Creating a Survivable Space For Your Home

A survivable, or defensible, space is an area of reduced fuels between your home and the untouched wildland.

This provides enough distance between the home and a wildfire to ensure that the home can survive without extensive effort from either you or the fire department.

One of the easiest ways to establish a survivable space is to use the zone concept.

Zone 1 is the closest to your home and Zones 2 and 3 move progressively further away.

Zone 1: Establish a well-irrigated area around your home. In a low hazard area, it should extend a minimum of 30 feet from your home on all sides.

As your hazard risk increases, a clearance of between 50 and 100 feet or more may be necessary, especially on any downhill sides of the lot. Plantings should be limited to carefully spaced indigenous species.

Zone 2: Place low-growing plants, shrubs and carefully spaced trees in this area. Maintain a reduced amount of vegetation. Your irrigation system should also extend into this area. Trees should be at least 10 feet apart, and all dead or dying limbs should be trimmed. For trees taller than 18 feet, prune lower branches within six feet of the ground. No tree limbs should come within 10 feet of your home.

Zone 3: This furthest zone from your home is a slightly modified natural area. Thin selected trees and remove highly flammable vegetation such as dead or dying trees and shrubs.


So how far should Zones 2 and 3 extend?

Well, that depends upon your risk and your property’s boundaries. In a low hazard area, these two zones should extend another 20 feet or so beyond the 30 feet in Zone 1. This creates a modified landscape of over 50 feet total.

In a moderate hazard area, these two zones should extend at least another 50 feet beyond the 50 feet in Zone 1. This would create a modified landscape of over 100 feet total.

In a high hazard area, these two zones should extend at least another 100 feet beyond the 100 feet in Zone 1. This would create a modified landscape of over 200 feet total.

    Firewise.org has more tips to keep your home and family safe.  

Firewise is the resource that firefighters use, and they encourage families in high-risk areas to follow the preventative advice before a wildfire spreads.