Defensible Space FAQ

The most important action to keep your house safe from fire is to create effective defensible space. In order to do so, you must create a 5 foot non-combustible zone around your property. Within the next 30 feet that extends from your home, you must remove all flammable vegetation and manicure your yard. Within the next 70 feet, you must create vertical and horizontal spacing between vegetation to prevent a fire's ability to spread. 

All dead plants with a brown color are flammable. Other flammable vegetation includes plants such as pine, fire, spruce, palms, some types of grass, Italian cypress, junipers, eucalyptus, and Japanese honeysuckle. If you have any of these plants in close proximity to your home, consult with a fire safety specialist to find out if you can create effective spacing or if they should be removed. 

Tree density determines how flammable a tree is. The more dense the tree, the less flammable the wood is. The eight most fire-resistant types of trees on the planet include: 

• Mediterranean Cypress
• Coast Live Oak
• Flowering Horse-Chestnut
• Southern Magnolia
• American Mountain Ash
• Japanese Elm
• Ponderosa Pine
• Baobab Tree