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CONTACT MD DNR Forest Service David Robbins 1260 Maryland Ave. Suite 103 Hagerstown, MD 21740 (301) 791-4010 (301) 791-0173 fax Send Us 
E-mail
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| Recommended Fire Protection Improvements for Homeowners |
Listed in order of priority
1. Have your house number posted at your driveway entrance, and clearly visible from both directions of travel. Use 4" reflective numbers.
2. Within 30 feet of all structures: Remove all dead fuel and any vegetation directly touching the house. Place shrubs at least 15 feet apart. Maintain a healthy mowed lawn. Use fire resistant landscaping plant varieties and avoid resinous plants such as Cedars, Junipers, Pines, Rhododendron, and Mountain Laurel
3. Within 100 feet of all structures: Thin live fuels and reduce/remove dead fuels. Prune branches to a height of 15 feet.
4. Make your driveway accessible for fire fighting equipment by maintaining a travel lane 12’ – 16’ wide, with 15’ of overhead clearance, free of tree branches. Keep driveway easily traversable by filling ruts and potholes, and smoothing out bumps. Try to keep grades of 12% or less, and make sure any bridges or culvert pipes can support at least 40,000 pounds of weight. Create an area where trucks can turn around, and if your driveway has a turn-around loop, make sure it has a radius of 45’ – 60’.
5. Follow all open air burning regulations when burning debris.
- Have a firebreak at least 10 feet wide down to mineral soil
- Have adequate personnel and tools at the fire until it is out
- Burn between the hours of 4:00pm and midnight
6. Dispose of wood-burning stove ashes properly
- Soak ashes in water in a metal container for three days
7. If you have an LPG tank, remove wildland fuels within a 30-foot radius.
8. Regularly clean roofs and gutters to remove any flammable debris.
9. Move woodpiles 50-75 feet away from any structure, preferably upslope.
10. Enclose openings under all decks and balconies with wire screen.
11. Remove any tree branches extending within 10 feet of a chimney flue.
12. Install a spark arrester on your chimney that meets the requirements of the National Fire Protection Association code 211. The arrester should consist of non-flammable screen with openings no greater than 1/2".
