Douglas Kent began work on Firescaping in 1992. He lived 25 miles northwest of the Tunnel Fire, which had devoured 25 lives and 2,900 homes in the Berkeley/Oakland Hills area of California. Both frightened and inspired, Kent began to compile a guide that would help prevent others from enduring such a tragedy. In the years since, Kent has toured, worked with, and spoken to high-risk communities throughout California. He has been on the front lines of wildfires and has interviewed many survivors. With this edition of Firescaping, he uses all his years of fire experience to create a comprehensive resource that homeowners and at-risk communities nationwide can use to create more fire-resistant landscapes and structures. Kent has 27 years of soot-filled experience in firescaping, but that is far from his only credential. He started gardening in 1979 and has written six other books, has worked on hundreds of landscape projects, has helped lead four statewide gardening campaigns, and has taught at California Polytechnic University, Pomona, since 2008.

Dedication

Acknowledgments

INTRODUCTION

• Identifying Fire Hazard Areas
• The Law and the Reality
• Protecting Yourself from Yourself
• What to Do During a Fire

FIRESCAPING

• Prioritizing Your Time
• Roads
• Structures
• Driveways
• The Zone Theory
• Slopes
• Small Properties
• Ridgetop and Understory Properties
• Plant Selection and Fire Protection
• Landscape Features
• Emergency Water Systems

MAINTENANCE

• Maintenance Priorities
• Maintenance for Zones 1 and 2
• Managing Wild Vegetation and Weeds

POSTFIRE RECOVERY: CONTROLLING EROSION

• First Aid for Fire-Scarred Landscapes
• Holding Your Hill: Long-Term Strategies

SUPPORTING YOUR COMMUNITY

• Community Obligations
• Managing a Community’s Three Landscapes

FURTHER INFORMATION

• Glossary
• References and Selected Reading
• Index
• Plant Index
• About the Author