Creating Defensible Space Around Your Home

Zone 1

0′-5′ (Immediate Zone) At Solomon Safety, we prioritize creating a fire-safe environment
closest to your home. Follow these guidelines to ensure this area remains free from flammable materials:

• Clear your yard, roof, and rain gutters of dead or dry leaves, pine needles, and debris.
• Remove wood, mulch, bark, and flammable plants.
• Opt for noncombustible mulch materials like gravel or rock.
• Trim branches hanging over your roof line and chimney within a 10-foot radius of your home.
• Choose low-growing, fire-resistant plants with high moisture content for noncombustible siding. If you have wood siding, it’s best to maintain a plant-free zone.
• Eliminate or prune plants and shrubs near windows.
• Remove vegetation and any items that could easily catch fire from around and beneath decks.
• Regularly mow and water your lawn.

Zone 2

5′-30′ (Intermediate Zone) In this area slightly further from your home, proper plant spacing and landscaping are crucial. Follow these recommendations:

• Clear away dead plants, grass, weeds, and other vegetation.
• Space plants appropriately and choose low-growing varieties that are free from resins and oils that can easily ignite.
• Maintain regular lawn mowing and watering or consider landscaping an area that requires little to no irrigation
• Relocate wood piles to Zone 3, keeping them at least 30 feet away from your home.
• Create a separation between trees, shrubs, and potential fire-hazards such as patio furniture, fences, sheds, or play structures.
• Prune tree branches up to 8 feet off the ground, removing ladder fuels.
• Ensure trees have 18 feet of spacing between the crowns. Trees on a slope may require additional spacing.
• Avoid placing propane tanks in this zone, following any local building code requirements.

Zone 3

30′-100′ (Extended Zone) Aims to improve property health and disrupt the path of wildfires. This area should have an open and park-like appearance. Implement the following measures:

• Prune tree branches up to 8 feet off the ground, eliminating ladder fuels.
• Keep annual grass height below 4 inches by cutting or mowing.
• Establish horizontal and vertical spacing between shrubs and trees, considering slope and terrain.
• Remove fallen leaves, needles, twigs, bark, cones, and small branches. However, they may be allowed up to a 3-inch depth for erosion control purposes.
• Remove any piles of dead vegetation within this area.

By adhering to these guidelines, you can significantly enhance the safety of your property and mitigate the risk of wildfires. Solomon Safety is committed to protecting your home and surroundings from the devastating impact of fires.

For further information please visit: https://www.nfpa.org/Public-Education/Fire-causes-and-risks/Wildfire/Preparing-homes-for-wildfire