Under the house and lānai
Clear stored items that could burn and windblown debris from under raised homes, decks, and lānai. Check again after windy weather.
FIREWISE AT HOME · WAILUKU COUNTRY ESTATES
Defensible space
around your home
Clearing dry grass, dead plants, and fallen leaves around your home can help reduce wildfire risk. Start next to the house and work outward.
Start with the first 5 feet- 0–5 feet Immediate zone
- 5–30 feet Intermediate zone
- 30–100 feet Extended zone
WHY IT MATTERS
Clear space around your home
Defensible space is the area around a building where you reduce the amount of material that can burn. The building needs attention too, including its roof, vents, siding, windows, and decks. This work lowers wildfire risk, but it does not make a home fireproof.
Learn more: NFPA · Preparing your home for wildfires ↗
01
IMMEDIATE ZONE
0–5 feet
Start with the house, decks, and porches.
Keep the area next to your home clear
- Replace wood mulch with gravel, crushed stone, or other materials that do not burn. Keep these areas free of leaves and debris.
- Clear leaves from roofs and gutters. Remove debris caught between deck boards.
- Remove dead plants and stored items that could burn from under decks and lānai.
- Trim branches that hang over the house, porch, or deck. Have a qualified professional check the roof and openings where embers could get inside.
Source: NFPA guide to preparing your home ↗HWMO Wildfire LOOKOUT! ↗
02
INTERMEDIATE ZONE
5–30 feet
Leave gaps between planted areas.
Leave room between plants
- Keep grass no taller than 4 inches and remove dead plants.
- Remove plants beneath trees that could carry flames into the branches. On larger trees, prune lower branches to 6–10 feet above the ground. On shorter trees, do not prune higher than one-third of the tree’s height.
- Plant trees and shrubs in small groups with paths or clear spaces between them.
- Allow room for trees to grow so their branches stay at least 10 feet from the house. Ask a local fire or forestry professional how much space your trees need, especially on sloping ground.
03
EXTENDED ZONE
30–100 feet
Look beyond the yard.
Clear dead plants and fallen branches
- Remove dead plants and piles of fallen leaves and branches.
- Keep plants away from sheds and other buildings.
- Leave space between the branches of neighboring trees. The distance depends on the slope, tree species, and nearby plants.
Work only on your own property. Talk with neighbors if their trees or plants are close to your home. On larger agricultural lots, ask a local fire or forestry professional whether more work is needed beyond 100 feet from the house.
REGULAR UPKEEP
Around your property in Hawaiʻi
Check these areas regularly as plants grow back and leaves collect.
Fast-growing grasses
Guinea grass and fountain grass grow quickly and can dry out. Remove clippings and cut back new growth regularly. Clear fallen ironwood needles and branches.
Mowing and equipment
Do not mow when it is hot or windy, or when plants are dry. Keep equipment and spark arrestors in good working order. Do not park hot vehicles on dry grass.
Sources: Ready, Set, Go! brochureHWMO’s Wildfire LOOKOUT! guidance ↗
DOWNLOAD THE BROCHURE
Ready, Set, Go! Hawaiʻi
These two pages from the Ready, Set, Go! Hawaiʻi guide explain defensible space and show cleanup tasks you can do around your home.
PDF · 2 pages · 282 KB
Download original brochureEMERGENCY PLANNING
Make a plan for your household
Visit our preparedness page for official alerts and evacuation information. During an emergency, follow instructions from emergency officials. Call 911 if you need immediate help.