Fire Safety Resources

Practical steps you can take to reduce wildfire risk to your home and property. Every action makes a difference.

Defensible Space

Defensible space is the buffer zone you create between your home and the surrounding wildland area. This space is required by California law (up to 100 feet) and is key to slowing or stopping wildfire spread.

Zone 00–5 feet

Ember-Resistant Zone

Use gravel, pavers, or concrete instead of combustible mulch
Remove dead leaves and debris from roof, gutters, and under decks
Ensure no combustible items on or under decks
Move firewood piles away from structures

Zone 15–30 feet

Lean, Clean, & Green Zone

Remove dead plants, grass, and weeds
Keep tree branches 10+ feet from other trees
Trim trees so lowest branches are 6–10 feet from ground
Create spacing between shrubs and trees

Zone 230–100 feet

Reduced Fuel Zone

Cut grass to 4 inches or less
Create horizontal spacing between shrubs and trees
Remove fallen leaves, needles, bark, and small branches
Reduce density of tall trees for 10-foot canopy spacing

Learn more from CAL FIRE

Vegetation Management

Proper landscaping reduces fire fuel near your home. Here are key vegetation management practices for our area.

Choose fire-resistant plants

Opt for high-moisture, low-resin plants. Many native California species are naturally more fire-resistant. Avoid highly flammable plants like juniper, eucalyptus, and pampas grass.

Maintain your landscape regularly

Remove dead vegetation promptly. Prune trees and shrubs regularly. Keep grass mowed during fire season (May through October).

Create fuel breaks

Use driveways, walkways, patios, and gravel areas as fuel breaks. Separate groups of vegetation with hardscape or well-watered lawns.

Manage trees properly

Remove dead branches and thin dense tree canopies. Keep branches 10 feet from chimney outlets. Remove branches hanging over your roof.

Address slopes

Fire moves faster uphill. If your property is on a slope, extend your defensible space beyond the minimum requirements.

Free Chipping Through the Placer County Chipper Program

The Placer County Resource Conservation District will chip the branches and brush you clear from your defensible space, so you don't have to haul them away. Stack your piles according to the program requirements, then submit a request.

August 2026 special: for requests submitted between August 1 and August 31, Placer County residents receive their first hour of chipping free (normally $80/hour with a one-hour minimum). Limit one free service per household. Only submit a request once your piles are ready to chip.

Requirements & request form

Fire-Smart Landscaping in the Sierra Foothills

Excellent guide from UC Cooperative Extension on choosing and placing native plants to create fire-smart landscapes in our region.

View PDF

Home Hardening

Embers from a wildfire can travel over a mile and are the #1 cause of home ignition during wildfires. Hardening your home against embers is one of the most effective things you can do.

Roof

Use Class A fire-rated roofing materials. Clear debris from roof and gutters regularly.

Vents

Install 1/8" metal mesh on all vents to prevent ember entry. Consider ember-resistant vents.

Windows

Use dual-pane tempered glass windows. Single-pane windows can break from radiant heat.

Siding

Use ignition-resistant materials like stucco, brick, or fiber cement. Repair/replace damaged siding.

Decks

Use non-combustible or fire-resistant decking material. Keep area under and around decks clear of debris.

Gutters

Install metal gutter guards. Clean gutters regularly to remove leaves and pine needles.

Eaves

Box in eaves with ignition-resistant materials. Open eaves can trap embers.

Fencing

Use non-combustible fencing material where it connects to the house. Metal fencing near structures is ideal.

Emergency Preparedness

Being prepared before a wildfire occurs is critical. Have a plan, know your routes, and be ready to evacuate.

Create a “Go Bag”

Prepare a bag with essentials that you can grab immediately:

Important documents (copies)
Medications & prescriptions
Phone chargers & battery pack
Water & non-perishable food
First aid kit
Flashlight & batteries
Cash & credit cards
Change of clothes

Know Your Evacuation Routes

Plan at least two ways out of your neighborhood. Practice your routes so you can navigate them under stress. Sign up for Placer County emergency alerts to receive real-time evacuation notices.

When Evacuating

Leave early—don't wait for mandatory orders. Close all windows and doors but leave them unlocked. Turn on outside lights to help firefighters find your home in heavy smoke. Move flammable furniture to the center of rooms, away from windows.

Insurance & Your Wildfire Risk

California's Safer from Wildfires regulation requires insurers to give credit for wildfire mitigation—on your structure, your immediate surroundings, and at the community level. The work you do to protect your home is worth asking about on your next renewal.

We are a recognized Firewise USA® site

Firewise USA® recognition is one of the two community-level factors insurers must account for, and it applies to every home inside our community boundary. Ask your insurer directly whether your policy reflects the Firewise USA® community credit—filed discounts range from under 1% to 20% of the wildfire portion of the premium, depending on the carrier.

Placer County is on the state's Fire Risk Reduction Community List

The California Board of Forestry and Fire Protection added the County of Placer to its 2026 Fire Risk Reduction Community List, effective July 1, 2026. This is the other community-level factor under Safer from Wildfires.

One detail worth knowing: the state list names the County of Placer, not the City of Auburn, and much of our community sits within Auburn city limits. Ask your insurer whether the county designation applies at your specific address. Either way, the designation strengthens wildfire prevention grant applications from the county, the Placer County Resource Conservation District, and the Greater Auburn Area Fire Safe Council—all of which fund work in and around our neighborhood.

What to ask your insurer

Does my policy include the Firewise USA® community discount? If not, why not?
What documentation do you need from our community to apply it?
Does the Placer County Fire Risk Reduction Community designation apply at my address?
What credit do I get for a Class A roof, ember-resistant vents, and a clear 0–5 foot zone?

We can't give insurance advice—discounts vary by carrier and by property, and only your insurer can tell you what applies to your policy.

Safer from Wildfires (CA Dept. of Insurance)Official Fire Risk Reduction Community List