NRES Online M.S. Blog

Catastrophic wildfires threaten homes throughout California. Understanding what motivates homeowners to prepare for wildfires helps fire managers better understand how to encourage homeowner action. Once homeowners are motivated to act, hardening a residence’s home-hazard ignition zone with fire-resistant landscaping is an effective tool. However, many homeowners lack knowledge about selecting the appropriate plant species to improve their home’s survivability in a wildfire. Many communities lack educational programs and tools to educate their residents on fire-resistant plant materials.

I examined the most commonly used metrics for determining the flammability of plant materials and developed a rubric to help homeowners select plants that possess the best fire-resistant traits. I also examined the current educational materials available to homeowners and developed a guidebook of fire-resistant plants species. The results provide homeowners and fire managers in the Central Sierra with an educational program and outreach materials to better educate residents about wildfire preparedness and fire-resistant landscaping.