Bailey

Spring defensible space checklist

Before fire season: clear the fuel closest to your home first, then work outward.

• Clear leaves and pine needles from roof, gutters, and decks
• Rake dead material from the first 5 feet around the house — no bark mulch there
• Move firewood and lumber at least 30 feet from structures
• Mow dry grass to 4 inches or less within 100 feet
• Prune tree branches 6–10 feet off the ground and away from the roof
• Remove dead plants, shrubs, and branches
• Check that house numbers are visible from the road
• Test hoses, and keep a ladder that reaches the roof
• Log the hours you spent on the community site

Defensible space guidance calls for clearing and maintaining the home ignition zones around structures in Colorado's wildfire risk areas. The zones are cumulative: the closer to the house, the stricter the standard.

Report a fire: 911. Platte Canyon Fire Protection District.