Protect Your Home from Wildfire with Defensible Space

Defensible Space refers to the area between a house and an oncoming wildfire where the vegetation has been modified to reduce the wildfire threat and which provides an opportunity for firefighters to effectively defend the house.  State law requires that all properties in the Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone (VHFHSZ), as designated by CalFIRE, maintain Defensible Space around their home.

Wildfires fueled by dry vegetation and driven by hot, dry winds are extremely dangerous and impossible to control.  During a major  catastrophic wildfire, the fire department may not have resources to defend your home.   The key to increasing the likelihood of building survival is to reduce fire intensity as a wildfire nears the house.  This can be accomplished by reducing the amount of flammable vegetation surround the building.

Typically creating Defensible Space requires routine gardening and landscape maintenance practices such as pruning, mowing, weeding, plant removal, appropriate plan selection, and irrigation.  The necessary equipment consists of common tools like a chain saw, pruning saw, pruning shears, shovel and rake.

Defensible Space extends from the edge of the structure up to 100 feet, or the property line, whichever is closer.  There are three zones, with increasing management intensity as it gets closer to the home.

• Zone 0:  From zero to five feet.  This is the ember resistant zone.
• Zone 1:  From five feet to thirty feet.  This higher intensity fuel reduction zone.
• Zone 2:  From thirty feet to one hundred feet.   This is the lower intensity fuel reduction zone.

The Laguna Beach City Council passed Ordinance 1664 on October 5th, 2021, adopting the Defensible Space Guideline for Existing Structures in the Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone (DSG), dated August 2021.   On November 5th, 2021, compliance with the DSG became effective for all existing structures in the VHFHSZ.   Scroll to the bottom of the page to schedule a Defensible Space Inspection for real estate disclosure.   

Please refer to the DSG, dated August 2021, at the link below for details:

DEFENSIBLE SPACE GUIDELINE FOR EXISTING STRUCTURES IN THE VHFHSZ

See Ordinance 1664 for municipal code language, at the link below:

ORDINANCE 1664

To conduct a Home Risk Assessment, please follow the link below:

HOME RISK ASSESSMENT FORM

To review your home and yard for ember protection, please review the flyer at the link below:

HOME EMBER AWARENESS CHECKLIST