Storms & safety
Preparing trees for wildfire season
Updated · Guide by TreeRemovalServices.net
Short answer
Wildfire-ready trees are about keeping fire from reaching your house: clear the first 5 feet around the house of anything burnable, remove dead trees and branches, prune lower limbs so fire can't climb into crowns, space canopies apart and keep branches off the roof and away from chimneys. In California, 100 feet of defensible space is required in designated fire hazard areas.
Zones around the house
Defensible space is organized by distance from the house, with the strictest rules closest in.
Zone 0 (ember-resistant)
- Distance
- 0–5 ft
- Tree work
- Nothing that burns: no dead leaves, needles, mulch; no branches touching the house
Zone 1
- Distance
- 5–30 ft
- Tree work
- Remove dead trees and limbs; space and limb up trees; branches off the roof
Zone 2
- Distance
- 30–100 ft
- Tree work
- Thin trees so crowns don't touch; remove ladder fuels
Ladder fuels and canopy spacing
Ladder fuels are shrubs and low branches that let a ground fire climb into tree crowns. Removing them, and pruning lower limbs to leave vertical space between shrubs and branches, keeps fire on the ground where it's easier to fight. Idaho's guidance calls for canopies at least 10 feet apart; spacing should increase on slopes. In New Mexico's interface, guidance keeps conifers at least 30 feet from structures.
Roofs, chimneys and gutters
Remove branches within 10 feet of a chimney or stovepipe outlet and keep limbs off the roof. Clean needles and leaves from roofs and gutters through fire season; embers land there first.
Palms, eucalyptus and dead trees
Some trees need specific attention in fire country:
- Remove dead palm fronds and skirts; they ignite easily. Don't strip green fronds.
- Clear shedding eucalyptus bark and dead limbs near structures.
- Remove beetle-killed and dead trees near the house; they're both fire fuel and fall hazards.
Rules and protected trees
California's Public Resources Code 4291 requires defensible space in designated areas, and local fire agencies inspect. Defensible space doesn't override protected-tree rules: protected oaks in Los Angeles County, for example, are usually limbed up and pruned rather than removed. See tree trimming in California.
Common questions
Do I have to cut down trees near my house for wildfire safety?
Usually not healthy, well-spaced trees. Remove dead trees, limb up, space canopies and keep branches off the roof and away from chimneys.
What is Zone 0?
The first 5 feet around a house, kept free of anything that burns, including dead plants, mulch and overhanging branches.
When should wildfire tree work be done?
Before fire season, and maintained through it; dead material builds up every year.
Editorial note: this guide is general information written for homeowners. It isn't a substitute for an on-site assessment by a qualified arborist, or for legal or insurance advice.