Well-planned landscaping will also help minimize the exterior fire danger to your home. The primary goal is fuel reduction. Fire experts advise having four zones radiating out from your home. Zone 1 (closest to your house) should be well-irrigated and include carefully spaced, low flammability plants. Zone 2 should also be well-irrigated and have low-growing plants. Zone 3 can include trees that are well-spaced with vegetation kept low around them. Zone 4 includes natural vegetation, and even here you should selectively prune and remove highly flammable vegetation.

Keep all shrubs and trees properly pruned, with the lowest branches six to 10 feet above the ground. Dispose of debris promptly and keep the lawn mowed. Store firewood away from the house and separate wood fences from the main structure.

Few things are as devastating as a house fire. Wise planning will help to minimize the danger to your home and those around it.

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Architects Ann Robinson, AIA, and Annie Vernon, AIA, welcome your design questions at Ask@RenovationDesignGroup.com. Robinson and Vernon are founding principals of Renovation Design Group, www.RenovationDesignGroup.com, a local architectural firm specializing in residential remodeling design. To register for "Remodeling a Home with Character & Class" or another seminar, call 533-5331.