Defensible Space
Defensible space is the buffer zone of reduced, managed vegetation around a structure — required under California law within 100 feet of buildings in wildfire-prone areas — that slows fire spread and protects the home.
CAL FIRE defines the requirement in zones: an ember-resistant zone within 0-5 feet of the structure, then 5-30 feet, then 30-100 feet, each with specific vegetation clearance and spacing rules.
Defensible space is mandatory under Public Resources Code Section 4291 for properties in State Responsibility Areas, and many Sierra foothill and Tahoe-area jurisdictions enforce it locally as well, with fire agencies authorized to inspect and cite noncompliant parcels.
A lack of defensible space can affect a property's insurability, including FAIR Plan eligibility, and can slow buyer financing on wooded foothill parcels. Owners of properties with overgrown brush or hazard trees often find it faster to sell as-is than to fund the clearing work themselves before listing.
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