When creating DEFENSIBLE SPACE, keep these
safety tips in mind:
Your Responsibility:
California law (PRC 4291) requires property owners and/or occupants to create 100
WHY 100 FEET?...
• All equipment with an internal combustion engine must be equipped with an feet of DEFENSIBLE SPACE around homes and buildings.*
approved and operable spark arrestor.
Your Goal — To Create A:
• Metal blades striking rocks can create sparks and start fires. Use caution.
Why 100 Feet?...
• To protect water quality and habitat do not remove vegetation associated with Lean, Clean and Green Zone
water, avoid using heavy equipment near waterways and do not clear vegetation An area of 30 feet immediately surrounding your home.
near waterways to the bare mineral soil. Keep soil disturbance to a minimum.
Reduced Fuel Zone
The fuel reduction zone in the remaining 70 feet (or to the property line).
...Because Defensible Space
Other hints to secure a Lean, Clean
and Green Zone:
• Select less flammable plants for your Lean, Clean and
Green Zone: is YOUR responsibility
Shorter plants (less than 2 feet) are safer than taller ones.
If kept green, herbaceous plants (grass and non-woody flowers) Protect Your Home... and Property.
are better choices than shrubs and trees.
If planting shrubs and trees, choose deciduous (trees that shed their leaves)
ones over evergreens. Avoid planting juniper, pine and palms.
• Remove tree limbs that are touching the house or deck, or are within 10 feet of
the chimney. If limbs are encroaching on overhead lines, contact your telephone
or power company for removal.
• Use hard surfaces (concrete, stone, asphalt, brick, etc.) in your landscaping.
*Compliance to PRC 4291 is required by any person who owns, leases, controls, operates or maintains
• Clear ALL flammable vegetation from within 10 feet of propane tanks. a building or structure in or adjoining any mountainous area, forest-covered lands, brush-covered
lands, grass-covered lands or any land that is covered with flammable material and is within the State
Responsibility Area. PRC 4291 requires 100 feet of Defensible Space (or to the property line if less than 100
feet) from every building or structure that is used for support or shelter of any use or occupancy.
Owner, lessee or operator must also comply with all existing environmental protection laws and
must obtain all necessary permits. Contact your local resource or planning agency officials to
ensure compliance with federal, state and local requirements.
Contact your local CAL FIRE office, fire department,
or Fire Safe Council for tips and assistance.
www.fire.ca.gov
Two zones make up the required Comply with the law and help save your home by 2a: Grasses 2a: Vertical Clearance for Shrubs and Trees
100 feet of DEFENSIBLE SPACE: creating DEFENSIBLE SPACE. Ideally, grass should not exceed four inches in height. In situations where these Low branches create “ladders” from the ground fuels to the trees.
fuels are isolated from other fuels or where necessary to stabilize soil, grasses
1. Lean, Clean and Green Zone Follow these guidelines: and forbs may reach a height of 18 inches. To determine the proper vertical clearance between shrubs and the lowest
An area of 30 feet immediately surrounding your home. 1. Create a Lean, Clean and Green Zone branches of trees, use the formula below.
2a: Horizontal Clearance for Shrubs and Trees
Remove all flammable vegetation and any dead or dying plants within 30 feet of
2. Reduced Fuel Zone Uncleared ground fuels provide an open freeway for the rapid spread and M i n i m u m Ve r t i c a l C l e a r a n c e
each building or structure.
The fuel reduction zone in the remaining 70 feet (or to the property line). increased intensity of fire.
3x Height of Shr ub = Minimum Vertical Cle arance
You may keep single trees or other vegetation that are trimmed of all dead and
dying foliage and are well pruned and maintained. Clearance between shrubs should be 4 to 40 feet depending on the slope of the Example: A five foot shrub is growing
D e f e n s i b l e S p a c e H e l p s S a v e L i v e s a n d P r o p e r t y ! land and size and type of vegetation. Check the chart below for an estimation of near a tree.
2. Decrease Fuel in the Reduced Fuel Zone clearance distance. Any questions regarding requirements for a specific property 3 x 5 = 15 feet of clearance needed
between the top of the shrub and the
Surface litter consists of fallen leaves, needles, twigs, bark, cones, pods, small should be addressed to your local fire official.
lowest tree branches.
Defensible branches, etc. Remove loose surface litter so it does not exceed a depth of three 3x height of shrub
space 100' M i n i m u m H o r i z o n t a l C l e a r a n c e to lowest branches
inches.
shru b s TR EES of tree.
Make It Safe: Logs, Stumps and Snags From edge of one shrub to the edge of the next From edge of one tree canopy to the edge of
• All logs and stumps should be removed unless they are embedded in the soil. If the next
Note: A grouping of vegetation may be treated as a single plant if the foliage of the grouping
you keep an embedded log, remove nearby vegetation. Flat to mild slope Flat to mild slope
does not exceed 10 feet in width. For example, three individual manzanita plants growing in a
(o% to 20% slope) (0% to 20% slope)
Two times (2x) the height of the shrub cluster with a total foliage width of 8 feet can be “grouped” and considered as one plant.
• A standing dead tree (snag) may be kept for wildlife providing there is only one (Two shrubs 2' high should be spaced 4' apart)
snag per acre, and if the snag were to fall, it would not reach buildings or
2' 4'
structures and would not land on roadways or driveways. 2b: Defensible Space with Continuous Tree Canopy
10 feet
To achieve Defensible Space while keeping a larger stand of trees with a
Provide Fuel Separation and Treatment
continuous tree canopy, adhere to the guidelines below:
• Guidelines for fuel treatment as published by CDF are designed to reduce the
Mild to moderate slope Mild to moderate slope
spread of wildfires. (20% to 40% slope) (20% to 40% slope) • Prune lower branches of trees to a height of six to 15 feet from the top of the
Four times (4x) the height of the shrub
(Two shrubs 2' high should be spaced 8' apart) vegetation below (or the lower 1/3 of branches for small trees). Properties
• Choose option 2a or 2b. The best option for your property will be based on its
with greater fire potential such as steeper slopes or more severe fire danger
characteristics (slope, vegetation size, vegetation type-brush, grass, trees, etc. —
8' will require pruning heights in the upper end of this range.
and other fuel characteristics). Properties with greater fire hazards will require
larger separation between fuels. For example, a property on a steep slope with 2' • Remove all ground fuels greater than four inches in height. Single specimens
20 feet
larger vegetation will require greater spacing between trees and shrubs than a of trees or other vegetation may be kept if they are well-spaced, well-pruned
level property that has small, sparse vegetation. and create an overall condition that avoids the spread of fire to other
Moderate to steep slope Moderate to steep slope
(greater than 40% slope) (greater than 40% slope) vegetation or to structures.
Six times (6x) the height of the
shrub
12'
(Two shrubs 2' high should be
spaced
12' apart)
2'
30 feet
June, 20 07
