Protect Your Property from Wildfires with Defensible Space

July 2024

A man using a hand-held brush trimmer to shorten tall grass around the perimeter of his property

Defensible space is a properly maintained buffer between your property and the area surrounding it.

Defensible space will help prevent or inhibit wildfires from reach your house, or other structures on your property. It will also give firefighters the adequate space they need. To help ensure your property, home, and family are better protected, we recommend that you maintain three zones of defensible space:

Zone 1

(0-30 feet)

STRUCTURE PROTECTION

Zone 1 is the last line of defense. Keeping this space in excellent condition can lessen the intensity of a wildfire and help safeguard structures from catching on fire.

  • Mow tall grass
  • Remove leaves and dead vegetation
  • Keep lawn hydrated and maintained
  • Prune tree branches up 6 to 10 feet from the ground
  • Cut branches overhanging the roof of the house
  • Use non-flammable landscaping materials and/or high-moisture-content plants within five feet of your home

Zone 2

(30-100 feet)

FUEL REDUCTION

Zone 2 is an important intermediate stretch that serves as a protective damper. Correctly maintaining and removing materials that encourage fires will help diminish the size and strength of an advancing wildfire and potentially divert it from your property.

  • Leave 30 feet between clusters of two to three trees, or 20 feet between individual trees
  • Promote a mixture of deciduous and coniferous trees
  • Create "fuel breaks," like driveways, gravel walkways, and lawns
  • Prune trees up to 6 to 10 feet from the ground
  • Clear heavy accumulation of fallen branches and landscape debris
  • Plant vegetation that retains moisture and needs minimal maintenance

Zone 3

(100-200 feet)

PROPERTY MANAGEMENT

The farthest defensible space section, Zone 3 acts as the first preventative barrier to your home, or other structures on your property. Managing this outlying area will help minimize wildfire growth and promote a healthier and safer property overall.

  • Remove smaller conifers that are growing between taller trees
  • Clear heavy accumulation of fallen branches and landscape debris
  • Replace highly flammable species of trees and shrubs with less fire-prone species

 

The Mutual of Enumclaw Wildfire Program is a service provided to members with Homeowners (HO-3 and HO-5) or Farm Property coverage.

We do not consider wildfire risk mitigation actions for our eligibility or rating plan. Mutual of Enumclaw uses a third-party vendor to assess wildfire risk and members can impact their score by clearing vegetation in the area surrounding the property. This can be done directly by the policyholder on their property and at the community level, such as through NFPA’s Firewise Community program.

The information we share on our site is intended to serve as a general overview. Please refer to your policy or contact your local independent agent for specific coverage details.

Related

Wildfire protection is part of the policy.

The Mutual of Enumclaw Wildfire Program and our partnership with Wildfire Defense Systems, Inc. (WDS) were created to help protect your property, at no additional cost to you.

Wildfire Prep Tips
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