Safety checks · SC-23

Wildfire Home Ignition Zone Check

A free printable wildfire home ignition zone check: roof and vents, the ground next to the walls and the zones beyond, measured to your fire authority's distances.

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One page. Choose your paper size — both versions are laid out identically, so neither one gets shrunk to fit.

Print it and write on it

A4 46 kB US Letter 46 kB

Fill it in type and save

A4 104 kB US Letter 104 kB

The fillable versions have real form fields — open them in any PDF reader, type into them and save. Printing help.

What this sheet is for

Clear what would carry a wildfire to the house, zone by zone, and keep a dated record of it. The photo column gives you evidence for an inspection or an insurer.

Who it is for

Homeowners and tenants in areas at risk of wildfire, and anyone preparing a property for a defensible space inspection.

How to use it

Write in the zone distances your local fire authority uses, and where they come from.
Walk from the roof outwards, ticking OK or Needs work on every line.
Photograph each problem and write the photo's number beside it.
Date each job when it is done, and repeat the check before each fire season.

What is on the sheet

One page, top to bottom:

Printed under the title: A walk from the roof out to the edge of the property, clearing what would carry fire to the house. Zone distances differ between fire authorities, so write in the ones yours uses.

Write-on lines: Property · Date · Checked by · For fire season · Immediate zone: walls out to · Intermediate: out to · Extended: out to · Distances taken from

Also printed: Check · Needs work · Done on · Photo · ROOF, GUTTERS AND VENTS · Gutters, valleys and roof edges clear of leaves and needles · Roof covering whole, no gaps at the edges or ridge · Vents and eave openings covered with intact metal mesh · Chimney cap or spark arrester in place, if fitted · Branches cut back from the roof and chimney · IMMEDIATE ZONE, NEXT TO THE WALLS · No bark mulch, dry leaves or needles against the walls · Plants and shrubs cut back from walls, windows and vents · Nothing stored under the deck, porch or stairs · Firewood, timber and bins moved away from the house · Doormats, cushions and planters off decks and steps · INTERMEDIATE ZONE · Grass mown short, cuttings raked up · Dead plants, leaves and fallen branches cleared · Low branches lifted so fire cannot climb into trees · Trees and shrubs thinned so their crowns do not touch · EXTENDED ZONE · Brush piles, cuttings and fallen wood removed · Sheds and outbuildings cleared round, like the house · ACCESS AND WATER · House number readable from the road · Drive and gateway clear, overhanging branches cut back · Hose connected and long enough to reach every side

Write-on lines: Work booked or still to do · Next check

Questions

Why are the zone distances left blank?

Because fire authorities define their zones differently, and some set clearance rules of their own. A distance copied from another region could leave the wrong ground uncleared. Write in the distances your own fire authority uses, and check the rules where you are.

Is this an official defensible space inspection?

No. It is your own record of the work. Where an authority inspects properties, it uses its own form and standards; this sheet helps you get ready for that and shows what you did and when.