Defensible Space

« Back to Land-Use Planning Dictionary

A determined area in which to defend oneself or property, defined as 1) a 30-foot non-combustible barrier between urban and wildland areas, in regards to firefighting and fire prevention, or 2) any open spaces, entry points, or pathways created to give residents or rightful property users opportunities to defend against criminal activities, in reference to urban areas.

In the context of fire control, defensible space is a natural and/or landscaped area around a structure that has been maintained and designed to reduce fire danger. The practice is sometimes called firescaping. “Defensible space” is also used in the context of wildfires, especially in the wildland-urban interface.

Scroll to Top