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Defensible Space Images

A sunlit forest scene with numerous trees and a pathway on the left.
Beyond 100 ft, this is along a road to provide safer degrees for residents and egress for firefighters.
A garden with various plants and shrubs surrounded by a stone border.
Islands of plants are okay too, especially if low growing like this, kept to no more than 10 ft in diameter, and well separated from other "islands"
Comparison of a house with overgrown vegetation labeled "High Risk" and cleared vegetation labeled "Low Risk."
A dry, earthy landscape with scattered green trees and a water hose on the ground.
Good defensible space but erosion could be a problem. Leaving veg at 4 inches when past 30 feet is allowed and would help here, if trees were limbed up.
A before-and-after comparison of a cleared forest area, showing reduced underbrush and open ground.
House with a driveway, garden, trees, and red arrows pointing to property boundaries marked in blue lines at 5' and 30' distances.
Well-maintained yards can also be high risk, especially if plants are in the first five feet, especially if they are under windows like this, and especially if those plants are highly flammable like some of these.
Four photos of dry, overgrown vegetation near buildings labeled "High Risk."
Even low dead material and plants like this under a deck can be a HIGH RISK
A forested area with trees, rocks, and a forest floor covered in dried leaves and pine needles.
Rocks can be good landscape features. These trees are limbed up, following "continuous canopy option" with leaf litter kept to 3 inches or less. Larger trees could be limbed up further for more wildfire safety.
Person gardening with a hoe, wearing a hat and sunglasses, in a lush garden.
Plants can be removed
Before and after images of a tree, showing pruning results.
Dead limbs were removed. Dead dense manzanita is extremely flammable. Live manzanitas thinned of all dead branches are much less so. They do burn hot though, and need to be at least 30 ft out, separated from other plants.
A man in a forest uses a pole saw to trim tree branches.
A sunlit forest scene with numerous trees and a pathway on the left.
A garden with various plants and shrubs surrounded by a stone border.
Comparison of a house with overgrown vegetation labeled "High Risk" and cleared vegetation labeled "Low Risk."
A dry, earthy landscape with scattered green trees and a water hose on the ground.
A before-and-after comparison of a cleared forest area, showing reduced underbrush and open ground.
House with a driveway, garden, trees, and red arrows pointing to property boundaries marked in blue lines at 5' and 30' distances.
Four photos of dry, overgrown vegetation near buildings labeled "High Risk."
A forested area with trees, rocks, and a forest floor covered in dried leaves and pine needles.
Person gardening with a hoe, wearing a hat and sunglasses, in a lush garden.
Before and after images of a tree, showing pruning results.
A man in a forest uses a pole saw to trim tree branches.
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