Defensible Space

CAL FIRE Defensible Space Inspection Request Form >

Protect your family, home and property by creating and maintaining defensible space now.

Creating defensible space is essential to improve your home’s chance of surviving a wildfire. It’s the buffer you create between a building on your property and the grass, trees, shrubs, or any wildland area that surround it. This space is needed to slow or stop the spread of wildfire and it protects your home from catching fire - either from direct flame contact or radiant heat. Defensible space is also important for the protection of the firefighters defending your home.
Two zones make up the required 100 feet of defensible space:

• Zone 1 extends 30 feet out from buildings, structures and decks.
• Zone 2 extends 100 feet out from buildings, structures, decks, etc.

View useful suggestions for creating defensible space from disastersafety.org.
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​Download these documents for more information:

Living with Fire Defensible Space checklist

Learn the basics of why 100 feet of clearance is required around your home to survive a wildfire.

This detailed checklist from CAL FIRE gives you tips inside and out to make your home firesafe.

This detailed Home Ignition Zone checklist will help evaluate our own home's ignition zone.

Plumas County's local publication about preparing your home for wildfire and emergency preparedness in case of evacuation.

Mohawk Valley Preferred Planting List developed by Graeagle Firewise

University of California's Homeowners Wildfire Mitigation Guide- This University of California, Berkeley publication, is based on the results from laboratory fire tests, observations made during post-fire assessments and input from those who are involved in firefighting. It is important to realize that no house is completely fire proof, but you can make it more fire-safe. Learn additional details on roofs, vents, decks, and windows.

Information from CAL FIRE for homeowners on wildfire preparation.

This Landscaping plant guide describes good landscape plant choices for our counties wildfire environment.

Fuel Reduction Guide for Sierra Nevada Forest Landowners

This interactive site will show you where your home is vulnerable to embers and what you can do to reduce the risk.