Category: Be Ready, Butte! Blog

Top 5 Defensible Space Q&A with Inspectors

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Get the lowdown on safety from actual Defensible Space Inspectors.

Here’s your chance to get important defensible space tips straight from people who understand the concept best. Be Ready, Butte! asked some CAL FIRE Defensible Space Inspectors about best practices for protecting your home against wildfire. Our panel of defensible space Q&A experts included Fire Captain Jake Gilliam, Inspector Carlita Foss, and Inspector Rich Simon.

It’s 106° here in summer. Any tips on how to maintain defensible space on our properties without melting?

CAPTAIN GILLIAM: Start early in the day. Work in the cooler hours of the morning, when temperatures are lower, and winds are less likely to pick up. Drink plenty of water and wear light, protective clothing, a hat, and sunscreen to avoid heat exhaustion. Take breaks often to cool down.

INSPECTOR SIMON: Yes, and stop prior to 10 a.m. to avoid accidentally igniting a fire with your equipment.

CAPTAIN GILLIAM: Excellent point. In fact, on windy and dry days, it’s safer not to use tools like lawnmowers, trimmers, or chainsaws at all. Sparks from equipment can easily ignite dry vegetation. If possible, try clearing debris or dry grass by hand rather than using equipment.

INSPECTOR FOSS: You can also talk to your local 4H club about getting or renting some goats to clear your property naturally. No kidding!

We don’t always have hours to clean up our yards. What are some defensible space actions that take just a few minutes, yet make a big difference?

INSPECTOR FOSS: It doesn’t take long to move items from against your house. Using a lightweight electric leaf blower to clear leaves is quick work, too. Even relocating your firewood piles away from your house can be done a few pieces at a time.

INSPECTOR SIMON: Rake leaves and pine needles out of your 30-foot Zone One. Work on it a little each day. And making sure gutters are cleaned doesn’t take long, either.

CAPTAIN GILLIAM: Agreed. Clearing your roof and gutters does a lot to help prevent embers from catching.

So tell it to us straight: What are the most important things Defensible Space Inspectors look for?

CAPTAIN GILLIAM: Let’s take it zone-by-zone. The first thing we look for is a clear Zone Zero—a five-foot perimeter around the entire footprint of the house. There shouldn’t be anything flammable within those five feet.

Then we move on to Zone One, which stretches out to 30 feet from your house. We like to see Zone One clear of debris and dead vegetation, with healthy plants, trees, and shrubs spaced well apart to reduce fire spread.

Now, we look at Zone Two, which reaches 100 feet from your house. You’ll want to mow any grass in Zone Two to 4 inches or less and remove any “ladder fuel” debris that can spread fire across your property. Also, make sure shrubs and tree branches aren’t low enough to let fire climb from the ground into the trees.

In addition to checking your zones, we also give recommendations for hardening your home—sealing it up so dangerous embers have less chance to enter. For instance, closing gaps in vents, installing ember-resistant screens, and using non-combustible materials wherever possible.

INSPECTOR FOSS: Well said. Keep access points like driveways clear as well so firefighters have room to get their emergency vehicles onto your property. And make sure your address is clearly visible.

If you have a lot of trees or vegetation, it can feel like a lot! What advice would you give people who feel overwhelmed by the thought of creating defensible space?

INSPECTOR SIMON: I tell them to take one step at a time. You don’t have to do it all in one day! Start with just the 5-foot perimeter. Next, clean the roof, gutters, and under decks. Then work on the heaviest vegetation areas out to the 30-foot mark. After that, complete the work out to 100 feet or your property line. If health restrictions or finances are an issue, I provide information about contacts and programs for possible assistance.

INSPECTOR FOSS: You can also reach out to your local churches and nonprofits like Butte Fire Safe Council for volunteer help with larger defensible space projects.

Just one more question: Why is defensible space worth the effort?

INSPECTOR FOSS: I’ve seen with my own eyes how having flammable items too close to a house during a wildfire will give off enough radiant heat to crack windows, letting in embers and burning down a house from the inside out. Some of these fires get so big, so quickly, that there aren’t going to be enough firefighters to put out fires at every house right away. Defensible space and home hardening upgrades help your house stand on its own until a fire engine can make it to your neighborhood.

