Ponderosa Pines

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

Oregon defensible space guidance calls for clearing and maintaining the area around structures in Oregon's high-risk areas. The zones are cumulative: the closer to the house, the stricter the standard.

Report a fire: 911.