In a place where the Camp Fire destroyed almost every residence, simple measures saved others.

Research shows that 90% of the time homes are ignited by embers, not a wall of flames, an expert says. To combat that, create an airy, “defensible space” around your home.

The probability of a home surviving a wildfire greatly increases with two fire-wise home improvements: fire-retardant building materials and, in the yard, the creation of defensible space. Learn how to design an effective and beautiful fire-safe landscape that could save your home

Winter 2021 The western United States has experienced an unprecedented year of wildfires and drought in 2021. In California, we have been adapting our gardens…

The key to wildfire survival is preparedness. Have emergency kits, a communication plan, and an evacuation plan ready at all times. Check out these tips.

Wildfire science has come a long way in recent years to better our understanding of the conditions that accelerate and reduce wildfire risks.

Linked short stories set in the modern West probe the human desire for independence and profound connection amid a world increasingly on fire. \"Turner's assured prose brings emotional depth...This is a worthy addition to the fiction of the American West.\"--PUBLISHERS WEEKLYThe residents of Clayton, Colorado, must learn to live with what has burned and what threatens to ignite. In Defensible Spaces, a bus driver confronts a rush of memories when an old flame climbs aboard; a trailer park resident attempts to save her home; a reclusive fire mitigation worker fuels public outrage. Throughout ten linked short stories, townspeople work through relationships with alcoholism, history, and each other, negotiating where and when to create their own defensible spaces that might, but will not always, keep them protected. For fans of literary linked story collections such as Elizabeth Strout's Olive Kitteridge or Fidelity by Wendell Berry, Defensible Spaces is a nuanced and generous debut collection with the former mining town of Clayton, Colorado, at its heart.

Wildfire science has come a long way in recent years to better our understanding of the conditions that accelerate and reduce wildfire risks.

Use the following defensible space checklists to build and maintain your defensible space.

Oscar Newman’s Design Guidelines For Creating Defensible Space, 1975. Via jell-o biafra says Law enforcement endorsed urban planning. What can possibly go wrong?

Winter 2021 The western United States has experienced an unprecedented year of wildfires and drought in 2021. In California, we have been adapting our gardens…

Discover vital tips to safeguard your home against wildfires. Learn how to prepare and prevent wildfire damage with expert advice.

Studienarbeit aus dem Jahr 2017 im Fachbereich Geowissenschaften / Geographie - Bevölkerungsgeographie, Stadt- u. Raumplanung, Note: 1.3, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin (Geographisches Institut), Sprache: Deutsch, Abstract: Kriminalität und Verbrechensbekämpfung sind Herausforderungen, denen besonders in den multikulturellen USA viel Aufmerksamkeit geschenkt wird. Soziale Ungerechtigkeit, Rassendisparitäten und viele weitere Probleme sorgen für eine hohe Zahl an Gewaltvergehen. Daraus resultierten spektakuläre Versuche und Projekte zur Verbrechensbekämpfung und Kriminalitätsprävention. Der Wunsch der Bevölkerung nach mehr Sicherheit wird durch die gesteigerte Nachfrage nach geschützten sicheren Wohnkomplexen, den sogenannten Gated Communities, ersichtlich (KOFFNER 2006, 18-19). Aber auch der Fakt, dass immer mehr staatliche Siedlungsgestaltungsprojekte zur Bekämpfung von Kriminalität durchgeführt werden, bestätigt die Angst der Bevölkerung. In dieser Arbeit möchte ich auf zwei allgegenwärtige Ansätze zur Verbrechensbekämpfung näher eingehen. Zum einen die Defensible Space Theorie, die den Focus auf die Stadtplanung und die Baugestaltung zur präventiven Kriminalitätsbekämpfung legt und zum anderen die Siedlungsprojekte nach dem Leitbild der Gated Communities. Beide Ansätze finden in allen grösseren Städten oder Ballungsräumen dieser Welt Verwendung. Dabei stellt sich die Frage, wie sich die Massnahmen dieser beiden Ansätze auf die Kriminalität auswirken, ob sie Verbrechen wirksam unterbinden können oder ob es letztendlich mehr Schein als Sein ist. In der vorliegenden Arbeit wird auf die beiden Theorien detaillierter eingegangen und anhand einiger empirischer Studien kritisch diskutiert. Zuerst soll ein kurzer Einblick zur ökonomischen Theorie und welche Schlüsse sich daraus ziehen lassen gegeben werden. Nachfolgend wird der von Oscar Newman (1996) entwickelte Defensible Space Ansatz im Kapitel 2 näher erläutert, wie er ihn entwickelte und auf welchen Beobachtungen er seine Theorie stützt. Das darauffolgende Kapitel 3 beschäftigt sich mit der kriminalitätsverhütenden Siedlungsgestaltung der Gated Communities. Diesem eher deskriptiven Teil der Arbeit gliedert sich im letzten Abschnitt eine kritische Auseinandersetzung mit beiden Ansätzen an. [...] Zum Schluss wird eine kurze Zusammenfassung und Wertung der beiden Ansätze gegeben. Der nachfolgende Text versucht zumindest in Ansätzen aufzuzeigen, was Schein und was Wirklichkeit bei diesen beiden Verbrechensbekämpfungsstrategien ist.

