Fire Mitigation


Whether you are building a new home, putting the finishing touches on your dream cabin, or just want your lot cleaned up, Jacobs Construction's Fire Mitigation division can help you achieve your goal. We provide fire mitigation plans, lot cleaning, and on-site chipping services. Call us today to discuss your new or existing project and ideas.

What is fire mitigation?

The vegetation surrounding a building or structure is fuel for a fire. Even the building or structure itself is considered fuel. Research and experience have shown that fuel reduction around a building or structure increases the probability of it surviving a wildfire. Good defensible space allows firefighters to protect and save structures safely without facing unacceptable risk to their lives. Fuel reduction through vegetation management is the key to good Fire Mitigation.

Jacobs Construction, the southern Utah leader in mountain homes for over 30 years, is now offering the following fire mitigation services for your property and home.

Fire Hazard severity assessment

Performing a fire hazard severity assessment is the starting point for all Fire Mitigation work. Our experienced employees will look at your lot and show you the best ways to clean, maintain, and reduce fuels on your lot. This will give us and you a clear plan of action to make your property as resistant to wildfire as possible, while still retaining as many plants, trees, and bushes as we can in order to keep the mountain feel.

Fire Mitigation Plans

New codes enacted in 2007 require all new building permit applications to include a Fire Mitigation plan. This details what work will be done to the lot and home to make it more resistant to fire. Using the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) code, we write up a complete plan for you to submit for your permit.

Creating Defensible Space

Creation of defensible space through vegetation management usually means reducing the amount of fuel around the structure, providing separation between fuels so it makes it difficult for fire to transfer from one fuel source to another. It does not mean cutting down all trees and shrubs, or creating a bare ring of earth across your property. Defensible space can be created by removing dead vegetation, separating fuels, and pruning the lower limbs (ladder fuels).

Lot Cleaning

Many mountain lots have various debris spread throughout including, dead and down trees, limbs, brush, needles, etc... Another problem in southern Utah is diseased trees, and by removing them, the rest of the vegetation will grow stronger and healthier. We offer services to remove debris and diseased trees in order make your landscape healthier. It will also be safer and more enjoyable for you, your kids, and your pets.

Chipping Services

Chipping is one of the ways we can dispose of debris or excess fuel on your property because it is an effective way to break down slash material that is smaller (12 “ or less) and of limited quantity. We use our chipper to reduce material to approximately 1” square x 1/4” thick. These chips will decompose relatively quickly, and they also have a very low fire hazard rating (they tend to smolder rather than burn). They will also serve as a ground cover to prevent erosion and aid in plant development. Chips have a pleasant appearance, and provide a way to move throughout the area.


Goals of Fire Mitigation
–To improve the safety of you family in
the chance that a forest fire should
impede onto your property.
–To give your home a chance of surviving
a forest fire on its own.
–To Improve the health of your lot and
surrounding forest by thinning and
limbing trees to help facilitate a disease
free environment.
 
For more general information about Fire
Mitigation and forest health, check out:
 

To view our Fire Mitigation brochure, please click here.