The recent fires in Los Angeles, which have devastated over 12,000 properties, highlight an increasing reality for Americans residing in regions more susceptible to wildfires due to rising temperatures and dryness. It is crucial for homeowners to develop defensible spaces and enhance the fire resistance of their homes.

This doesn’t imply clearing every tree and leaving a barren area of gravel around the home, as wildfire safety and insurance specialists emphasize. Instead, it involves applying this emerging concept to provide those in fire-risk zones a better chance of defending their homes during fire outbreaks.

“You can keep the aesthetic appeal while also establishing protective measures,” stated Roy Wright, President and CEO of the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety.

He stressed that these measures are not intended to place blame on the victims of these tragic fires. The reasons why some homes ignite and others remain unharmed can often be unpredictable and confusing, even with proper preparation and mitigation efforts.

“I’m not suggesting that defensible space would have altered the outcome of the Pacific Palisades fire,” he remarked. “With sustained winds of 50 to 70 mph descending slopes, you have all the ingredients for a major fire.”

The fires in Los Angeles can be likened to a Category 4 hurricane, where even the best preparations might not save a home. “However, we encounter many ‘Category 1 fires'” that can be survived through proper planning, he noted.

Understanding Defensible Spaces

The idea of defensible space originated in California to define an area where firefighters can effectively protect a home from wildfires, as described by Jessamyn Hise, community outreach manager at Fire Safe Marin, a non-profit organization in Marin County, Northern California.

This notion has evolved into the strategies that empower a home to protect itself against fire hazards.

Moreover, this concept is no longer limited to California. It is now relevant across much of the United States, according to Wright. States like Oregon, New Mexico, and Colorado have enacted laws or allocated funds to assist property owners in fortifying their homes against fire threats. Wildfires affecting regions in Hawaii, New York, and Tennessee demonstrate that this is not solely a Western issue.

At its core, the concept involves several key practices aimed at preventing embers from igniting materials that could lead to a fire engulfing a house.

Removing flammable items from within five feet of the house and all outbuildings and ensuring that embers cannot enter through roof vents and crawlspaces are vital steps.

Evidence supports its effectiveness. For example, during the 2022 Oak fire in Mariposa County, California, homes that adhered to defensible space guidelines were six times more likely to remain intact, as reported by the California Wildfire & Forest Resilience Task Force.

“When rebuilding Pacific Palisades, they can do so in a manner that retains the community’s beauty and charm while also being resilient to future wildfires,” remarked Todd Lando, a Battalion Chief wildfire specialist with the Central Marin Fire Department in Marin County, California.

“People often dislike being directed by the government,” Lando noted. “But we aim to help individuals comprehend the adjustments they can make that have minimal impact yet safeguard their homes.”

In some cases, it may involve protecting homeowners from regulations that could increase their fire risk, Wright added.

“In Colorado, they recently updated laws regarding homeowners associations,” he explained. “HOAs can no longer enforce rules that heighten wildfire hazards.” This could include mandates for wooden fencing and decks or restrictions against certain landscaping choices.

Here are some essential steps homeowners can take to enhance their protection against wildfires, wherever they may pose a risk.

Embers pose a significant threat

While a direct fire approaching a home is an obvious hazard, embers are a frequent ignition source, particularly during wildfire ember storms.

“Embers can be as small as your thumb or as large as your hand,” explained Wright. “They can travel significant distances — it’s entirely possible for embers to fall as far as a mile or more.

If one of these embers lands near a house, “it can ignite a fire right next to it,” he added.

As many homeowners have discovered recently, “fires can jump,” pointed out Hise.

Establish a 5-foot safety zone around your home

The primary focus of creating defensible space is what experts refer to as Zone Zero: the five-foot perimeter surrounding a home that must be devoid of flammable materials.

“Research indicates that between 60% and 90% of home fires start within five feet of the building,” stated Lando.

The aim is to eliminate anything that could ignite from an ember falling on it. “You want the ember to fizzle out,” commented Wright. “Therefore, the area within five feet of your home should consist entirely of non-flammable materials.”

“The goal is to build a home that is less likely to catch fire,” remarked Hise. When she consults with homeowners, these critical areas are evaluated:

• Pruning trees near the roofline of the house.
• Regularly checking areas where dry leaves or pine needles accumulate, especially at the base of the house and in gutters. Installing gutter covers can help to prevent leaf buildup.
• Removing fallen branches and debris.
• Avoiding wooden fences that connect with the home. “During the Palisades fire, we witnessed how fence lines can transfer fires between houses, even when they are spaced apart,” noted Hise. Instead, it’s advisable to use metal for the last five feet of any fence.
• Getting rid of flammable items such as jute doormats, outdoor brooms, and flammable patio furniture within five feet of the house. “It’s astonishing how easily these can catch fire; they act like kindling,” Lando said.
• Ensuring that the lower six inches of the home’s exterior are made of materials like brick or concrete that won’t burn. This design not only helps with termite control but also provides fire resistance.

Eliminate ladder fuels

Beyond the 5-foot zone, it’s acceptable to have trees, but they require maintenance, according to Lando. “They provide shade and help retain moisture in the soil.”

However, trees and tall plants should be spaced out, especially those that are highly flammable like junipers, Italian cypress, and bamboo, as stated by Hise. It’s essential to clear away leaf litter, fallen branches, and other combustible materials that could catch fire and travel up into the tree’s canopy.

“We also recommend trimming the lower branches of trees to about a third of the way up from the ground, to prevent any ground-level fire from spreading upwards,” Lando advised.

Healthy trees have their place, said Wright, but “you don’t need to remove every tree; just keep the trees and their canopies at least five to ten feet away from the house.”

Moving beyond Zone 0

Fire safety experts view home protection in layers, starting with Zone 0 followed by Zone 1, which extends 5 to 30 feet away from the home. This area should be kept “lean, clean, and green,” as Lando puts it.

While lawns are acceptable, incorporating hardscape paths made of gravel or brick can help minimize fire spread.

It’s also vital to clear any flammable materials and vegetation around fences, sheds, outdoor furniture, and play structures. Additionally, liquid propane tanks should maintain at least a 10-foot clearance from combustibles.

Zone 2 stretches from 30 to 100 feet around the house. Here, the emphasis is on reducing fuel sources by clearing away dead grass, weeds, and plants, while promoting the growth of native, fire-resistant species. Any wood piles should also be kept at least 10 feet away from other combustible elements.

Zone 3 serves as the access zone, ensuring that there is a clear pathway for residents to escape and for firefighters and first responders to enter, even if embers are falling. This should also include consideration of vertical space, as fire trucks are quite tall.

Lastly – Remember to close the garage door

It’s alarming how many well-prepared homes suffer damage because owners forget to close their garage doors when evacuating.

“We’ve seen countless families leave their garage doors open as they evacuate,” noted Lando. “This can lead to the entire house being engulfed in flames.”

Sometimes this situation is not entirely the homeowner’s fault. Most modern homes have garage door openers, and in a fire, when power is lost, these openers become useless, necessitating manual operation of the door.

Sadly, during emergencies, people often don’t have the luxury of time to exit their cars and shut the door manually, leading to it being left open as they drive away.

Even more tragically, some individuals are physically unable to open their garage doors themselves during a crisis.

“We’ve tragically encountered elderly individuals who lost their lives in their garages because they couldn’t operate the door,” Lando recounted.

While regulations are sometimes criticized, he has seen firsthand how beneficial a law implemented in 2019 requiring all automatic garage doors to have battery backups can be.

“This has indeed saved lives and protected homes,” he concluded.