Defensible space, by zone
If your home is in the foothill fire belt, California asks you to maintain "defensible space" — the area around the structure managed to slow a fire and give it room to be defended. It's organized into zones, each with a different goal.
Zone 0 — 0 to 5 feet (the ember-resistant zone)
The most important and newest zone. The goal is nothing that easily ignites right against the house: no bark mulch against siding, no firewood stacks, no shrubs under windows, no dead leaves in gutters or roof valleys. Embers landing here are what ignite most homes.
Zone 1 — 5 to 30 feet (lean, clean, green)
Break up the fuel so fire can't climb or run to the house. That means limbing trees up off the ground, separating tree canopies from each other and from the roof, clearing dead plants and "ladder fuels" (low branches and brush that let ground fire climb into the canopy), and keeping what remains green and well-spaced.
Zone 2 — 30 to 100 feet (reduce and space)
Out to 100 feet (or the property line), the goal is to reduce and space fuel rather than remove everything. Thin trees, keep grass low, and create separation between shrubs and tree groups so a fire stays on the ground and slows down.
Why it's worth doing right
Beyond safety, many foothill insurers now ask for defensible space — and some require documentation to keep or renew a policy. Good defensible-space work protects the home without clear-cutting your lot; the trees and shade you love can usually stay, just managed. A crew that knows the zone standards is the difference between a compliant, livable result and a moonscape.
We match foothill homeowners with crews who do defensible-space work to CAL FIRE and insurer standards — and can document it for your policy.
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