less pruning is required (to keep open structure as noted above). 20• Non-flammable material on the plant, like resins, oil, or wax. 21I'm Gregory Stachel. 22Jessica Damiano reported this story for the Associated Press. Gregory Stachel adapted it for VOA Learning English. 23________________________________________________ 24Words in This Story 25flammable - adj. capable of being set on fire and of burning quickly 26prune - v. to cut off some of the branches of (a tree or bush) so that it will grow better or look better 27garden - n. an area of ground where plants (such as flowers or vegetables) are grown 28bark -n. the outer surface of a tree 29needle - n. a leaf that is shaped like a very thin stick 30ignite - v. to set (something) on fire: to cause (something) to burn 31tolerate - v. to experience (something harmful or unpleasant) without being harmed 32deciduous - adj. having leaves that fall off every year