Home | DNR Cost Share Program | Emergency Contacts | Prepare | Protect | Monitor | Contractors | Documents | Glossary | About Us
Protect Your Home and Property
Building or remodeling? Visit the Edelweiss Architectural Committee’s page for advice about building materials and landscaping strategies.
Creating Defensible Space: Is your property “Defensible?”
Defensible space is the buffer you create between a building on your property and the grass, trees, shrubs, or any wildland area that surround it. This space is needed to slow or stop the spread of wildfire and help protect your home from catching fire—either from embers, direct flame contact or radiant heat. It also provides firefighters a safe area to work in to defend your home.
Need help assessing your property? Contact the DNR Wildfire Ready Neighbors program for an assessment.
According to local firefighters and national experts, here are the most important steps you can take:
The House and Things Attached to The House (and/or other buildings):
- Take 15 minutes, walk around, and look for places embers could enter– such as windows, ventilation ducts, chimneys, soffits and under the eaves. Screens with 1/4-inch (or larger) holes should be replaced with 1/8-inch metal mesh (usually sold as “hardware cloth” here in the Valley).
- Remove debris from your roof, gutters, and fireplaces.
- Make sure decks are clean, clear of vegetation, and with no storage of combustible materials underneath (wood, gas tanks, or tires).
First 5 Feet Around the House (The “Non-Combustible Zone”):
- Remove firewood and other combustibles, such as woody plants or wooden garden art and furniture.
- Consider gravel, river rock, concrete (never bark) in the first 5 feet from the house.
- Put 1/8-inch metal screening (hardware cloth) around decks extending to the ground and in any places where embers can enter and create fires.
Intermediate Zone (5 to 30 feet from the house/buildings):
- Vegetation should be well-separated and irrigated, if possible, to keep plants green (remove dead and brown plants).
- Mow dry grasses to a height of 4 inches or less
- Keep other structures and vehicles out of the 30-foot Zone.
- Keep trees and brushy vegetation at least 10 feet from house and prune low branches up to a height of at least 10 feet. No branches overhanging the roof.
- Add a 5- to 10-foot-wide gravel apron (with weed barrier beneath) around your propane tank and transformer
- Have an outdoor water supply available, with hoses and nozzles capable of reaching all parts of the structure
- Provide driveway clearance of 12 ft W x 12ft H
- Be sure driveway address is marked with reflective signs clearly visible from two directions.
In The Extended Zone and Beyond
There are additional steps you can take to protect your property and your neighbors’ as well. A professional forester can provide valuable advice about reducing fuels but preserving the healthiest trees, maintaining aesthetics and privacy, respecting wildlife, and contributing to a healthy forest.
For additional information about tree and bush spacing, the effects of slope, and landscaping with fire resistant plants, visit our Documents and Links page.