Protect Your Home From Wildfires
Tips from the "Utah Living With Fire" program
Landscaping and construction are two main areas of focus when creating a wildfire safe home. The following tips come from the "Utah, Living with Fire" program.
- Define and Create Your Defensible Space:
Defensible Space is the area between your home and the wildland where vegetation has been modified. This area is suggested to be at least 30 feet on flat ground and more with areas of greater slope. - Keep It Lean, Clean and Green:
Lean: Small amounts of flammable vegetation
Clean: No accumulation of dead vegetation or flammable debris
Green: Plants are healthy and green during the fire season. - Eliminate Ladder Fuels:
Remove vegetation that allows a fire to move from lower plants to taller ones.
- Break It Up:
Interrupt layers of flammable vegetation with nonflammable materials.
- Maintain Your Space:
 Maintain your defensible space at least once a year but twice a year, spring and fall, is better.
- Check Your Roof:
Clean gutters of debris, remove limbs over the roof and build with nonflammable materials. Statistically, the roof is the highest area of ignition on a structure.
- Construction and Building Location:
Locate your buildings away from canyons and ridge tops; build with fire resistant materials; and enclose eaves, decks and porches.
- Fire Proof Your Signs and Access:
Have visible and fire resistant signs and provide adequate ingress and egress for emergency vehicles to access your property.
- Have an Emergency Water Supply:
Locate the nearest hydrants or water supply and identify them for emergency personnel.
- Do Emergency Planning:
Plan in advance a safe area to meet and establish evacuation procedures. Then discuss plans with family and neighbors. Don't forget to practice, practice, practice.
