Kev Tiv Thaiv Chaw Ua Haujlwm
Give your home a fighting chance against wildfires.
“It works! Defensible space works! Before the fire, I didn’t realize the importance of accessibility for firefighters: they need space to get their trucks onto your property. Fortunately, I had created enough space between my house and the woodland that they were able to save my home. They said that space was key to getting on the property and fighting the fire effectively.”
Brent M.
Kelly Ridge, Oroville, CaliforniaBrent’s home survived the Thompson Fire in part due to the defensible space he had created on his property and the access he provided for firefighters.
“It works! Defensible space works! Before the fire, I didn’t realize the importance of accessibility for firefighters: they need space to get their trucks onto your property. Fortunately, I had created enough space between my house and the woodland that they were able to save my home. They said that space was key to getting on the property and fighting the fire effectively.”
Tammy’s house was one of the few houses on her street that survived the Park Fire. She worked with CAL FIRE to develop a 5-year plan to create defensible space on her property.
Tammy
Cohasset, California
On average, defensible space gives your home 2x the chance of surviving a wildfire.
“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.”
Charissa
Oroville, California
Charissa and her husband Roberto’s home survived the Thompson Fire thanks to proper landscaping and home hardening techniques. Most importantly: maintaining Zone Zero, the five feet around the entire house.
Read more of Charissa’s 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.