Defensible Space Mitigation to Protect Your Property

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Understanding the Importance of Defensible Space Mitigation

Living in the greater Truckee-Tahoe region has many perks, but one major downside is the risk of wildfires. Significant portions of the western United States face the risk of fire, and our neighborhoods are no exception. While no silver bullet can make your property entirely immune to wildfire, one thing you can do to protect yourself is create defensible space around your house.

Defensible space mitigation is the process of selectively removing vegetation, such as shrubs and low-hanging branches, to reduce the spread of fire and to create a buffer zone around your property for wildfire protection.

The importance of defensible space is outlined by the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, which reports that 75 percent of homes that survived the Angora Wildfire in 2007 all completed some form of defensible space mitigation.

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Exceeded Our Expectations in Every Way

“I recently had the pleasure of working with Arbor Solutions Tree Care, and I cannot recommend them enough. From start to finish, their professionalism, expertise, and attention to detail were truly outstanding...We felt confident that we were in great hands, knowing that Arbor Solutions had the necessary expertise to handle our tree care needs. Overall, our experience with Arbor Solutions Tree Care was exceptional. From the initial consultation to the completion of the project, they exceeded our expectations in every way.”

Garrett Hurley
Field with pines at Truckee-Tahoe Region
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We Couldn’t Be More Grateful

“James and his crew are extremely professional and thorough. Prompt and tidy as well! We thought we might lose our beautiful Japanese maple, but James did a great job with pruning and recommended a wonderful amendment that our dogs aren’t interested in eating. Now it is thriving, and we couldn’t be more grateful!!”

Kathy Redfern
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The Three Zones of Defensible Space

Defensible space mitigation has three distinct zones with different guidelines for what should exist in these zones. 

  • Zone 0 – The Ember-Resistant Zone

    Zone 0 refers to the area within five feet of your house, which is often called the "non-combustible area" by professionals. To reduce the risk of wildfire damage, homeowners can protect their homes by removing highly flammable objects from this zone. Here are some important steps to take:

    • Use gravel instead of mulch
    • Remove weeds
    • Keep all firewood out of zone 0
    • Use flame-resistant materials for fencing 
  • Zone 1 – The Lean, Clean, and Green Zone

    Zone 1 extends up to 30 feet in every direction from your house. Some of the requirements for Zone 1 include:

    • Remove all dead vegetation and fallen needles
    • Prune trees to maintain 10 feet between them
    • Remove wood piles and move them to Zone 2
    • Keep space between trees and shrubs and outdoor items like furniture
    • Prune any flammable plants near windows
    • Remove any vegetation under decks, stairs, or balconies
  • Zone 2 – The Reduced Fuel Zone

    Zone 2 is 30-100 feet from your house or to your property line, whichever is closer. While some vegetation will need to be removed, this zone can have slightly more greenery. Some precautionary steps to take in Zone 2 include:

    • Trim grass to under 4 inches
    • Keep wood piles at least 10 feet from flammable material
    • Maintain sufficient vertical and horizontal space between trees and shrubs
    • Remove fallen branches and needles, though you can leave up to 3 inches on the ground

Defensible Space Protects Your Home – Schedule a Free Estimate Today

Request a free estimate for professional defensible space mitigation today using the arrow to the right.

Defensible space work with chainsaw by an arborist of Arbor Solutions in Sunnyside, CA property
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3 Reasons Greater Truckee-Tahoe Residents Trust Arbor Solutions

Defensible space mitigation is potentially life-saving care for your property, and you don’t want to trust just anyone to handle it. The team at Arbor Solutions brings a level of professionalism to our projects that can’t be matched in the greater Truckee-Tahoe region. Some of the reasons our customers trust us include:

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Our Defensible Space Mitigation Process

We’ve standardized our process for performing defensible space mitigation to make the process more efficient. When you hire us, here’s what the process will look like:

  • Initial Consultation & Estimate

    We’ll examine your property, get an idea of the project's scope, and understand what your property needs. Then, we’ll provide you with a written estimate for the cost of the project and outline what we plan to do.

  • Create a Safe Space

    Upon accepting your estimate, we'll arrive on the scheduled date and prepare our equipment for any necessary pruning or removal. Our team will carefully remove vegetation that's too densely packed and prune trees to eliminate potential fire hazards known as fuel ladders.

  • Long-Term Property Care

    Once we complete the project, we'll provide tailored advice on ongoing property maintenance. This will include tips on future mitigation efforts, such as regular pruning and removal of excess vegetation, to help protect your property from future fire risks.

Roots removal with chainsaw for defensible space work

Call Arbor Solutions for Defensible Space Mitigation Today

Wildfires can strike at any time, so preparing your property with defensible space mitigation can help your home survive an unforeseen fire event. Call us at (530) 580-8383 to request a free estimate for our defensible space mitigation services.

Landscape of Truckee-Tahoe Region
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Proper Spacing for Your Plants

Maintaining proper space between your trees, plants, shrubs, and grass is critical to protecting your home from wildfire - a fire can’t spread without fuel. When removing or pruning plants, it's important to consider both the vertical and horizontal spacing.

  • Vertical Spacing

    Remove all tree branches from the ground to a height of 6 feet to avoid creating a fuel ladder. Property owners must also consider vertical clearance when a shrub is beneath a tree.

  • Horizontal Spacing

    Horizontal spacing involves keeping enough space between plants so fire cannot easily jump from one to another. How much space to leave will depend on the slope of your property, with higher grades demanding more horizontal space between each plant. 

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Our Service Area

At Arbor Solutions, we provide defensible space mitigation and other services throughout the greater Truckee-Tahoe area. Use our service area map to determine if we service your location, or call us at (530) 580-8383, and we’ll help you figure out our coverage.

  • Alpine Meadows

  • Cedar Flat

  • Glenshire

  • Prosser

  • Tahoe Vista

FAQs

Defensible space mitigation will add a layer of protection to your property and can potentially save your home. While it will make things significantly safer, there is no way to make your house 100 percent secure from wildfires. 

For residents in the Lake Tahoe area, the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency provides a tool to determine which fire protection district you reside in. 

No, you can still protect your house while maintaining some of the vegetation around your home. At Arbor Solutions, we will keep you within requirements for defensible space while keeping your yard aesthetically pleasing. 

Permitting will depend on your local municipality and fire protection agency. We can help you determine if you’ll need a permit for any work we do. 

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Very Prompt

“These guys are great. They were very prompt and got my trees trimmed back. They also cut a stump down to the ground so I can pass a defensible space inspection. Great service. I recommend them for your tree trimming needs.”

Brenton Pomeroy
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Our Recent Articles

We publish articles every month detailing various aspects of tree care in the greater Truckee-Tahoe region. Learn more about caring for your trees on our tree care blog.

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Schedule Your Defensible Space Mitigation Today

If you need help fulfilling defensible space requirements, our team at Arbor Solutions can help. Call us at (530) 580-8383 or use the arrow to the side to request a free estimate for our defensible space mitigation services.