Creating a defensible space around your home is critical for fire safety. Defensible space is the landscaped area around your home and how it is maintained to reduce fire risk. Defensible space is not just for those living in rural areas, defensible space exists for anyone with a yard. 

CalFire and AFPD recommend that within 0-100 feet of your home you should do the following:

• Remove all branches of chimney or stovepipe outlets
• Remove leaves, needles or other vegetation on roofs, gutters, decks, porches, stairways, etc
• Remove all dead and dying trees, branches and shrubs, or other plants adjacent to or overhanging buildings
• Remove flammable vegetation and items that could catch fire which are adjacent to, or below, combustible decks, balconies, and stairs
• Cut annual grasses and forbs down to a maximum height of 4 inches.
• Address numbers need to be displayed in contrasting colors and readable from the street or access road
• Consider speaking to your neighbors about their defensible space and how it affects your home

For more information on defensible space and keeping your home safe visit CalFire and National Fire Protection Association.