Fire Safety

In 2018, California experienced 8,527 fires and $3.5 billion dollars in insurable losses. There is no doubt that fires will continue to burn across California’s land. In an effort to promote safety amongst homes and communities in the wildfire zones, Cal Fire and FEMA are pushing defensible space initiatives. Additionally, California passed a law that requires all homes and structures to have 100 feet of defensible space. But the real question is, however, does defensible space work?

Defensible space is a multi-zone buffer that can limit the spread of fire. This involves clearing vegetation, debris, dead brush, and separating ground plants from tree limbs. In other words, the goal of defensible space is to rearrange the landscape to be fire safe. According to Cal Fire, defensible space can significantly increase a home’s chance of surviving a wildfire. But how is this possible?

Well, there are three zones that make up 100 feet of effective defensible space. Zone 1, the most important zone, extends zero to 5 feet from all homes and structures. This is called the non-combustible zone. Zone 2 extends about 30 feet wide from the all homes, decks, and structures. It should not contain any dead plants, grass, weeds, dry leaves, pine needles, woodpiles or flammable plants. Also, all flammable items should be separated so if one were to catch fire, it would not spread the fire to other flammable items. Finally, zone 3 extends about 70 feet out from zone 1, or 100 feet from all homes, decks, and structures. Zone 3 should have horizontal and vertical spacing between all plants. Some counties require different lengths of clearance for zone 1, 2 or 3, so you should contact your local fire department to find out the exact specifications.

At Live Oak Wildfire, we are dedicated to helping the people in California and Nevada territories become wildfire prepared. If you are located in Amador County, El Dorado County, or Placer County of California, please call us today for a free defensible space consultation. We cannot stop the next wildfire, but we can prepare for it.