Eye opening piece Chris. I also hear your concern about wildfires. We have build a timber clad straw bale home and are planting new woodland in some of the surrounding fields. I have been thinking about fire breaks and how close to plant reed to the home with wildfires in mind. So interested in how you are working to mitigate the effect of such.
Hi Stefan, thanks for the comments. Always good to hear from folk out there! I would recommend Holmgren’s Flywire House- I believe you can get a copy from Internet Archive. In Vaillant’s book he talks about Aspen being known by fire fighters as the asbestos tree as it is so pulpy and full of sap it is difficult to burn- though in extreme fires this will make little difference. However, apparently indigenous Americans used to encourage thickets of it around their camps as fire protection. On the other hand, some trees like Black Spruce are adapted to fire, cones only opening in temperatures above that of sunlight. The tree is full of volatile sap that gases off as the heat goes up - in extreme fires the burning cones are carried hundreds of yards starting yet more fires. It would be useful to find or create a resource listing plant and tree species according to their resistance to, or otherwise, of fire. Holmgren’s book gives some species.
Eye opening piece Chris. I also hear your concern about wildfires. We have build a timber clad straw bale home and are planting new woodland in some of the surrounding fields. I have been thinking about fire breaks and how close to plant reed to the home with wildfires in mind. So interested in how you are working to mitigate the effect of such.
Hi Stefan, thanks for the comments. Always good to hear from folk out there! I would recommend Holmgren’s Flywire House- I believe you can get a copy from Internet Archive. In Vaillant’s book he talks about Aspen being known by fire fighters as the asbestos tree as it is so pulpy and full of sap it is difficult to burn- though in extreme fires this will make little difference. However, apparently indigenous Americans used to encourage thickets of it around their camps as fire protection. On the other hand, some trees like Black Spruce are adapted to fire, cones only opening in temperatures above that of sunlight. The tree is full of volatile sap that gases off as the heat goes up - in extreme fires the burning cones are carried hundreds of yards starting yet more fires. It would be useful to find or create a resource listing plant and tree species according to their resistance to, or otherwise, of fire. Holmgren’s book gives some species.