CAPTAIN GILLIAM: Defensible space can significantly reduce the risk of fire damage to your home and property. Creating it is not just about protecting your house; it’s about protecting your family and your community. By making defensible space a priority, you help ensure your safety and contribute to fire prevention efforts in your area.

***

Thank you, Captain Gilliam, Inspector Foss, and Inspector Simon! When DSI inspections begin in your area, you can expect the same level of genuine help and effective expertise from the inspector who arrives at your home to discuss defensible space.

Defensible space is important… because it works.

Check your chains before you drive

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Loose tow chains can cause instant wildfires

Planning on towing anything this year? Trailer, boat, dirt bike, jet ski, etc.? Here’s an important rule to keep in mind: always check for dragging chains.

If the chains attached to your rig hang down and scrape along the ground, those dragging chains can easily generate sparks, igniting roadside grass and plants and unintentionally starting a fire. And you might be miles away before it spreads! 

Knowledge is key to preparedness

Many wildfires begin due to a simple lack of information. People don’t know what they don’t know about fire risks and how to avoid them. Properly securing tow chains is one area people may not be aware of, but letting them drag could have serious consequences.

Here are some tips for avoiding fires on the road:

  • Before pulling away with your tow rig, check all chains to be sure they’re properly secured, well above street level.
  • Make stops along the way to ensure no chains have come loose or fallen into a dangerous position.
  • If you see another driver dragging chains or causing sparks, try to alert them to the danger.
  • Can’t get the other driver’s attention? Consider making note of the vehicle and alerting a nearby police officer, sheriff’s deputy, or a non-emergency reporting number.

Another fire prevention tip for traveling on the road? Please don’t toss the remnants of anything you’re smoking out the window. Even a small smoking-related ember can cause major damage.

Dragging chains is a real concern

The risk of fires innocently started by someone with loose chains on a trailer is very real. California examples include incidents in Marin County and Mendocino County. But it’s not just a  California problem. In fact, the great State of Montana has produced a helpful video on the subject.

Have a fun and safe summer—but please, if you’re towing, protect against sparks by checking for dragging chains.

See smoke? Where to find current fire information

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Here are the wildfire resources Butte County needs for accurate reports.

When there’s evidence of a wildfire in the air or on the horizon, social posts like, “I see smoke in the distance. Is there a fire?” or “It smells smokey on our street. Anyone know what’s going on?” aren’t your best source of information and can cause unwarranted distress.

If you’re concerned a fire is brewing, go straight to the official wildfire resources Butte County has available. We’ve put them together for you right here. Bookmark this page and the links below on your computer and smartphone. They’ll help you find out if what you’re seeing or smelling is an authorized controlled burn or an unplanned fire requiring action.

Butte County Sheriff’s Department

If there’s going to be an evacuation order, it’ll come from the Sheriff’s Department, so their social media is the best place to go for up-to-the-minute information.

Butte County Fire/CAL FIRE

The people who fight the fires in Butte County are another excellent source of dependable wildfire information.

Current Emergency Incidents Map

On CAL FIRE’s Current Emergency Incidents page, you can find out where emergencies are happening in real time along with sobering historical data about the number of fire responses in our area. It’s an effective reminder of how important it is to follow our Be Ready, Butte! motto, “You have to get ready to be ready for wildfire.”

Be ready before fires happen.

Someday, the smoke you see or smell may be an actual wildfire. Be sure you’ve hardened your home, created well-designed defensible space, have your go-bags packed and ready, know your evacuation routes, and have easy online access to the wildfire resources Butte County has in place.

And don’t forget to bookmark Be Ready, Butte! where we’ll be posting updated information as it comes in, along with tips to help you stay prepared.

Mark Your Calendar: Wildfire Preparedness Week is May 4-10, 2025

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Join the statewide recognition of the safety responsibilities we share.

If you’re a wildfire safety superstar, Wildfire Preparedness Week—May 4-10—is the perfect opportunity to share your passion and concern with your community.

Each year, Wildfire Preparedness Week has helped everyone get ready for the fact-of-life nature of wildfires in our big and beautiful state. It’s a chance for communities statewide to get into the spirit we work to foster all year long at Be Ready, Butte!.

Wildfire has a broad reach.

Each year, a theme is chosen for Wildfire Preparedness Week, but awareness and action are at the heart of them all. For 2025, the theme is “Building a Fire-Ready Future: Strengthening Our Defenses, Together.” With approximately 25% of California’s population living in high-fire-risk areas—and many more visiting those areas throughout the year—even the most urban Californian can benefit from a working knowledge of wildfire safety.

