or to your property line, whichever is closer. Zone 2 extends from 30 feet to 100 feet out from buildings, structures, decks, etc. Create a separation between trees, shrubs and items that could catch fire, such as patio furniture, wood piles, swing sets, etc.Remove vegetation and items that could catch fire from around and under decks, balconies and stairs.Remove or prune flammable plants and shrubs near windows.Trim trees regularly to keep branches a minimum of 10 feet from other trees.Remove branches that hang over your roof and keep dead branches 10 feet away from your chimney.Remove dead or dry leaves and pine needles from your yard, roof and rain gutters.Remove all dead plants, grass and weeds (vegetation).Zone 1 extends 30 feet from buildings, structures, decks, etc. Consider relocating boats, RVs, vehicles and other combustible items outside this zone.Consider relocating garbage and recycling containers outside this zone.Replace combustible fencing, gates, and arbors attach to the home with noncombustible alternatives.Limit combustible items (outdoor furniture, planters, etc.) on top of decks.

Limit plants in this area to low growing, nonwoody, properly watered and maintained plants.

Remove all branches within 10 feet of any chimney or stovepipe outlet.

Remove all dead and dying weeds, grass, plants, shrubs, trees, branches and vegetative debris (leaves, needles, cones, bark, etc.) Check your roofs, gutters, decks, porches, stairways, etc.

Use hardscape like gravel, pavers, concrete and other noncombustible mulch materials.

The following provides guidance for this zone, which may change based on the regulation developed by the Board of Forestry and Fire Protection. The ember-resistant zone is designed to keep fire or embers from igniting materials that can spread the fire to your home. This zone includes the area under and around all attached decks, and requires the most stringent wildfire fuel reduction. The ember-resistant zone is currently not required by law, but science has proven it to be the most important of all the defensible space zones. Zone 0 extends 5 feet from buildings, structures, decks, etc. Start at the home and work your way out to 100 feet or to your property line, whichever is closer. The intensity of wildfire fuel management varies within the 100-foot perimeter of the home, with more intense fuels’ reduction occurring closer to your home.

This law requires the Board of Forestry and Fire Protection to develop the regulation for a new ember-resistant zone (Zone 0) within 0 to 5 feet of the home by January 1, 2023. Assembly Bill 3074, passed into law in 2020, requires a third zone for defensible space. Zones 1 and 2 currently make up the 100 feet of defensible space required by law. Proper defensible space also provides firefighters a safe area to work in, to defend your home. This space is needed to slow or stop the spread of wildfire and it helps protect your home from catching fire-either from embers, direct flame contact or radiant heat. Defensible space is the buffer you create between a building on your property and the grass, trees, shrubs, or any wildland area that surround it.

DEFENSIBLE SPACE Keep your property lean and green to help protect your family and home.ĭefensible space, coupled with home hardening, is essential to improve your home’s chance of surviving a wildfire.

Defense zone 2 level 13