By Susan Skorupa, Reno Gazette-Journal

Home means Nevada, as the state song says, but so do hot summer days with dry, insistent southwest winds, and acres and acres of cheatgrass and other combustible vegetation.

Mix in a little lightning or some other ignition and you get wildfire. Each spring, state and local fire officials warn homeowners, especially in rural areas, to maintain fire perimeters — defensible space — around their homes to protect their property from wildfire. The space also helps firefighters get close to fire-threatened homes and perhaps save them.

Defensible space places great value on clean and green landscaping, but it need not be sparse or boring. Lots of elements can make it inviting.

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