Wildfire Preparedness Week 2025

It’s also important to remember “urban” is a relative term. Greater Los Angeles—what many people probably think of as movie studios, Rodeo Drive, and the downtown car chase scenes from 1970s television—is actually a vegetation-rich area. That point was driven home this past January when fire, paired with strong winds, destroyed thousands of homes and tens of thousands of acres.

There can be positive lessons in tragedy.

Not every story coming out of the California fires has been about devastation. There have been lessons in survival, too, such as the story of the famed Getty Villa Museum. Staffers feared the possible loss of the villa and all its precious artwork in the January fires. But a combination of forward-thinking, double-walled construction, high-tech firefighting equipment, and diligence on the part of Getty staffers combined to save it.

What did those staffers do? Just what we encourage here at Be Ready, Butte! They regularly cleared brush from the grounds of the museum, creating defensible space. While nearby homes were lost to the fire, the inability of flames to make their way to the museum saved a treasured California landmark and an estimated $8 billion in irreplaceable works of art.

Be part of the wildfire solution.

For this year’s “Building a Fire-Ready Future: Strengthening Our Defenses, Together” theme, CAL FIRE focuses on preparing your property, home, and family for wildfire.

  • “When it comes to defensible space and home hardening, start from your home and work your way out.” Learn how.
  • “When it comes to an emergency, it’s important to have a plan and a go-bag ready for you and your family.” Start here.

Working with your community and neighborhood is also important. Set up a coffee chat about what everyone in your neighborhood is doing to prepare for defensible space inspections. Get together to share tips on home hardening. Apply to become a Firewise community. Pick a daily entry from the Be Ready, Butte! blog and share it online or with your neighborhood WhatsApp group.

FireWise USA Image
Image courtesy of North State Public Radio.

In addition to raising awareness of this year’s theme, let’s all commit to making sure our friends and neighbors are taking fire safety seriously. Bring up Be Ready, Butte! in conversation and make sure people know about all the great info we have on the site. Maybe you can even organize a Wildfire Preparedness Week walk around your neighborhood, keeping an eye out for dangerous brush the way those Getty Villa folks did.

A community that creates defensible space together is a community that gives its homes a fighting chance. If some houses on the block have cleared yards and trimmed trees while others don’t, there’s a greater chance of wildfire spreading between properties. Work together during California Wildfire Preparedness Week to protect your neighborhoods!

VIDEO: Why Defensible Space Works—And Why You Need It

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Double the chances of your home’s survival by creating it.

We’ve written a lot about defensible space for a simple reason—defensible space works. The numbers don’t lie, and fire survivors have even told us it works.

Proven: Defensible space works

Here’s a stat to remember: on average, homes with adequate defensible space are 2 times more likely to survive a wildfire than homes without it.

So, please, give your home a fighting chance and start creating defensible space now.

Watch the video below:

Get started with defensible space today

A great way to start is by simply getting fire-prone items away from your house. Then, you can get a clear view of what needs to be done next—like creating the all-important 5-foot no-burn zone around your house and figuring out what approach is best for your property. You may just find you don’t need to do as much as you thought to give your home an important extra measure of protection.

Make the statements in the video above your “defensible space works” battle cry. Share it around and help get your neighbors and friends excited about this simple fact: defensible space works.

Looking for more resources on why defensible space works and tips to help you get started? Check out all of the other great articles on our blog and get some seasonal guidance from our spring checklist.

Won’t you be my [firewise] neighbor?

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Shared space can spread fire, too.

You can have the best defensible space in your neighborhood. But if the other properties and shared spaces around you aren’t maintained as well, fire may still find opportunities to spread.

Neighborly is the way to go.

“Won’t you be my neighbor?” is probably the most powerful thing Mr. Rogers ever said on his television show. It packs a lot of emotional power and continues to be an important message, especially in wildfire survival.

If your neighborhood is filled with weeds and poorly maintained defensible space, your chances of surviving a wildfire as a community are greatly diminished. We are definitely all in this together, from your property to your neighbor’s property to the shared spaces in between.

Be a leader in creating community defensible space.

Get some neighbors together to create awareness and a “Let’s do this together” spirit for protecting your community during a wildfire.

