Winter Yard Prep for Wildfire Season
- Bethany
- Jan 16
- 3 min read
Winter is actually the perfect time to get ahead on wildfire preparedness for the following summer. The cool, damp weather lowers your risk, plants are dormant, and you can tackle jobs that would be stressful or risky once everything dries out. Here are some practical things you can work on now.
Use the wet weather to your advantage
One of the biggest perks of winter prep is that you can use power tools without worrying about sparks. Trimmers, mowers, chippers, and chainsaws are much safer to run when everything is wet. You can get through big cleanup jobs without adding any risk to the landscape. It also means you can tackle things at your own pace instead of rushing in June when the fire danger rating climbs.
Tidy up the 0 to 1.5 meter zone
This is the closest area to your home and it’s the most important to keep clean of dead leaves and windblown debris. Some top things you should focus on in this area during winter are:
Prune back branches that hang in this zone.
Pull anything flammable or organic away from the house siding.
Clean underneath decks and stairs where needles collect.
Assess flammability of plants growing near the house and plan for relocating in the spring.
A clean non combustible zone gives your home a real buffer during an ember shower.
Take advantage of tree dormancy
Winter pruning is one of the safest and least stressful times to work on trees. The cool weather reduces fire risk, the sap is down, and you aren’t as likely to disturb nesting birds or pollinators. Plus, the architecture of the tree is easy to see with the leaves off. Some key tree maintenance should be:
Thin out dense canopies to improve airflow.
Remove broken, dead, or low hanging branches that act as ladder fuels.
Create more vertical space between the ground and the canopy.
Book bigger jobs with an arborist now, before spring demand kicks in.
Work with plants while they’re asleep
Many sensitive perennials and shrubs are dormant in winter, so you navigate through gardens and landscapes without crushing tender new growth. You can rake, prune, and clean around root zones with much less ecological impact. Here are some helpful actions you can take over winter that will reduce wildfire risk and less enviromental impact:
Cut back dried stems in high risk areas.
Leave some stems and seed heads in lower risk zones for overwintering insects.
Thin out overcrowded beds so they don’t become dense fuel layers in summer.
Clean up accumulated debris around shrubs and hedges.
By doing this now, you avoid disturbing fresh spring plants and nesting wildlife.
Deal with woody debris before it becomes spring fuel
Storm season usually leaves piles of branches everywhere and winter is the safest time to deal with them. You can have a huge impact on wildfire prepardness by properl;y managing the woody fuels on your property such as:
Chip small branches to use as mulch in low risk areas past 30 meters.
Start a compost pile for your woody debris to help it break down before wildfire season begins.
Keep firewood stacks well away from structures.
Review your mulch choices
Take note of where you have flammable mulches and ground materials near buildings, such as woodchips, cedar chips or rubber mulch.
Plan to replace bark mulch close to structures with gravel or compost in spring.
Pull back thick, dry layers of pine needles or other dry debris in high risk zones.
Keep woody mulch limited to outer beds past 30 meters.
Do a winter walk through
Often you can see the structure of your landscape clearly when everything is bare.
Flag areas that feel packed with fuel.
Sketch out ideas for new fire breaks such as swales, rock features, or hardscaping.
Make a list of plants you want to replace with more fire-resistant options.
Ensure tools and hoses where you can grab them fast.
Check your emergency kit.
Talk with neighbors about shared preparedness.
Winter is a crucial time to consider wildfire preparation.
Taking small proactive actions now will make a big impact once wildfire season begins.
