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Apollo NZ GlobalStart Project Brief

Fire, Fuel & Live Cooking · Wildfire answer

What Is Defensible Space Around a Home?

Defensible space is the managed area around a structure where vegetation, debris and other fuels are arranged and maintained to reduce fire intensity and improve the chance that the home can resist wildfire exposure.

Planning guidance — final supplied configuration remains project-specific.
Wildfire-aware home with managed landscape and near-building separation
01

Defensible space is layered

Firewise guidance commonly divides the Home Ignition Zone into an immediate zone at the home, an intermediate zone farther out and an extended zone beyond that. The exact requirements depend on jurisdiction, slope, vegetation and site geometry.

The principle is to reduce easy ignition near the building and reduce continuous fuel paths farther out.

02

It is not the same as removing every plant

A resilient landscape can still contain vegetation. The important factors are species, moisture, maintenance, spacing, dead material and whether plants or mulch create a continuous path into decks, fences or walls.

Local fire agencies should control the actual vegetation and spacing rules used on the project.

Wildfire visual guide · Board 06

Defensible Space & Vegetation

Reduce fuel continuity while keeping the landscape workable.Explains the landscape side of wildfire resilience: spacing, dead-fuel removal, ladder-fuel reduction and repeated maintenance from the home outward.
Read guide Open planning tool Open full board
Illustrated defensible-space board showing vegetation zones, spacing, dead material and fuel continuity around a home

Reference sources

Official guidance behind this resource.

Use these sources alongside the exact product instructions and the rules that apply at the project location.

U.S. EPA · Burn Wise archiveBackyard Recreational FiresOpen source U.S. EPA · Burn Wise archiveFacts, Health & Safety Tips for Wood BurningOpen source NFPAEducational Messages Desk Reference · Outdoor Fire & Wildfire SafetyOpen source National Weather ServiceUnderstanding Wildfire Warnings, Watches and BehaviorOpen source National Interagency Fire CenterPrepare and Protect Your HomeOpen source California Board of Forestry & Fire ProtectionDefensible Space Zones 0, 1 and 2Open source

Continue planning

Related Fire, Fuel & Live Cooking resources

Wildfire Home Ignition Zone GuideOpen resource Wildfire Home WalkaroundOpen resource

Reference this resource

Use the permanent Apollo page when sharing or citing this guide.

Link to the live page rather than a saved copy so readers reach the current Apollo planning resource and its latest product and planning links.

Permanent guide URLapollonzglobal.com/knowledge-centre/fire-fuel-live-cooking/what-is-defensible-space

Move from knowledge to project

Apply this guidance to the actual site.

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