16
Mar

Please call for a free estimate on fire mitigation in Jefferson County (719)400-9104 or email us at office@coloradomastication.com.

When it comes to creating a survivable space, you need to make sure you only do it on your land. While you want to encourage your neighbor to work with you, you can’t force them. Nor can you work on their land without permission. Knowing where your property boundary starts and finishes is essential.

At the same time, you need to evaluate the land. There’s no point in starting to create a defensible space without assessing everything that needs doing.

Knowing Your Boundaries

The first thing to do is work out where your boundaries lie. For centuries, land has been owned with invisible boundaries. They’re marked on grants and on deeds, so you’ll need to pull your deeds out to make sure you’re on the right part of a piece of land.

If you start working on your neighbors’ properties without permission, you can end up in a lot of legal and financial trouble. You are doing a good thing, but not everyone sees it as that. Or they may feel pressured in doing something they hadn’t planned yet.

Be specific. Fences used to be a good indication of where boundaries are. Now you’ll want to break out the GPS and make sure you get the line just right.

You can work with your neighbor once you’ve evaluated the line. If you see something that could be a fire risk just on their side of the boundary, talk to them about removing it or you doing the job for them. But respect their wishes if they say no. It’s their land, after all.

Evaluation Your Property

Now that you know where you’re starting and finishing, it’s essential to evaluate. There’s no point working on your land without knowing what you need to do. Create a fire mitigation plan.

The fire mitigation checklist helps you avoid wasting time. You’ll also make sure nothing small is missed, and a fire will attached to even the smallest amount of fuel.

As you walk around your property, remember that fire doesn’t care about your land. It doesn’t care about the rules or the law. All it cares about is fuel.

There are going to be difficult decisions to make. They’re worth it, though.

The tree that offers great shade could be the one thing that causes a wildfire to spread more. You’ll need to consider removing it to create your defensible space.

But what about your deck? Is it made of materials that offer fuel for fires? Now could be the time to update your deck. And if you haven’t started building one yet, consider the materials carefully to offer defensible space.

Don’t forget about the gutters, the debris on the ground, and even the location of the house on a slope. Evaluate the forestry around you and assess the type of zone you’re in.

You’ll need to make sure everyone in the house is on board with your decisions. Avoid the fines, avoid the property damage, and avoid the risk to life.

We offer fire mitigation services in Jefferson county and the surrounding areas. Our services include scrub oak removal, brush clearing, lot and land clearing. For more information call (719)400-9104.