Here are some ideas for getting started:

  • Hook your computer up to your TV and get some neighbors together for a big-screen review of the Be Ready, Butte! website, complete with snacks and cocktails. Encourage discussions and build a fire-smart fan base!
  • Organize a casual neighborhood walk-around to look for shared areas in need of some defensible space TLC.
  • Once you identify those areas, form a task-group to clean them up.

Stepping up to help neighbors understand defensible space and how important it is to work together is critical to protecting our homes and communities during a wildfire.

Thank you for doing your part.

VIDEO: Charissa’s Story: How defensible space helped save her home

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Good neighbors keep their communities safe.

After sharing her story earlier this month, we’re visiting again with our friend Charissa. She and her husband Roberto credit the defensible space efforts they put into their property with helping it—and Roberto—survive the Thompson fire. Between their planning and the heroic efforts of CAL FIRE, they and their home are safe and sound today.

Watch her video here:

A harrowing experience

When the Thompson fire reached their neighborhood, Roberto witnessed tall walls of fire approaching and embers flying through the air. He also witnessed fire dying at their property line because of their well-planned defensible space.

Seeing is believing

When it was all over, Charissa and Roberto could clearly see how their defensible space disrupted the progress of fire on their property. We don’t share their story to scare you but to simply prove defensible space really does work. You can hear about it directly from Charissa in this video.

Probably the most important point Charissa makes is we’re all in this together when it comes to wildfire. The stronger each member of a community makes their defensible space, the better protected the entire community is.

There’s help to get you started

If you’re new to living in a fire-risk area or find yourself a bit overwhelmed by the idea of doing special landscaping to create defensible space,  please take a look at these links. You’ll find defensible space isn’t complicated.

Take it from Charissa—defensible space is worth it for all of us.

Interview: How one Butte County couple survived a major fire

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How defensible Space saved their home

Charissa and her husband, Roberto, are the neighbors you want to have when living a fire-smart life in Butte County. They’ve proven that homeowner defensible space works. In fact, Roberto watched the Thompson fire reach their property line and get no further. 

Be Ready, Butte! had the opportunity to speak with Charissa recently about their approach to getting ready to be ready. Here’s her story.

What prompted you to start creating homeowner defensible space on your property? Was there a specific event or piece of information that motivated you?

In a way, defensible space came naturally to us. We don’t like clutter, inside or outside. Plus, we’ve thought a lot about fire since we moved to our home in 2010. With the known drought conditions, wind events, and extreme heat for many months every year, our goal has always been to make sure we’re ready.

How did you discover your proclivity for defensible space?

It happened when we were searching for new fire coverage in 2018. Our long-time home insurance company dropped us suddenly and we had only 30 days to scramble for new coverage. 

Our new carrier required a formal home inspection, and their requirements and suggestions just made sense to us. We’ve always been dedicated to the safety of our home and our property, so we complied with all their recommendations within two weeks.

One very important goal we set for ourselves: we didn’t want to have to rely on water to save our home. We’ve worked hard to rely on proper landscaping and careful planning to keep fire as far away as possible.

Did you have any visits from Defensible Space Inspectors? Were they helpful?

Just one, several years ago. We were told our property was very well prepared for a fire, which has been wonderful motivation for us to keep on doing what we’ve been doing!

That’s not to say we haven’t learned anything. We’ve since become aware of CAL FIRE’s amazing fire-safety resources, and those have been incredibly helpful—especially after the Bear Fire started in Plumas County and came within two miles of our home.

Can you list the defensible space and/or home hardening actions you’ve taken on your property?

Do you have a pen handy?

  • We replaced all the windows with dual-pane windows.
  • We removed our chimney.
  • We installed rain gutter screens and replaced our roof with rubberized asphalt shingles.
  • No foliage gets closer than five feet from the structure, none is allowed to grow over the roof, and no growth is allowed at the bottom of our wood fencing.
  • We clear cobwebs from the eaves to our foundation every week.
  • The area under our deck is 100% clear of anything flammable.
  • There’s no fire-prone vegetation within 50 feet of the house.
  • And of course, we maintain the all important 5-foot, no-burn zone around the entire house.

Wow! Anything else?

We worked with a neighbor to remove dangerous juniper bushes on their property as well and replaced all our screen covers with regulation screens with openings no larger than 1/8”.

