Creating Defensible Space Against Wildfire

Defensible space is the buffer zone between your home and the vegetation around it that gives firefighters a safe area to work and increases the likelihood that your home will survive a wildfire.

Zone 1 extends 0 to 30 feet from the home and should be kept lean: no firewood storage, propane tanks, or combustible materials. Hardscaping using gravel, concrete, or non-combustible patios is preferred. Plants in this zone should be low-growing and well-spaced.

Zone 2 extends 30 to 100 feet from the home and should be designed to reduce fire intensity: break up continuous vegetation, space trees so canopy does not touch, remove dead vegetation, and maintain lawns and meadows to a maximum height of 4 inches.

Proper plant selection is critical. Fire-resistant plants have moist, supple leaves and minimal sap or resin content. Deciduous trees are generally more fire-resistant than conifers. Many ornamental plants marketed as drought-tolerant are also highly flammable.