Wildfire Buffer Vertical Spacing

03/09/23

“Why do we need to keep space between shrubs and trees to prevent wildfires?”

Wildfires can travel from flammable material to flammable material. This isn’t limited to one direction and can scale from the ground or shrubs to trees if they’re close enough. For this reason, it is recommended that planners implement Wildfire Buffer Vertical Spacing. This commonly comes in the form of ensuring all tree branches are at least six feet from the ground and/or four times the height of the shrubs beneath them. If done properly, this vertical spacing can make a place much more resilient to fires.