DEFENSIBLE SPACE

Protect your family, home and property by creating and maintaining defensible space now.
Defensible space is the area surrounding your home and is essential to improving your structure’s chance of surviving a wildfire. Managing the buffer between a building on your property and the grass, shrubs, trees, or other vegetation that surround it is vital to protecting the structure. This treated area is vital to slow or stop the spread of wildfire and protect your home from the consequences of both radiant heat and direct flame contact. Defensible space is also important for the protection of firefighters, who find themselves defending your home during a wildfire event.

Plant and Tree Spacing
Proper spacing between vegetation including grass, shrubs, and trees is crucial to reduce the spread of wildfires. The spacing needed is determined by the type and size of brush and trees, as well as the slope of the land. For example, a property on a steep slope with larger vegetation requires greater spacing between trees and shrubs than a level property that has small, sparse vegetation.

Credit - readyforwildfire.org

To learn more about how defensible space is managed, visit the Colorado State Forest Service. Also below you’ll find a video, courtesy of the Colorado Springs Fire Department, showing how firefighters utilize defensible space in a wildfire. Do note that the structure is on flat ground so if your home is on a hillside, even more tree spacing is necessary.

Reminder for the Homeowner

The wildfire mitigation crew also serves as the Emergency Response Team responding to all emergencies within the Boulder Mountain Fire Protection District as well as neighboring fire districts. These incidents may include wildland fires, medical emergencies, structure fires, vehicle accidents, and search and rescue operations. The crew working on your land may leave without notice while responding to an emergency. We are grateful for your understanding and the crew will return to complete the project as soon as possible.