What is Defensible Space? It is a buffer around your home, outbuildings, etc. that has been mitigated to reduce the potential to spread a wildfire. Defensible space, being firewise, improves the chance your home and neighborhood can be saved from a wildfire. By cleaning up and maintaining your property, removing ladder fuels, and other combustible objects, a fire can be slowed or even stopped before it spreads to your home. Defensible Space also helps protect firefighters and provides them a place to work. Creating defensible space around homes is a critical aspect of protecting mountain communities.
Easy Things to Do
- Rake up dead grass, pine needles, leaves, and pine cones and dispose of them
- Remove dead or dying trees and bushes
- Keep the grass yard and fields mowed
- Trim low hanging tree branches, 6-foot clearance to the ground
- Trim any branches that are within 10 feet of your house and building
- Trim any branches that hang over your roof or near your chimney
- Clean out roof gutters
- Clean out under decks and around gardens
- Move wood piles at least 50 feet away from your home
- Remove old junk piles that contain flammable materials
Next Steps
- Select fire-safe landscaping and fire-resistant plants
- Use synthetic fire-resistant materials for decks and fencing
- Purchase fire-resistant patio furniture
- Cut down trees based on spacing and the slope of the property
- Make sure driveways and property are accessible for fire trucks to enter, turn around, and exit
Where to find more resources
- Listen to experts discuss the reasons for having individual home/land-owners and communities actively work together to create a safer and healthier forest in this video
- Download the Emergency Preparedness Guide
- Fire Evacuation Levels in El Paso County and current fire restrictions may be found at https://www.epcsheriffsoffice.com/services/fire-information
- Sign up to receive notifications of upcoming wildfire risk reduction activities
- Download the Pikes Peak Prepared app on your Apple or Android phone for wildfire preparedness information and training notifications
- Scroll down to see materials from previous wildfire risk reduction workshops
- Contact your local fire department for information
- Colorado State Forest Service: Protect Your Home from Wildfire
- Colorado State Forest Service: Defensible Space Check List
- CSU Extension: Wildfire Preparedness for Horse Owners
- CSU Extension: Fire Resources
- CSU Extension: Fire-Resistant Landscaping (pdf)
- Firewise: Prepare Your Home (English and Spanish)