How Do You Make It Harder for Fire to Spread? 

Start with Zone 2: 5–30 feet from the home.

Zone 2 is the area just beyond the first five feet. The goal in this zone is to reduce fuels, break up continuous vegetation, and lower the chance that fire spreads toward your home.

This area can help slow fire down before it gets close to the structure.
Why Zone 2 mattersZone 2 is designed to reduce wildfire intensity and make it harder for fire to move through your yard or climb from the ground into the tree crowns.

What to focus on in Zone 2Here are some good steps to take in the 5–30 foot zone around your home:
  • Keep lawns and native grasses mowed to about 4 inches
  • Clear vegetation from under large stationary propane tanks
  • Remove ladder fuels under trees
  • Prune lower tree branches 6–10 feet from the ground
  • For shorter trees, do not remove more than 1/3 of the tree’s overall height
  • Space trees so crowns are about 18 feet apart, with more spacing needed on steeper slopes
  • Keep trees and shrubs in small clusters to break up continuous vegetation
  • Create fuel breaks with driveways, walkways, paths, patios, and decks
  • Plan tree placement so mature tree canopies are no closer than 10 feet to the home
  • Water plants, trees, and lawns so they do not become overly dry
  • Remove common ground junipers whenever possible
A simple way to think about Zone 2The goal is not to remove everything. The goal is to make the landscape less connected and less able to carry fire.

By reducing and spacing vegetation, you help break up the path a fire could take.

​Small actions in Zone 2 can make a meaningful difference.