Protecting your home, your belongings and your loved ones from fire is certainly important, and there are many ways to help mitigate the risk of one in your home. Many people concentrate on the house itself, but there are plenty of things homeowners can do to adjust its perimeter, which ultimately can reduce the danger of a fire.

Here are a few adjustments you can make in your back yard that will go a long way toward keeping your house safe from open flames.

Remove limbs that hang over your roof – Should a fire break out in your neighborhood and a tree catch on fire in your yard, your house may be more vulnerable if that tree is in close proximity. If branches or limbs hang over your roof, flames can cause one to break off and land on your house.

Dispose of grass clippings or straw – If you just mowed your lawn or have straw or brush that you need to dispose of, make sure you do that immediately. These can be highly flammable, and if a spark lands on them they could go up in flames in an instant, which could make their way to your home.

Implement a zero tolerance smoking policy – This may be difficult if you or a loved one is a smoker. You may not be able to stop smoking outside (it's often safer than smoking inside) but you should implement a policy that disallows butts to be thrown carelessly to the ground. Keep ash trays outside or put up safe disposal containers where smokers can safely throw their butts without risking starting a fire in your yard.