How do you think homeowner defensible space helped protect your property when the Thompson fire came through?

The most important factor for our home was the quick and efficient response by CAL FIRE! But defensible space was instrumental in supporting their response.

The fire burned right up to our property lines and died out at the edges where we have maintained fire-safe practices. Our gutter and vent screens prevented large embers from getting through (after the fire I found very large black embers that were adhered to these screens). Our foliage plan kept our fencing from burning and kept flames from neighboring properties away from ours. And our 5-foot perimeter did its job—I found plenty of dead embers and burnt pine needles around the foundation of our house, left there to fizzle out before they could take our home down with them.

What was your reaction after the fact?

We’re in utter awe of how close the fire came to our home and grateful we were able to protect our home from fire using homeowner defensible space. We’ll also never forget the role CAL FIRE crews played in saving our home. This fire has affected both of us for many reasons.

What has the response been from your neighbors or community after they saw your property survived?

Our direct neighbor, who rents his home out, thanked us for helping to save his home, along with firefighter efforts of course. We had been secretly clearing some foliage and other dangerous materials from his property over the years. But it’s sad to see so many of our neighbors still not taking the steps to protect their homes from fire—many whose homes survived by sheer luck. I know it can be hard to get started, but our home is here today because we did. If we did it, anyone can.

What’s the first piece of advice you have for those neighbors?

Go to BeReadyButte.com—there’s no better place to start! We’re all in this together, and Be Ready, Butte! is our community connection.

***

We’re grateful to Charissa for sharing her and Roberto’s fire-survival story. Such memories are hard to revisit. If you haven’t adopted a homeowner defensible space mindset yet, we sincerely hope their story will get you on the path to protecting your home. BeReadyButte.com is standing by to help, 24/7.

Watch Now: How to start small with defensible space

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Getting started is half the battle.

Haven’t gotten around to creating defensible space on your property… ‘cause frankly, you don’t know where to start?

Good news: We’re here to help!

Watch the video below to get started!

Refresher: What is defensible space?

Great question. Let’s get back to some basics. Defensible space is an approach to property maintenance and landscaping to reduce the likelihood of a wildfire damaging your home (e.g., nothing combustible within 5 feet of the house, keeping your gutters clear, keeping tree limbs away from the house).

Defensible space contributed greatly to the survival of homes during the 2024 Park and Thompson fires, and we want to keep the momentum going.

Give your home a fighting chance.

We can’t overstate the importance of a defensible space 2025 plan. Right now is a perfect time to get started, during the cooler months of the year. You’ll be a lot more comfortable putting in the work, and you’ll thank yourself during the warmer months for getting started now.

Don’t feel overwhelmed.

Check in with the fellow in this video for some perspective on starting small with your defensible space 2025 plan. You don’t have to do everything all at once. Making the commitment and getting started is the biggest hurdle.

We have plenty of easy-to-understand resources to help you take those first steps towards a fire-safe home.

The most important thing to understand is Be Ready, Butte! and our partners are always ready to answer any questions and provide any guidance you need. Here’s to a safe 2025!

10 Fire Resolutions for 2025

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Fire resolutions are a great way to maintain fire-safe property.

2025 kicks off the quarter century, so why not consider some milestone resolutions for this year? No, we’re not talking about your 10,000 steps (although, highly recommend) or vow to eat more veggies. This year, resolve to keep your home and property more safe from wildfires.

Here are 10 ideas for fire-safe resolutions you can adopt in 2025:

  • Gather neighbors for a quarterly community cleanup.
  • Tell 10 people about Be Ready, Butte!
  • Regularly share Be Ready, Butte! social media content.
  • Be a monthly visitor to the Be Ready, Butte! blog.
  • Inspect and maintain your defensible space once a month.
  • Forward your Be Ready, Butte! emails to 5 people who could use the info.
  • Bring up defensible space in conversation with anyone who you know is a homeowner.
  • Make a game of quizzing your kids on the family’s Wildfire Action Plan.
  • Set a gutter cleaning schedule and stick to it.
  • Start blogging, vlogging, or posting on social media about your commitment to fire-smart living.

There’s a lot of Be Ready, Butte! in those resolutions, you say? Well, it is our blog for you, after all!

The secret to living a fire-safe lifestyle is to simply do it. Even small resolutions, when you stick with them, can make a big difference. Here’s wishing you a happy and safe 2025!