Owen Dell & Associates – Sustainable Landscape Design

FIRESCAPING CHECKLIST

You may wish to print out this checklist and use it to evaluate the fire safety of your landscaping. Make a note of anything that needs improvement and follow up with action before the beginning of fire season. If you have any questions, contact your local fire department.

A NOTE ABOUT THE LOCATION OF YOUR HOUSE:
The terrain and the location of your house play a big role in fire safety. If you live on a hillside or in a canyon, you're at greater risk than if you live on flat land. A house that is located at the top of a slope is more vulnerable than one that is set back from the slope. If you're building a new home, consider these factors. If your existing home is in a high risk location, pay particular attention to fire safety.

OK	NEEDS HELP	ITEM
		HOUSE & OTHER BUILDINGS
		Roofing (tile or other Class A material best)
		Siding (Stucco or other fireproof material best)
		Eaves (no eaves or boxed-in eaves best)
		Vents (screened vents best, no eaves adjacent to brush areas)
		Windows (small, few, double pane, away from fire side of house best)

		LANDSCAPE STRUCTURES
		Fire resistive materials used (Stone, concrete, etc. best)
		Wood structures of heavy timber or fire retardant materials/1 hour fire rating
		Solid skirting enclosing underside of decks Fencing (stucco or masonry walls or wire fencing best)
		Masonry walls used to deflect fire Mulches (rock, gravel, decomposed granite best)
		Woodpiles located away from structures
		Pool or pond available for emergency water supply

		PLANTINGS
		Zone 1 (0 to 30 feet from house): Vegetation with high moisture content
		Zone 2 (30 to 60 feet from house): Lawn, ground covers, erosion control grasses, succulents
		Zone 3 (60 to 100 feet from house): Low fuel volume planting
		Zone 4 (100 to 200 feet from house): Thinned native vegetation with shrubs in groups 20 feet apart minimum
		All Zones:
		Avoid planting highly flammable vegetation (Pine trees, junipers and others)
		Remove ladder fuels
		Tree branches removed 3 to 6 ft. from ground
		Consider planting trees at least 15 ft. from structures
		Trees kept away from power lines
		Trees trimmed at least 10 ft. away from chimney openings
		18 ft. minimum separation between groups of shrubs
		Brush, weeds & grass trimmed to 3" or less within 10 ft. away of roadways
		Plants cleared 10 ft. from LPG tanks
		Deadwood and fine dead aerial fuel removed from trees & shrubs
		Weeds removed or mowed to height of 3" (consider erosion)
		Pine needles, leaves and other flammable debris removed from roof, gutters, ground
		All rubbish, debris & resultant plant material removed & disposed of legally
		Bare soil covered with plants or mulch to prevent erosion

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