Do you ever think about wildfire devastating your home and property? Do you delude yourself into thinking you don't live near fire-prone areas in the West that always seem to be on TV when fire season comes around?
Think again: as the global climate warms up, more and more areas of the country will fall prey to wildfires. Even more tragic is the fact that some of these future losses might well have been prevented with the right kind of landscape design, irrigation and maintenance.
Contractors in the landscape business can make a big impact on combating wildfires. It's not enough to just irrigate with the goal of beautifying; these days, irrigation contractors need to also think about "fire-proofing" their client's homes and real estate.
"Hey, wait," you say, "Doesn't that sum up what I do now? Design landscapes, water them, and maintain them?" Not exactly. To be a "wildfire-proof" irrigator, you need to design, water and maintain in a fashion that optimizes beauty and reduces threats from fire.
In other words, you need to design with defensible space in mind, and choose fire-retardant and fire-resistant plants. You need to irrigate to keep lawns, plants and trees green, even when nature wants to make them brown. And you need to maintain your customers' landscapes so that dead branches, needles and dry leaves won't become fuel for a conflagration.
With drought and scorching temperatures continuing to afflict much of the nation, offering wildfire-resistant design, irrigation and maintenance is more important than ever. And don't discount the severity of the threat; although major wildfires get all the attention, thousands of lesser fires are equally as threatening to your customers' homes and real estate.
Even in the face of fire risks, people still want to live in 'natural' areas. A home in the middle of a forest, or on a mountain with a breathtaking vista can be a siren call to people who have the money. But 'natural doesn't always mean 'wise for humans.' People overlook the fact that periodic wildfires are natural too...and that their irrigation system has to accommodate it.
Think again: as the global climate warms up, more and more areas of the country will fall prey to wildfires. Even more tragic is the fact that some of these future losses might well have been prevented with the right kind of landscape design, irrigation and maintenance.
Contractors in the landscape business can make a big impact on combating wildfires. It's not enough to just irrigate with the goal of beautifying; these days, irrigation contractors need to also think about "fire-proofing" their client's homes and real estate.
"Hey, wait," you say, "Doesn't that sum up what I do now? Design landscapes, water them, and maintain them?" Not exactly. To be a "wildfire-proof" irrigator, you need to design, water and maintain in a fashion that optimizes beauty and reduces threats from fire.
In other words, you need to design with defensible space in mind, and choose fire-retardant and fire-resistant plants. You need to irrigate to keep lawns, plants and trees green, even when nature wants to make them brown. And you need to maintain your customers' landscapes so that dead branches, needles and dry leaves won't become fuel for a conflagration.
With drought and scorching temperatures continuing to afflict much of the nation, offering wildfire-resistant design, irrigation and maintenance is more important than ever. And don't discount the severity of the threat; although major wildfires get all the attention, thousands of lesser fires are equally as threatening to your customers' homes and real estate.
Even in the face of fire risks, people still want to live in 'natural' areas. A home in the middle of a forest, or on a mountain with a breathtaking vista can be a siren call to people who have the money. But 'natural doesn't always mean 'wise for humans.' People overlook the fact that periodic wildfires are natural too...and that their irrigation system has to accommodate it.
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Want to find out more about the best irrigation company in St. Louis? Then visit MPR Supply's website to learn about all your irrigation and landscape maintenance options.
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