Firefighter outlines wildfire preparedness for homesteads: defensible space, water and evacuation planning

Rob Rupert, a certified safety professional and wildland and structural firefighter, urged homeowners to prioritize defensible space, water access and evacuation planning during a community presentation on wildfire and homestead fire preparedness.

Rupert said creating and maintaining clear zones around structures, having a reliable water supply and planning escape routes are the three practical steps that most reduce property loss and help fire departments defend homes.

He described the Firewise-style approach to defensible space: a near-house “ignition-reduction” zone of rock or low-combustible material immediately adjacent to structures, intermediate landscaping that reduces continuous fuels, and an extended zone in which tree spacing, removal of duff and avoidance of dense, continuous fuels reduce the chance of crown fires. Rupert said embers are a major cause of structure…