Vegetation Management -
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do we need to create a defensible space through landscaping?
What is an acceptable defensible space within the Rancho Santa Fe Fire Protection District?
What is a fire-resistive plant?
What about long-term maintenance of the landscape?
Who do I contact?
Why do we need to create a defensible space through landscaping?
Defensible space means management of vegetation around a home that
slows the movement of fire by denying it fuel and by providing a
space for firefighters to take a stand to protect a house. If an
entire community is threatened, there may not be enough firefighters
or equipment to protect every home. Firefighters are more likely
to take a stand at homes with adequate defensible space than at
those which cannot be separated from the surrounding vegetation.
Naturally, you will want your house to be one of the protected.
What is an acceptable defensible space within the Rancho Santa
Fe Fire Protection District?
The guidelines for creating defensible space are found in the Wildland-Urban
Interface Development Standards, June 1997 Revision.
In most cases, the minimum defensible space would be 100-feet out
from any structure. Some homes require a wider defensible space
due to extreme topography and fire weather patterns. Defensible
space landscaping consists of irrigated agriculture or areas with
native flammable vegetation removed and/or replaced by drought-tolerant,
fire-resistive plants.
What is a fire-resistive plant?
No plant is fire-proof; eventually they all will burn in an intense
fire situation. Select plant species that have an ability to resist
fire through unusually high moisture content and those that provide
the least amount of fuel for a wildfire. A list of acceptable plants
is included in the Appendix of the Wildland/Urban Interface Development
Standard mentioned above.
What about long-term maintenance of the landscape?
Proper care and upkeep your home's landscape is critical to maintaining
adequate defensible space. Here are some tips to help you manage
your landscape:
- Prune or remove dead twigs and branches, remnants of dead plants,
fallen trees, branches or stumps. Thin out living plants that
have outgrown space allotted to them.
- Remove existing weeds, both dead and alive.
- To reduce soil erosion and retain aesthetics, replace any plants
that have died.
- Fine tune irrigation systems to keep plant material alive and
functional. This will keep sufficient moisture in the plants to
help them resist fire.
Contact Us
For answers to your basic questions about vegetation management, please contact us via email at Ask-FireMarshal@rsf-fire.org. If more in depth information is needed please call us 858-756-5971 and make an appointment. Thank you.
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