Create defensible space around your home

What you'll learn

• Zone 0 (0-5 ft): the ember-resistant zone and why nothing combustible belongs here
• Zone 1 (5-30 ft): spacing rules for shrubs, mulch choice, dead material removal
• Zone 2 (30-100 ft): canopy spacing, ladder fuels, and the 10-ft ground-to-limb rule
• What an insurance adjuster actually looks for in a defensible space inspection

Step by step

1. Clear all dead leaves, pine needles, and debris from roofs, gutters, and the 5-ft zone.
2. Move firewood, propane tanks, and flammable mulch at least 30 ft from the house.
3. Limb up trees so the lowest branches are 10 ft above the ground.
4. Space shrubs so the canopies don't touch each other or overhanging tree limbs.
5. Schedule the tree-canopy and brush work every 2-3 years.