CREATING DEFENSIBLE SPACE: Part 3

NOTE: Recommendations in this section are made by local firefighters experienced in protecting homes from wildfire. They are not requirements, nor do they take precedence over local ordinances.

STEP THREE: IS THERE A CONTINUOUS DENSE COVER OF SHRUBS OR TREES PRESENT WITHIN THE RECOMMENDED DEFENSIBLE SPACE AREA?

Sometimes wildland plants can occur as an uninterrupted layer of vegetation, rather than being patchy or widely spaced individual plants. The more continuous and dense the vegetation, the greater the wildfire threat. If this situation is present within your defensible space area, you should break it up by providing a separation between plants or small groups of plants.

Not only are steep slopes often considered high wildfire areas, they are also highly erodable. When removing shrubs and trees from steep slopes, keep soil disturbance to a minimum. It may be necessary to replace flammable vegetation with other plant materials to prevent soil erosion.

Recommended Separation Distances for Shrubs and Small Conifers:
For areas with dense brush and small conifer trees, the recommended separation distance depends on shrub height and steepness of slope.

Note: Separation distances are measured between canopies (the outermost branches) and not between trunks.

For example, if your home is located on a 10 percent slope and the brush is 4 feet tall, the separation distance would be two times the shrub height, or eight feet. The recommended separation distance can be achieved by removing plants, or by pruning to reduce the diameter or height of shrubs (shorter height means less separation is needed). For sagebrush, removal is usually the best option. For shrubs that readily resprout, pruning to reduce height may be the best approach.

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