BEsT MANAGEMENT PRACTICEs HANDbooK - Tahoe BMP

5.3.2.5 FIRE DEFENSIBLE SPACEFire defensible space is essential to improve your home’s chances of surviving awildfire. Fire defensible space is the buffer you create between a building onyour property and the grass, trees, shrubs, or any other wildland area thatsurround it. This space is needed to slow or stop the spread of wildfire, anddefensible space helps protect your home from catching fire – either fromdirect flame contact or radiant heat. Fire defensible space is also important toprotect the firefighters defending your home. Combine Fire Defensible Spacepractices with soil and vegetation management and water quality BMPs tocreate an integrated landscape within 30 feet of any structure. Specificguidelines for each zone are described below and are also outlined in Livingwith Fire, a guidance document for the Lake Tahoe Region:0-5-FOOT NONCOMBUSTIBLE PERIMETER• No combustible materials, including woody vegetation or wooden bordersfor infiltration systems, are permitted within 5 feet of any structure.• Routinely remove organic materials, such as pine needles and woodyvegetation, which accumulate into this zone. Eliminating easily ignitablefuels near structures helps prevent burning embers from starting a fire nearthem.• Use inorganic mulch or well irrigated herbaceous vegetation to stabilize thesoil in this area. Should a fire ignite in this area, this practice will help keepthe intensity low so not enough heat is generated to ignite the structure.• Remove tree limbs that are within 10 feet of chimneys, decks, and roofs ofstructures.Only noncombustible materials and irrigated herbaceous vegetation are permitted within 5feet of any structure.CHAPTER 5: Soil and Vegetation ManagementTRPA BMP HandbookPage 5-16 2012