Step One: Determine the appropriate defensible space distance for your home and mark it with flagging or strips of cloth. See the response to FAQ 2539.
Step Two: Within the marked area, remove dead vegetation (dead trees and shrubs, dead branches, dried grass, and flowers, etc.).
Step Three: Thin out dense stands of trees and shrubs from within the defensible space area.
Step Four: Remove ladder fuels (shrubs and small trees under taller trees and low-lying branches of large trees).
Step Five: Create a well-maintained, ignition-resistant landscape within at least 30 feet of the house.
Step Six: Maintain your defensible space by reviewing the previous five steps before each fire season.
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What are the steps in creating an effective defensible space?
Last Updated: September 21, 2009
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