What Is Defensible Space?
It's the Law!
California Public Resources Code 4291 requires that defensible space be created and maintained around all homes and structures (See next page for more information.)
What is Defensible Space?
Defensible space refers to the area between the house and the oncoming wildfire where the vegetation has been modified to reduce the wildfire intensity. This provides an opportunity for firefighters to safely defend the home. Many people do not consider the vegetation on their property as a threat. In the context of a wildfire, however, the plants growing on or adjacent to their property will have considerable influence on the survivability of a home during a wildfire. All plants, utilized in landscaping, are potential wildfire fuel. If vegetation has been properly modified, a wildfire can be slowed down, the length of the flames shortened, and the amount of heat reduced, all of which contribute to a house’s surviving the wildfire.
The Three R’s of Defensible Space
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REMOVE:
entire plants, particularly dead and dying trees or shrubs.
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REDUCE:
dead wood from shrubs, and lower tree branches; mow grasses.
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REPLACE:
hazardous vegetation with less flammable, irrigated, maintained plants.
