Our Defensible Space Service
We are Lake Tahoe’s premier Defensible Space company with a fleet of skilled workers necessary to facilitate Defensible Space guidelines set forth by counties, government, HOA, and cities. Defensible space will reduce the risk of wildfire destroying your home.
We are approved defensible space contractors for fire districts,
forestry departments, and homeowners associations in the Truckee / Tahoe / South Lake Tahoe area.
Examples of Defensible Space jobs we have done in the past are:
- Pine Needle Removal
- Ladder Fire Prevention
- Crown Fire Reduction
- Live Flammable Ground Cover Removal
- Tree Limbing
- Tree Removal
- Brush Removal
- Sage Brush Removal
- Vegetation Removal
- Tree Canopy Reduction
- Surface Fuels Reduction
- Logs & Stumps Removal
- Firewood Relocation
- Hardscape Install
- Fire Insurance
- Wildfire Fuel Reduction
Recent Projects
Step 1- Know Your Distance
The recommended distance of defensible space is different for all homes. The types of vegetation and terrain are key factors when deciding how far out to extend the Defensible Space Zone. Most properties need 100-200 feet of defensible space.
Step 2- Remove the Dead
Within the Defensible Space Zone, remove all dead vegetation including dying trees, shrubs, grass, weeds, fallen branches, thick accumulations of needles and leaves, etc. Remove fallen needles and leaves within 30 feet from the house every spring, and don’t allow a depth of more than 3 inches of depth beyond 30 feet from the house.
Step 3- Create Separation
Areas of dense vegetation pose significant wildfire threats. Thin dense tree and shrub stands to allow for more separation between continuous fuels.
Step 4- Remove Ladder Fuels
Vegetation allowing fire to climb up from the forest floor to the canopy, are known as ladder fuels. Smaller vegetation such as shrubs and young trees should be cleared away from beneath larger trees.
Step 5- Lean, Clean, and Green
Within 30 feet of your home, remove fuels that ignite easily such as dead shrubs and trees, dried grass, pine needles, firewood, etc. Create a 5-foot non-combustible zone around the perimeter of your home, and keep your landscaping well-maintained.