The three zones
Zone 0, 1 and 2: what stays and what goes
Zone 0 is 0 to 5 feet from the house, zone 1 is 5 to 30 feet and zone 2 is 30 to 100 feet. Those are the common distances; your county and fire district may ask for more.
| What goes | What stays | |
|---|---|---|
| Zone 0 · 0 to 5 feet | What goesWood mulch, dry leaves, shrubs under windows, stacked firewood, doormats of plant litter | What staysGravel, pavers, bare ground, stone planters set apart from the wall |
| Zone 1 · 5 to 30 feet | What goesDead stems, dry grass, shrubs growing under trees, junipers and other plants that burn hot | What staysLow plants in islands, short grass, trees with lower limbs pruned up |
| Zone 2 · 30 to 100 feet | What goesDead brush, fallen limbs, crowded young trees, vines climbing trunks | What staysSpaced trees and shrubs, native oaks, grass cut short |
Zone 0 · 0 to 5 feet
Where embers land
The first five feet get the strictest treatment because embers pile up against walls, in corners and under decks.
Gravel or pavers laid to the wall on a weed barrier
Plants moved to pots or planters that sit away from the house
Gaps under decks and along fences cleared or closed
Zone 1 · 5 to 30 feet
Plants stay, with room around them
Zone 1 is the garden. It stays a garden if each plant has space around it, nothing grows under the trees and the dry months get water.
Islands of low plants with open ground or gravel between them
Grass kept short, dead stems and old flower heads cut out each year
Drip lines checked so the plants hold water through summer
Zone 2 · 30 to 100 feet
Thin it so fire can't run
Zone 2 is the biggest and slowest ring. The aim is breaks in the fuel, not bare ground.
Dead brush and fallen limbs removed from the ground
Trees thinned so the crowns don't touch; the healthy ones stay
Chipped on site or hauled to a green-waste site
Before you rely on any of this
Your fire district and your insurer
The distances above are the common ones. Your county, city and fire district may set different ones, and some lots are inspected. Ask your fire district for its list; we read it with you at the site walk.
Insurers differ too. Some ask for proof of defensible-space work and some don't. Check with your insurer what it needs; we haven't verified any insurer's rules and can't promise a discount or coverage. We write the scope and the photos so you can send them.
Book the walk that maps your three zones
We bring the tape and the camera. You bring the questions.