Defensible Space

The Importance of Defensible Space

Defensible Space Saves Homes

Our hillsides, while beautiful, are an ideal environment for a devastating wildland fire. With the onset of summer months comes the drying and curing of our lands. As temperatures peak, humidity drops and the summer winds blow, the potential for wildland fires increase. Despite the efforts of the fire services, many homes are lost each year due to wildland and wildland urban interface fires. It is imperative that you prepare now to protect your home from such occurrences.

Defensible Space and Wildland Fire Resources:

Fire Safe San Mateo County

San Mateo County's Fire Safe Council, providing information and resources for homeowners, residents, businesses, throught a public private partnership with the mission of reducing the risk of wildfires.

Ready for Wildfire

An excellent website created by CalFire. The website includes online guides and checklists to help you prepare your property, emergency supplies and family in the event of a wildland fire.

Schedule a Defensible Space Inspection. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Include your name, property address and phone number.

Hazard Complaint Form.pdf

Woodside Fire Protection District provides neighborhoods with a convenient way to report potentially hazardous conditions.

The Importance of Roadway Clearance

We operate specialized fire apparatus that helps us navigate the narrow streets and hills of our community. Even with our state-of-the-art fire engines, we depend on roadways clear of obstructions and overgrown vegetation to access your neighborhood safely and quickly during emergencies. Cooperation and involvement from homeowners in each hillside neighborhood is critical to prevent obstructions, like illegally parked cars and overgrown vegetation, that impede our access and your safe escape in the event of a wildfire. Your survival during a fast spreading wildfire may depend on vegetation clearance work finished months earlier.

How Houses Catch Fire

Wildfires spread by a combination of a moving fire front and airborne burning and glowing embers. Building loss during wildfires occurs as a result of some part of the building igniting from one or more of the three basic wildfire exposures, which include 1) embers (also called firebrands), 2) radiant heat, and 3) direct flame contact. Recent research has shown that a majorit of homes destroyed by wildfire ignite from tiny embers, often carried by winds well in advance of the main fire.

Ready, Set, Go

Ready – Be ready, be Firewise. Take personal responsibility and prepare long before the threat of a wildland fire so your home is ready in case of a fire. Create defensible space by clearing brush away from your home. Use fire-resistant landscaping and harden your home with fire-safe construction measures. Assemble emergency supplies and belongings in a safe place. Plan escape routes and make sure all those residing within the home know the plan of action.
Set – Situational awareness. Pack your emergency items. Stay aware of the latest news and information on the fire from local media, your local fire department and public safety.
Go – Act early! Follow your personal wildland fire action plan. Doing so will not only support your safety,
but will allow firefighters to best maneuver resources to combat the fire.

Landscaping

Create a landscape that will keep fire away from your house.

Clearing

Identify and remove vegetation hazards on your property.

House

How fire resistant building materials will fortify your home against an encroaching wildfire.

Community

Develop a strategy to protect your neighborhood from the next wildfire.

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Prevention

Create Defensible Space

Defensible space does NOT mean removing all vegetation from around your home. Defensible space means MODIFYING and MAINTAINING vegetation to reduce the intensity and speed of a wildfire when it reaches your home. Follow our links for tips to prepare your family and home.

https://www.firesafesanmateo.org/preparedness

Create a "clean" zone with few or no combustibles within 30 feet of your home.

Create a fuel-reduction zone from 30'-100' (or to your property line, if closer) to slow the spread of an approaching wildfire.

• Cut dry grass regularly within 100 feet of your home. Gas powered tools can start fires when fire danger is high, so work early in the morning on a cool, moist day, if possible. Rake and remove clippings.

• Use irrigated, fire-resistant plants where possible. Rock, stone, and other materials can be used to create an attractive, fire-safe landscape.

• Make decks fire safe by clearing vegetation and combustibles like lumber and firewood from underneath. Enclose underside with fire resistant building materials if possible.

• Apply 1/4 inch mesh screen to all roof and basement vent openings.

• Keep trees limbed up 10' from the ground or from the tops of plants below (or 1/3 the height of trees shorter than 30'), and cut back at least 10' from your chimney and roof. Remove all dead limbs.

• Clean all needles and leaves from the roof and rain gutters regularly during fire season.

• Maintain your landscaping by mowing, watering, weeding and removing dead needles and leaves.

• Maintain fire engine access to your home by clearing vegetation 10 from the sides of roads and driveways and 14' vertically.

• Make your address visible from the street in both directions, with 4" (minimum) reflective numbers on a contrasting background.

Non-Profit Foundation

The non-profit Woodside Portola-Valley Fire Protection Foundation supports your Fire District. Make a tax-deductible donation, today!
DONATE TODAY

Firewise Community Recognition

Scientific research has shown the effectiveness and benefits of implementing wildfire mitigation concepts across individual property boundaries and throughout communities.

The Firewise Communities/USARecognition Program is a process that empowers neighbors to work together in reducing their wildfire risk. Join the growing network of more than 1,028 recognized Firewise communities taking action and ownership in preparing and protecting their homes against the threat of wildfire.

Using a five-step process, communities develop an action plan that guides their residential risk reduction activities, while engaging and encouraging their neighbors to become active participants in building a safer place to live. Neighborhoods throughout the United States are embracing the benefits of becoming a recognized Firewise Community – and you can too!