01
Feb

For estimate on creating defensible space in El Paso county, contact us now.

The best thing you can do to protect your home from wildfires is to create a defensible space. This is going to be in the first two zones on your property, covering up to 100ft or up to your property boundary line. Zone 1 is the most critical, but you will need to play close attention to Zone 2.

Zone 1 is the first 30ft from your house. Zone 2 then covers up to your boundary line or 100ft, whichever comes first. However, Zone 1 is split into two, with Zone 1A being the first three to five feet of land from your decks, shed, or whatever is the last construction on the property.

Make a T-Shaped Driveway

One of the things you can do is to make things easier for the fire department. Make your driveway into a T shape to make it easier for trucks to turn around in. If there isn’t an easy escape path, fire trucks won’t get close to you, which causes problems for putting out fires.

Manage the Plants Near the Home

In the first 30ft of the home (Zone 1), you’ll want to remove all the combustible plants and items. This doesn’t mean no trees or shrubbery. You can opt for plants that are well watered and fire resistant to slow the spread of the fire. Within the first three to five feet of the house or deck, keep the plants to a minimum and use non-combustible mulch.

When it comes to the trees, prune those branches. You’ll want to create a 10ft gap between the branches and the roof of your house. The limbs on the tree shouldn’t cover the bottom 15ft to avoid ladder fuel.
If you are going to have shrubs around your home, avoid by the windows and vents. You don’t want to make it possible for the fire to get into the house easily. It’s also important to clean out the litter from the gutters and around the house during the fall weather.

Propane Tanks and Playsets

If you have a propane tank, make sure it is at least 30ft away from the nearest structure to the house, which means in Zone 2. You should also consider burying it if you can.

If you have flammable items around the house, including play structures and woodpiles, you’ll need to extend Zone 1 further out. The 30ft starts from the last flammable item around.

What about the shed? Put that in Zone 2 and opt for a stone walkway to the shed from the house. This helps to slow down the surface fire. You’ll also want to make sure the small bushes are spaced out about three times the height of them in this zone. Make sure all branches are pruned to no more than 6ft on smaller trees and 10ft on larger ones.

Zone 3 is usually where the wildland is. If you have any property in this area, you’ll need to thin the trees for the health and safety of the forest.

Colorado Mastication offers fire mitigation services: tree removal, brush clearing, scrub oak removal in El Paso county and surrounding areas. Reach us at (719)400-9104.