Ponderosa PalisadesFirewise Community · Truckee, CA

Defensible Space

Defensible space is the buffer you create between your home and any bushes, trees, or litter. Defensible space also includes the removal of combustible material on your deck and porches— think firewood and wooden wicker furniture too! This reduces the chances of embers igniting your home, and slows an approaching fire, giving firefighters a safer area to defend your home. Truckee Fire organizes defensible space into three zones:

Diagram of Zone 0, Zone 1, and Zone 2 defensible space around a home

Diagram via Truckee Fire Protection District's Defensible Space page.

Zone 0 — 0 to 5 feet

The most critical zone

  • No combustible plants, planters, mulch, furniture, etc.
  • Replace wooden fences touching house with something non-combustible
  • Clear roofs, gutters, and branches within 10 feet of house, especially windows
  • Move firewood away at least 30 ft in the summer. Do NOT store under your deck or against your house!!

Zone 1 — 5 to 30 feet

Think lean, clean, and green

  • Remove dead plants, weeds, and debris
  • Trim tree branches up to at least 6 feet from the ground
  • Keep grass cut to 4 inches or less
  • Create discontinuous tree and shrub canopies

Zone 2 — 30 to 100 feet

(or to the property line)

  • Space out shrubs and trees so fire can’t easily jump between them
  • Limit duff (fallen leaves and needles) to 3 inches deep
  • Keep woodpiles at least 10 feet from other fuels, down to bare soil

Help is available! Truckee Fire offers free defensible space inspections. Contact Truckee Fire directly to schedule one.

  • Dead tree removal rebate — get reimbursed 50% of the cost to remove a dead tree, up to $2,000. Details on the Defensible Space page.
  • Free green waste pickup — Measure T funds free curbside pickup of brush, limbs, and trunks. See truckeefire.org/greenwaste for what qualifies and how to schedule.
  • Green waste dumpster rebate — get reimbursed 75% of the rental cost of a 6-yard green waste dumpster (2026 season, while funds last). Rebate form and details on the same green waste page.

Legal Notes

  • All of Truckee is in a High or Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone.
  • California state law (Public Resource Code 4291) requires 100 feet of defensible space around structures, extending to the property line.
  • Truckee Fire's local ordinance (01-2019) goes further than the state minimum and is enforced within our district.
  • Since 2021, state law (AB 38) requires home sellers in high-risk zones to disclose defensible space compliance to buyers.

Proud of the work you've done? See what neighbors have shared — and add your own — on the Neighbors in the Wild page.