Defending Homes Against Wildfires

Over the last decade, California has seen some of the most destructive and costly wildfires in U.S. history.

As cities continue to expand and homes are built closer to foothills, dense vegetation and extreme weather is an increasingly dangerous combination for high fire risk neighborhoods. During Wildfire Preparedness Week, May 4 to 10, it's crucial to recognize the importance of being proactive.

One of the best ways to defend against the threat of wildfire is with well-maintained brush clearance. That means creating at least five feet of defensible space between your property and surrounding greenery - a buffer that can make all the difference in keeping embers from entering your home. This includes plants, trees and shrubs, but also debris and other materials that could ignite during a fire and spread to homes.

SCE offers a 'Right Tree, Right Place' program to help customers plant trees in the safest possible locations.

"As we in the fire service endure what has become a year-round wildfire season, so too are the communities we are sworn to protect, particularly those who live in and around the wildland urban interface," said Brian Fennessy, fire chief of the Orange County Fire Authority. "Of all the measures these homeowners can take to protect their property and loved ones from wildfire, none are more effective than creating defensible space"

While having fewer plants is the most fire-safe landscape option, if customers decide to spruce up their lawns, SCE's 'Right Tree, Right Place' program helps identify proper planting technique, so trees don't grow too close to power lines. Spacing between grass, shrubs and trees is also crucial in slowing wildfire spread.

To further boost wildfire resiliency in neighborhoods, residents can participate in CERT programs, which provide extra training for emergency situations - some local options include FireSafe Councils and Firewise USA®.

SCE's wildfire mitigation efforts include:

• Annual equipment inspections in high fire risk areas - so far, SCE has completed nearly 55,000 distribution inspections and more than 6,100 transmission inspections this year.
• Annual inspections of 1.6 million trees across SCE's 50,000-square-mile service area. More than half are in high fire risk areas.
• SCE's vegetation management work also includes brush removal around power lines and drone inspections.
• This year, SCE has cleared brush around more than 46,000 structures.

For more information on SCE's wildfire mitigation efforts visit sce.com/wildfire.