Home hardening, meet curb appeal
Effectively and actively safeguard your home from wildfires.
Make your landscaping wildfire resistant
Some homeowners think that fire-smart landscaping will reduce the curb appeal of their home and property. That is not the case as shown in the designs from the wildfire resistant landscaping contest conducted at the University of California, Berkeley. A partnership with the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS), the contest was designed to produce innovative, affordable ideas for homeowners that emphasize wildfire defense while preserving attractiveness.
Landscape intentionally
Research and real-life stories have shown that it is critical to create a 0–5-foot space around your entire home that has nothing that can burn. Remove bark mulch and any other vegetation, as well as any wooden fencing that leads to your home. For this space, bare ground, pavers or stone are all acceptable and can prevent embers from starting a fire next to your home.
Clear Space
Create a 5-foot space around your home free of anything that can burn, including bark mulch, vegetation, and wood fencing.
Grass
Cut grass to no more than four inches and water regularly.
Storage & Maintenance
Remove dead vegetation and keep stored firewood 30 feet from any structures.
Planting
Choose low-growing, fire-resistant plants. Highly flammable plants include juniper, eucalyptus, rosemary, Scotch broom, grasses like pampas grass, and evergreens like juniper, cedar, cypress, fir, pine, and spruce.
Get inspired by winning designs for fire resistant landscaping
The winning designs from the Wildfire Resistant Landscaping Contest with U.C. Berkeley and IBHS highlight the beauty of wildfire resilience at a variety of price points.
Featured winners
