As scientists who study how vegetation ignites and burns, we recognize that well-maintained plants and trees can actually help protect homes from wind-blown embers and slow the spread of fire in some cases. So, we are concerned about new wildfire protection regulations being developed by the state of California that would prohibit almost all plants and other combustible material within 5 feet of homes, an area known as “Zone 0.”
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Remove dead vegetation. OP’s article specifically states that the new bill Gov. Dipshit is trying to fast track would ban all plants and vegetation from within 5’ of a dwelling, including grass. This is now likely to include wood fences, wood pergolas, etc. My question is, what about people who’s houses are sided with wood? I live in the mountains here in CA, and most houses are wood sided. We have strict weed abatement rules as well as defensible space requirements, but like the article says, removing healthy trees and other greenery is actually more of a detriment in a fire scenario. A bigger emphasis should be promoting fire-resistant building materials, and perhaps tax incentives to do so. Metal roofs, plaster/concrete siding, etc.
Agreed. As we saw a few months back, 5 feet is nothing when you have triple digit windspeeds sending ash, embers, and still on fire bits of tree along.
That’s in the article too.
I don’t know their reasoning for the 5’ and I live in a different climate, but ….
Maybe it’s as simple as avoiding things that catch dead leaves near the house
The 5’ is called defensible space here in the mountains, it gives firefighters room to work.