A defensible space, in the context of fire control, is a natural and/or landscaped area around a structure that has been maintained and designed to reduce fire danger. The practice is sometimes called firescaping. "Defensible space" is also used in the context of wildfires, especially in the wildland-urban interface (WUI). This defensible space reduces the risk that fire will spread from one area to another, or to a structure, and provides firefighters access and a safer area from which to defend a threatened area. Firefighters sometimes do not attempt to protect structures without adequate defensible space, as it is less safe and less likely to succeed.

Criteria

Landscape use

The term defensible space in landscape ("firescape") use refers to the 100 ft zone surrounding a structure. Often the location is in the wildland–urban interface. This area need not be devoid of vegetation by using naturally fire resistive plants that are spaced, pruned and trimmed, and irrigated, to minimize the fuel mass available to ignite and also to hamper the spread of a fire. An important component is ongoing maintenance of the fire-resistant landscaping for reduced fuel loads and fire fighting access. Fire-resistive plants that are not maintained can desiccate, die, or amass deadwood debris, and become fire assistive. Irrigation systems and pruning can help maintain a plant's fire resistance. Maintaining access roads and driveways clear of side and low-hanging vegetation can allow large fire equipment to reach properties and structures. Some agencies recommend clearing combustible vegetation at minimum horizontal 10 ft from roads and driveways a vertical of 13 ft above them. Considering the plant material involved is important to not create unintended consequences to habitat integrity and unnecessary aesthetic issues. Street signs, and homes clearly identified with the numerical address, assist access also.

Unintended consequences

The unintended negative consequences of erosion and native habitat loss can result from some unskillful defensible space applications. The disturbance of the soil surface, such as garden soil cultivation in and firebreaks beyond native landscape zones areas, destroys the native plant cover and exposes open soil, accelerating invasive species of plants ("invasive exotics") spreading and replacing native habitats. In suburban and wildland–urban interface areas, the vegetation clearance and brush removal ordinances of municipalities for defensible space can result in mistaken excessive clearcutting of native and non-invasive introduced shrubs and perennials that exposes the soil to more light and less competition for invasive plant species, and also to erosion and landslides. Negative aesthetic consequences to natural and landscaped areas can be minimized with integrated and balanced defensible space practices.