The impact of crime in the informal settlements in cities is enormous and extends beyond civilian causalities to the destruction of infrastructure and buildings. The fear of crime and violence continues to be pervasive in cities and is one of the top concerns in citizens everyday lives. The main purpose of the study was to examine the influence of physical…

Planning a fire-smart landscape doesn't have to be hard. First, consider the existing plants, budget constraints, and maintenance requirements. Next, understand the three defensible space zones, the buffer you create between a building on your property and the grass, trees, and shrubs that surround it. The idea is to decrease the energy and speed of a

Defensible Space Defensible space is essential to improve your home’s chance of surviving a wildfire. It’s the buffer you create between a building on your property and the grass, trees, shrubs , or any wildland area that surround it. This space is needed to slow or stop the spread of wildfire and it protects your home from catching fire – either from direct flame contact or radiant heat. Defensible space is also important for the protection of the firefighters defending your home. Defensible Space Zones Two zones make up the required 100 feet of defensible space. Zone 1 Zone 1 extends 30 feet* out from buildings, structures, decks, etc. Remove all dead plants, grass and weeds (vegetation). Remove dead or dry leaves and pine needles from your yard, roof and rain gutters. Trim trees regularly to keep branches a minimum of 10 feet from other trees. Remove branches that hang over your roof and keep dead branches 10 feet away from your chimney. Relocate wood piles into Zone 2. Remove or prune flammable plants and shrubs near windows. Remove vegetation and items that could catch fire from around and under decks. Create a separation between trees, shrubs and items that could catch fire, such as patio furniture, wood piles, swing sets, etc. Zone 2 Cut or mow annual grass down to a maximum height of 4 inches. Create horizontal spacing between shrubs and trees. (See diagram) Create vertical spacing between grass, shrubs and trees. (See diagram) Remove fallen leaves, needles, twigs, bark, cones, and small branches. However, they may be permitted to a depth of 3 inches if erosion control is an issue. * San Diego County requires 50 feet of clearance in zone 1. Check with your local fire department for any additional defensible space or weed abatement ordinances. Plant and Tree Spacing The spacing between grass, shrubs, and trees is crucial to reduce the spread of wildfires. The spacing needed is determined by the type and size of brush and trees, as well as the slope of the land. For example, a property on a steep slope with larger vegetation requires greater spacing between trees and shrubs than a level property that has small, sparse vegetation. Vertical Spacing Remove all tree branches at least 6 feet from the ground. Allow extra vertical space between shrubs and trees. Lack of vertical space can allow a fire to move from the ground to the brush to the tree tops like a ladder. To determine the proper vertical spacing between shrubs and the lowest branches of trees, use the formula below. Example: A five foot shrub is growing near a tree. 3x5 = 15 feet of clearance needed between the top of the shrub and the lowest tree branch. Horizontal Spacing Horizontal spacing depends on the slope of the land and the height of the shrubs or trees. Check the chart below to determine spacing distance. Fire-Safe Landscaping Fire-safe landscaping isn't necessarily the same thing as a well-maintained yard. Fire-safe landscaping uses fire-resistant plants that are strategically planted to resist the spread of fire to your home. The good news is that you don't need to spend a lot of money to make your landscape fire-safe. And fire-safe landscaping can increase your property value and conserve water while beautifying your home.

When first published, Newman’s book made a big splash. It was received positively as a fresh approach to combat urban crime, as well as negatively as a new form of architectural determinism. Although read much less today, it still causes controversy. A few months ago I read in Anne Minton’s Big Capital, Who is London for? that Newman’s book was a sort of neo-conservative conspiracy and at the origins of demolition of social housing in both the US and the UK. Minton also blamed it for ‘high-security housing estates where gates, grilles and forbidding high fences have become the norm’.

Coronado National Forest - Resource Management

Winter 2021 The western United States has experienced an unprecedented year of wildfires and drought in 2021. In California, we have been adapting our gardens…

The probability of a home surviving a wildfire greatly increases with two fire-wise home improvements: fire-retardant building materials and, in the yard, the creation of defensible space. Learn how to design an effective and beautiful fire-safe landscape that could save your home

Driving around the Santa Cruz Mountains lately, I have noticed a trend towards denuding the understory, thinning trees, limbing up remaining trees, and chipping everything that can fit through an industrial sized chipper. As a native plant and wildlife lover, it is hard to see such a change in the l

The probability of a home surviving a wildfire greatly increases with two fire-wise home improvements: fire-retardant building materials and, in the yard, the creation of defensible space. Learn how to design an effective and beautiful fire-safe landscape that could save your home

Call us for a quote on creating defensible space for your Colorado home. (719)400-9104. Brush clearing, tree removal and scrub oak fire mitigation.

Architecture Language : What is (Defensible space)?

As homeowners continue to build in the wildland urban interface, they must take special precautions to protect their homes. One way to do this is to create a defensible space around the home, and one important factor can be using fire-resistant plants in landscaping. While taking actions to create a defensible space do not ensure that your home will survive a wildfire, they substantially increase the chances. This publication provides a diverse list of plants that are both fire resistant and attractive. You can order printed copies for $3 each or view for free online.

Prepare for embers flying in from a mile or more away.

This publication provides help for homeowners who want to reduce the wildfire risk around their homes or on their forest property by creating defensible space.

Defensible space is an important part of homeownership in Arizona to help protect your home from wildfires. We hear talk about “Wildfire Season” and we can all agree that this year, wildfire season has certainly kicked off with a bang. Of course, is it ever not really wildfire season in Arizona? Talking Glass Media was able to take some time […]

The probability of a home surviving a wildfire greatly increases with two fire-wise home improvements: fire-retardant building materials and, in the yard, the creation of defensible space. Learn how to design an effective and beautiful fire-safe landscape that could save your home