Outdoor Living · Wildfire-ready yard
A yard that works with the house in fire season
Most homes lost to wildfire are lit by embers, not a wall of flame, and embers land in the first few feet around the house. What's built and planted there matters as much as the house itself. We build to these principles on every home, even where the code doesn't yet ask for them.
Every Bedrock home
Three zones around your home
Fire experts plan the ground around a house in three rings. The closer to the walls, the stricter the rule.
The first 5 feet: nothing to burn
The strip right around the house is where embers do the most damage. We finish it in gravel or concrete, not bark mulch or shrubs, and keep plants, firewood, and wood fences out of it.
Embers land on rock, not mulch
Siding and vents stay clear
5 to 30 feet: lean, clean, and green
Out to 30 feet, plants are spaced apart, kept watered and trimmed, and chosen from fire-resistant kinds. Lawn, gravel paths, and patios make good firebreaks here.
Fire slows before it reaches the house
Room for firefighters to work
30 to 100 feet: thin the fuel
Farther out, trees are thinned so their crowns don't touch, lower branches are limbed up, and dead brush is cleared. This is usually the owner's ongoing job, often with help from a local forester or fire crew.
Keeps a crown fire from reaching the house
Decks and fences that don't lead fire in
Gravel under the deck, metal flashing where it meets the wall, and steel or metal where a fence touches the house. Fire-rated decking is there if your site calls for it.
No fuel hiding under the deck
No fence-line path to the wall
A house that resists embers
The yard only works with a house that holds up too: a metal roof, siding that won't burn low on the walls, closed soffits, and fine metal mesh on every vent. Each has its own page.
Roof, walls, and eaves work with the yard
Ahead of the code
Not required yet. Built in anyway.
Washington’s wildfire building code is on hold while the state redraws its wildfire hazard maps, so most permits in Okanogan County don’t ask for these details yet. They cost little during construction and are hard to add later, so we build them into every home.
Free home wildfire risk assessments are available through the Okanogan Conservation District
FAQ
Common questions
What is defensible space?
The area around your home kept clear of things that burn easily, so a wildfire slows down and embers find nothing to light. It's usually planned in three zones: the first 5 feet, 5 to 30 feet, and 30 to 100 feet out.
Is there a wildfire building code in Okanogan County?
Not right now. Washington's wildland-urban interface code is on hold while the state finishes new wildfire hazard maps, so most permits here don't add fire requirements yet. We build to these principles anyway, because they cost little during construction and are hard to add later.
Can I get a wildfire assessment of my property?
Yes. The Okanogan Conservation District offers free home wildfire risk assessments. It's a good walk-through to do before landscaping, and we're happy to build to its recommendations.
Building on a wooded or grassy site?
We'll walk the site with you and plan the house and the ground around it together.