1. Brush Clearance:
Let’s be honest… one of the most obvious ways to protect a structure is brush clearance.
Growing up my family had a property in Malibu and every year my parents would drag their ‘built-in brush clearance crew’, that would be me and my two brothers… out to clear the weeds to avoid a fine from the county.
One year, after a fire ripped through the canyon, our neighbor sent us a letter, thanking us for being so diligent with the brush clearance. He said he stayed behind to protect his home and watched the fire racing down the canyon toward his home. He was preparing to dive into his pool when he watched the fire slow to a crawl, due to the lack of fuel on our lot, buying him time to put out some spot fires and save his home as the fire moved on down the canyon, therefore my number one on this list is…
Brush Clearance: Follow your Fire Departments Brush Clearance requirements. Here are links to LAFD, CLAFD, and LARFSC
a) LA Fire Department’s requirements, find it @ https://lafd.org/fire-prevention/brush/brush-clearance-requirements
b) LA County Fire Department’s: https://fire.lacounty.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Annual-Defensible-Space-Notice_012024.pdf
c) LA Regional Fire Safe Council: https://www.wildfirela.org/la-city-brush-clearance-requirements/
2. Landscaping:
Choosing plants that are less flammable to grow near the house and eliminating foliage against the house. I know that probably isn’t a popular idea but at least consider it. Succulents are a good choice, lilac, lavender, and any landscape architect, design contractor can help.
a. Trim away dead, dried foliage, don’t let dead palm fronds stay on the tree. They are extremely flammable and add when ignited add to the flying embers.
b. Clear rain gutters and areas on roofs, where fallen leaves etc., collect. Those corners where debris collect are wind eddies and the same places that embers will collect.
c. Clear those fallen leaves that collect in corners around the house and yard. Again… those places are where a fire will find a foothold on your property.
d. Trim shrubs that are next to your house, especially if the foliage is drying with the season.
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