Abstract:
The city of Santa Barbara, California has introduced the idea of fire-resistant garden landscaping--firescaping--to help homeowners improve the chances of their property surviving brush fires. The garden is landscaped into four plant zones with the most flammable in Zone 4, farthest from the house. Zone 3 plants have low profile and slow- burning characteristics. Zone 2 features highly fire-retardant succulents, acting as a greenbelt zone of maximum protection. Zone 1, closest to the residence, is a small area of plants that pose little risk of burning. Xeriscaping, landscaping with drought-tolerant native plants, is also becoming commonplace.
Introduction:
Most Southern Californians would agree that hills and canyons are among the 
most desirable places to live. But these wild, yet settled, places at the edge 
of the metropolis -- what botanists sometimes call "the urban-chaparral 
interface" -- are the properties most threatened by wildfire. 

While little can be done to control the natural fires that occur in chaparral 
country, homeowners can change their approach to landscaping and help improve 
the chances of their homes and property surviving a brush fire. 

"The idea behind fire-resistant landscaping -- firescaping -- is to design 
landscaping to minimize the fire hazard," says Owen Dell, a Santa Barbara 
landscape contractor who has many canyon and hillside homeowners as clients. 

Dell became interested in the concept after the 1977 Sycamore Canyon fire in 
which 200 homes were lost and only a shift in the wind prevented the loss of 
additional Santa Barbara residences. After the fire, Dell began studying its 
effects. "Many of my clients lost property, but the fire jumped from house to 
house, then skipped others. I realized that the landscaping had a relationship 
to the amount of devastation." 

Dell, the Santa Barbara City Fire Department, the city government and a number 
of volunteers combined their efforts and began planning the Santa Barbara 
Firescapes Demonstration Garden to educate the public about reducing the risks 
of wildfire near their homes. 

The concept behind the garden is that while no plant is fireproof, some are 
more flammable than others. The garden is a model of how to design and maintain 
landscaping around the home to provide a line of defense against fire. 

The garden is landscaped into four plant zones, with the most flammable 
vegetation planted farthest from the house. Zone 4, farthest from the house, 
consists of native vegetation that has been thinned to reduce the amount of 
fuel that could feed a fire. Native chaparral flora, including oaks, ceanothus 
and manzanita, are found here. 

Zone 3 includes plants selected for their low profile and slow-burning 
characteristics. Wildflowers such as Pacific Coast iris, monkeyflower and 
California poppies add a splash of color to this zone. 

Zone 2 features highly fire-retardant succulents. It's designed to be a 
greenbelt zone of maximum fire protection. Jade, aloe vera, phormium and 
evergreen currant are among the high-moisture-content plants characteristic of 
this zone. 

Zone 1, closest to the residence, is a small area of plants that pose little 
risk of burning. Cactus, tobira and shiny leaf jasmine are examples of 
fire-resistant plants that still have a high aesthetic appeal. 

Some trees and plants are surprisingly hazardous. "Those eucalyptus trees," 
Dell says. "If one of those lights up near your house, there's no way to save 
it. And the Monterey pine -- it's so full of volatile oils, it's almost 
unbelievable." 

One popular plant found almost everywhere in Southern California -- ice plant 
-- would seem to be an ideal choice for a firescape garden. Actually, it can be 
a menace. The plant produces a great deal of litter beneath that succulent 
surface and can smolder for days. Two other surprisingly flammable flora are 
redwood trees and bougainvillea. 

Dell thinks several successive drought years have finally persuaded Southern 
Californians to rethink approaches to gardening. Suddenly, xeriscaping -- 
landscaping with drought-tolerant natives -- is becoming commonplace and 
fashionable. As Dell sees it, while many home gardeners have learned to deal 
with low-water conditions, they've virtually ignored another common Southern 
California occurrence -- wildfire. 

Just as appropriate landscaping can help gardeners with water shortages, so may 
careful landscaping help reduce the risk of significant property damage in the 
most fire-prone areas. 

The Firescapes Demonstration Garden is located across the street from City Fire 
Station 7 at 2411 Stanwood Drive and is open every day from 8 a.m. until 
sunset. A brochure available at the garden aids your exploration. For 
additional information, contact the Santa Barbara City Fire Department public 
education coordinator at (805) 564-5703. 

To reach the garden: From U.S. 101 in Santa Barbara, exit on Salinas Street and 
continue to a five-way intersection. Bear right (north) on Sycamore Canyon Road 
(144) to Stanwood Drive (192). Turn left and continue to the fire station, on 
your left, just opposite the garden. There's ample parking at the station, 
which is located on the corner of Stanwood Drive and Mission Ridge Road. 

