Thinning a tree...for fire clearance????

[NickfromWI]

Around here a lot of clients get letters from county fire dept inspectors that tell them certain things they have to do to make their trees safer so that the house is less likely to burn down in a fire. I usually don't get involved in fire clearance as it tends to be the type of work that goes to whoever can bid the least. Quality is typically not a concern. However, I have a few clients that want it done by an arborist so they have us do it.

Typically the work is clearing things back from buildings to some determined distance set forth in the citation letter, raising lower limbs, and removing under story brush.

Today a client called in a panic because the inspectors said they had to have their tree thinned so the air can pass through it.

Here's a pic of the tree. It looks like its swallowing the house, but there is 8-10' of clearance that we provided about 4 months ago when we came and pruned all the trees on the property. They are typically happy with 6' of clearance, so I was surprised to have the client cited called.

So the question for those of you that ever deal with fire clearance: I think the client is getting jerked around by the county. Am I being naive here? Will thinning a tree to anything to help the situation in a fire?

love
nick

 

[CurSedVoyce]

From all appearances, that tree is no threat to the house from wild fire. CDF can and will however ask for 10 foot from the structure. Looking through CDFs eyes they probably want the tree raised to at least above head height.
Also from a fire fighting perspective, you have to also consider the tree at risk from the building if the building caught fire. If the fire starts in the building, the tree can catch throwing hot leaves and embers to surrounding vegetation and homes. Actually thinning the tree (aside from dead wood) is a moot issue. Dead wood and dense canopy all the way to the ground are issues.
In my mind, they were using the guidelines of crown raising and not thinning and used the wrong term.
Were they warned or cited?
ooops cited.
It can be fought...
but I would have them define what they meant by thinning.

 

[MasterBlaster]

LOL @ "so the air can pass through it."

 

[SkwerI]

Bureaucratic bullshit IMO. Some government pencil pusher has been listening to too many news reporters admonishing the masses to get their trees thinned every year. :roll:

 

[CurSedVoyce]

Here are the basics. In the past I have also run into over zealous noobs doing inspections... Find out if it was the chief or higher up citing and talk to them about what was cited.
http://www.readyforwildfire.org/defensible_space

I actually had a fire house chief want 100 feet of weeds cut (and I mean there was no other part of the ladder needed cut near by, brush etc.) around a conex box of solid metal. It was weed eat-ed out 30 feet so there was absolutely no danger of grass fire even really scorching it much.

 

[CurSedVoyce]

The person who cited also needs to take in account there is a green belt around the front of the house and a street that would also be considered a fire break. No Threat.

 

[sotc]

The person who cited also needs to take in account there is a green belt around the front of the house and a street that would also be considered a fire break. No Threat.

I agree, they are being ridiculous. Thinning an individual tree should not even be in their jurisdiction. I would ask for a site visit and an explanation

 

[Bodean]

air passing though it sounds like fire passing through it...even hotter..

 

[Paul B]

sounds silly but around here we get insurance sales folks telling owners to get their trees cleared from the dwelling. usually a distance of 2 Meters or 6 feet is a minimum. gets me work and sounds like a reasonable request I think.