FREE Ember Resistant Landscape Upgrade
The RCD Helps You Prepare For Wildfires With Our FREE Ember Resistant Landscape Upgrade (0-5ft) Program.
Do you need help to prepare for wildfire season?
Are you unsure how to afford defensible space landscape upgrades?
What is the Ember Resistant Landscape Upgrade?
Our contractors will work in the most critical area for reducing the risk of ignition to your home. This area is called the Ember-Resistant Zone (ERZ) and includes the first 5 feet around your house. Contractors will remove combustible vegetation and replace it with an attractive permeable hardscape (you choose the colors!), creating a stress-free buffer around your house where embers will self-extinguish if they land there.
Do I qualify for an Ember Resistant Landscape Upgrade?
Due to certain restrictions regarding grant funding, we are only able to offer this service to community members living in certain areas of Los Angeles County. Please see the live map below to determine if you are eligible – eligible areas outlined in black.
Can 5 feet of landscaping really make a big difference?
The Ember-Resistant Zone is the first 5 feet around your home, including the structure itself. Ember ignitions are responsible for the majority of homes lost or damaged in wildfires. The objective in this zone is to avoid ignitions from windblown embers landing on or near the direct surroundings of the house and starting a fire. In the Ember-Resistant Zone, all home building materials, vegetation, equipment, outdoor furniture, toys or anything else that could be ignited by embers must be removed or replaced. Research from the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety (IBHS) shows that the first 0 to 5 feet around the house has the greatest impact on reducing the risk of losing a home to wildfire.
No vegetation is recommended within 5 feet of any structure. No landscape mulch or wood chips. Use clear soil, rocks, gravel or concrete. No trees.*
*This program will not remove mature shade trees within the ERZ.
What is Hardscape?
A “hardscape” feature is a non-combustible landscape material such as granite paths, dry creek beds, boulders, pavement, gravel, or stone walls. These can act as fuel breaks in-between islands of native vegetation and help to slow down or change the path of an approaching fire.
Hardscape: Designing Against Fire
How can I make an appointment?
Use the link below to register for your free Ember Resistant Landscape Upgrade (0-5ft). Or contact our Community Resilience Team at 818-597-8627 x 104 or via email.
A member of our team will reach out to you with scheduling details. We will also provide you with a free Wildfire Home Evaluation when you sign up for the Ember Resistant Landscape Upgrade.
To learn more about fire-wise landscaping and home hardening, visit defensiblespace.org, our one stop platform for best practices to reduce the risk of wildfire.