FRIEWISE
UPDATE
The Town of Rome is
planning to become a part of the FIREWISE Wisconsin program
The four lake districts will cooperate with the town to
form a committee that will make a general plan for the whole
town. The plan will include educating property owners on
preventing the spread of wildfires and addressing the dead
standing and downed trees in our area. Three Camelot Board
members agreed to be a part of this committee. They are Arlene
Scalzo, Don Ystad, and Jeanne Osgood. Once a plan is in place,
we should be able to take the town plan and use it in our green
areas. We will be looking for volunteers to help us to implement
that plan, and we could also use volunteers to be a part of the
planning process. If you are interested, please call one of the
three board members above.
In
the meantime, some of the tips we learned at the meeting are:
FIREWISE LANDSCAPING:
1.
Keep the area 3’-5’ around structures free of
flammable materials, including plants and woodpiles..
2.
Keep the area around your house mowed short, raked free
of fallen leaves and needles, and green throughout the growing
season. Remember that evergreens are less fire resistive than
deciduous plants, shrubs or trees.
3.
Take out “ladder fuels” which are low branches, and
other things that can carry fire from vegetation to a structure.
4.
Keep trees pruned 6’-10’ from the ground.
5.
Water and maintain your lawn regularly.
6.
Mow dry grass and weeds.
7.
Dispose of cuttings and debris properly – burning
should be your LAST alternative! Take leaves and branches to the
Recycle Center in Rome.
8.
Remember how large a fire truck is and make sure it can
get to your home from the street. Low branches, and vegetation
close to a narrow driveway can prevent the truck from reaching
your place.
9.
Keep gutters clear of leaves.
10.
Make sure your woodpile is at least 10’ from your house
so that wildfires cannot spread to your structure from a
woodpile.
Watch
for more information on what is happening with the FIREWISE
Committee. We hope to have some way to address the downed trees
and dead wood in all of our greenways. Remember that right now,
there is no plan and our covenants state that the green areas
need to remain untouched. Thank you!
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