Defensible space, sometimes referred to as survival space, is a 100 foot radius around a home or outbuilding where dead or dying vegetation and other high-risk, fire-prone materials have been removed or reduced. This provides a zone where fire has a difficult time spreading and where firefighters can safely defend the structure. State law requires this 100-foot perimeter. The law also states that driveways incorporate 10 feet of defensible space on each side of the driveway, plus be cleared of low-hanging brush 15 feet above the roadway.
As the population centers of our County expand into wildland regions, defensible space planning becomes an important factor in wildfire survivability. Did you know that in the past 50 years of recorded fire history here in Napa County, over half (250,000 acres) the county has been devastated by wildland fire? It’s a sobering realization that we are so vulnerable.
In an effort to prepare for a wildland fire, Napa Firewise can arrange exterior evaluations of homes and surrounding property. Here is what you will receive:
Click here for an actual copy of the Defensible Space Inspection Checklist.
Defensible space inspections are purely voluntary and not intended as a code enforcement procedure. It should be noted that implementation of the inspection recommendations may have a positive affect on your homeowner’s insurance and the value of your property.
Click here for the publication "Living with Fire in Napa County"