Defensible space is crucial for your landscape wildfire safety. It's the protection zone you can create between your home and the surrounding wildland space. These defensible zones are key to slowing or stopping wildfire spread and protecting your home from embers, flames, or heat.
If there's ever any doubt on your landscape's ability to defend against wildfire, get a FREE landscape assessment.
This defensible space is divided into three zones: Zone 1, Zone 2, and Zone 3. In each zone, the intensity of vegetation management increases as you get closer to your home. The goal is to start at your house and work outward, reaching up to 100 feet or your property line.
Zone 1 (0 to 5 feet from home): Create the most fire-resistant zone in the area immediately surrounding your home to prevent home ignition from blowing embers.
- Keeping branches away from your walls
- Clear deal weeds, grass and debris - Check roofs, gutters and outdoor living spaces
- Use gravel, pavers, or concrete
- Keep garbage and recycle away
- Relocated vehicles (RVs, boats, hobby cars)
- Minimize combustible items lie furniture and planters
- Clear all dead plants, grass and weed
- Trim overhanging branches
- Trim trees to maintain a 10-foot gap from other trees
- Make sure irrigation systems are functioning properly
- Maintain space between garbage/recycle bins, wood piles, vehicles, and other flammable items
- Remove all tree branches at least six feet from the ground (allow extra vertical space between shrubs and trees)
- Trees should be spaced at least 10-20 feet apart and planted 4-10 feet a part
- Remove fallen leaves, needles and small branches
- Trim grass to a maximum height of 4 inches
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