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.
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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
Zone 2 (5 to 30 feet from home): Reduce heat and movement of flames by creating a "lean and clean" environment.
- 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
Zone 3 (30+ feet from home): Decrease the energy and speed of fire by eliminating continuous, dense vegetation both vertically and horizontally.
- 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
Spacing Matters
Verticle Space
Verticle spacing is crucial to reduce the spread of wildfires.
- Trim tree branches up to at least 6 feet from the ground
- Increase vertical space between shrubs and trees to help prevent fire from climbing
- Use this formula for verticle spacing: Multiply your shrub height by three (3) for clearance
- EXAMPLE: a 3-foot shrub near a tree needs at least 8 feet of clearance to the tree's lowest branch.
Horizontal Space
Horizontal spacing depends on the slope of the landscape and the height of the trees/shrubs.
- Use this formula for horizontal spacing: Multiply your shrub width by two (2) for flat land, by four (4) for 1° to 19° slopes, and by six (6) for 20° to 40° slopes.
- EXAMPLE: For a 3-foot wide shrub, when planting on slopes between 20° - 40°, you want at least 18 feet of space. For trees, you'll want at least 30 feet of space.