First Event of the Season 2021
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Saws and Slaws June News

June Saws & Slaws News by Heather Hanson / Linda Martin  
June? already? The weather is great for getting down to business with the defensible space around your home. Defensible space can suggest alternate paths for a fire to follow away from your house. Any action is worthwhile for the health of your space. Many studies observe that homes with effective defensible space are more likely to survive a wildfire. 60 feet of defensible space combined with a non-flammable roof, your chances can be as great as 86%. *(Surviving Wildfire, Linda Masterson)

Homes surrounded by pine and conifer ideally require 100 feet. This is known as zone 2. In zone 1 and 2 you want to trim trees 6 to 10 feet from the ground. You should space conifers 30 feet between crowns when thinning or removing dead trees. If you decide to thin the trees, hardwood trees are more fire resistant than pines, conifers, evergreens, fir and eucalyptus. Closer to your home, in the surrounding 30 feet aka zone 1, remove or relocate woodpiles and propane tanks outside of this zone. The first 5 feet should be absolutely void of any flammable materials. Fire resistant landscaping such as rocks or stone walkways. If you must have plants make sure they have a high moisture content like perennials.

You may want to seek the help or advice of a fire mitigation specialist for an in depth assessment of your properties health. Boulder County Wildfire Assessments: http://www.wildfirepartners.org/
Or download Defensible Space Guidelines: https://static.colostate.edu/client-files/csfs/pdfs/FIRE2012_1_DspaceQuickGuide.pdf

May 8th Legacy Event
It was a great kickoff event, for sure! We had 18 volunteers put in a total of 68 hours of time at a property that stands between the train tracks and lots of other houses. Trees were felled, Slash was chipped, Juniper bushes were removed. The effort is hoping to enable the property to become wildfire partners certified. The weather was perfect and everyone seemed to come prepared and had a great time. We had a couple people joining us from Gilpin Axe & Snax, a group that is starting up their own fire mitigation volunteer organization. Two of our youngest volunteers brought a capstan winch, which they built themselves out of a Stihl tree-climbing saw to help with heavy pulling. A neighboring property got rid of a large portion of a large slash pile. Now there is free mulch for all near Chute Rd and Gross Dam Rd! Help yourself! After all the hard work the homeowner treated us to Subway sandwiches, brought to us by our 19th Volunteer.

Seasons First Slash Days!
Be aware, the first weekend in June is the Fire Station #2 slash weekend. Get an early jump on those piles!

2021 Season Applications Now Open
Saws and Slaws is now taking applications for neighborhood events for 2021. Now is the time to talk to your neighbors about getting on the schedule for next Spring and Summer. Get out, connect with those in your proximity, and vow to get your properties safer and healthier. Got questions? Call Us! (303) 642-0273. http://sawsandslaws.org .

* Masterson, Linda. Surviving Wildfire. Pixsyjack Press, Masonville, Colorado, 2012.

Saws and Slaws is a 501(c)3 organization committed to Building Stronger Communities Through A Healthier Forest. Find out more at http://sawsandslaws.org and Join Us!