Reduce Wildfire Risk with Defensible Space
Creating and maintaining defensible space around your home’s
perimeter is critical to slowing or stopping the spread of wildfire and
preventing spot fires that are caused by flying embers. Defensible space
around your home also provides a safe working area in which
firefighters can help to defend your home.
Defensible space effectively creates a buffer between your high-value home and the threat of wildfire from surrounding plants, trees, and wilderness. This does not mean you should clear out all vegetation from around your property, but rather strategically clear and place vegetation to produce a buffer between your home and the grass, trees or shrubs that surround it.
How to Protect Your Home from Wildfires
Many experts recommend taking a zoned approach to defensible space around your home. Take these steps in each zone of defensible space to reduce wildfire risk:
With a defensible space surrounding your home, you’re helping to reduce the risk of wildfire damage to your property. To learn what other steps you can take to help prevent loss from wildfires, learn about PURE’s Wildfire Mitigation Program.