Landscaping for Wildfire Defensible Space Around Colorado Springs

Quick answer

The Colorado State Forest Service divides defensible space into three zones: 0 to 5 feet from the house, 5 to 30 feet, and 30 to 100 feet. The first five feet needs the most work: keep it noncombustible with rock, hardscape and very low, well-watered plants, and remove debris. Farther out, reduce and space vegetation so fire can't climb or spread easily.

Last updated October 22, 2026

Wildfire is a landscaping issue in the Pikes Peak region. The 2012 Waldo Canyon Fire burned into the Mountain Shadows neighborhood on the west side of Colorado Springs, and the 2013 Black Forest Fire destroyed hundreds of homes northeast of the city. Many neighborhoods on the west side, in the foothills, in Manitou Springs, Woodland Park, Monument and Black Forest sit in the wildland-urban interface, where homes meet grass, shrubland and forest. How the yard is planted and maintained affects whether embers and flames can reach the house. This guide explains the basics in landscaping terms.

The home ignition zone

The Colorado State Forest Service (CSFS) describes defensible space in three zones around each building, including detached garages and sheds:

Zone 1, 0 to 5 feet: the area that requires the most vigilant work.
Zone 2, 5 to 30 feet: a transition area where fuels are reduced.
Zone 3, 30 to 100 feet: the outer area, extending 100 feet from the home on relatively flat ground and farther on steep slopes.

CSFS publishes a detailed Home Ignition Zone guide with checklists. Your local CSFS field office and fire department can give site-specific advice, and the Colorado Springs Fire Department runs a wildfire mitigation program for city residents.

Zone 1: the first five feet

Many homes that burn in wildfires are ignited by embers that land in dry, flammable material right next to the house. That makes the first five feet the most important part of the landscape. In practical terms:

Use noncombustible ground cover. Rock mulch, gravel, pavers or concrete instead of wood mulch, bark or rubber mulch.
Keep plants sparse, low and well watered, or leave the zone unplanted. Avoid shrubs and junipers against the siding.
Clear debris. Remove leaves and needles from gutters, roofs, decks and under them.
Keep clearance. CSFS recommends six inches of vertical clearance between the ground and siding.
Replace combustible fencing or gates, at least within five feet of the home.

This lines up with advice for expansive soils, where CSU Extension recommends keeping regularly watered plants away from the foundation. A rock mulch band with a few low, drip-irrigated plants can serve both purposes.

Zone 2: 5 to 30 feet

The goal here is to break up continuous fuel so fire stays on the ground and moves slowly. Landscaping steps include:

Spacing trees and shrubs so their crowns don't touch, with more space on slopes.
Removing ladder fuels by pruning lower tree branches and keeping shrubs out from under trees.
Mowing grasses short, especially in late summer and fall when they cure.
Using hardscape, gravel paths and irrigated lawn or beds as breaks.
Moving firewood and other combustibles out of this zone.

Zone 3: 30 to 100 feet

On larger lots in Black Forest, Monument and Woodland Park, the outer zone often means forest thinning: removing dead trees, reducing dense stands, and cleaning up slash. That work is often better suited to a forestry or tree service than a landscaping company, and CSFS can advise on forest health and approved practices.

Plant choices

No plant is fireproof, but some are less likely to ignite and carry fire. In general, fire-resistant landscape plants have moist, supple leaves, little dead material, low resin or oil content, and an open growth habit. Plants that hold dry, dead material or are rich in resins, such as junipers and many conifers, are riskier near the house. Maintenance matters as much as species: a well-watered, pruned perennial bed burns far less readily than a neglected one. The El Paso County Extension office's native plant demonstration garden includes a fire-resistant garden, and CSU Extension and CSFS publish fire-resistant plant information for Colorado.

Avoid plants on Colorado's noxious weed lists. Cheatgrass, in particular, cures early and can carry fire quickly through open areas.

Balancing water rules and fire safety

Under Colorado Springs Utilities rules, drip irrigation and hand watering may be used at any time for trees, shrubs and gardens, which makes it easier to keep plants near the house hydrated without using overhead sprinklers on the restricted schedule. A small irrigated lawn or bed can act as a green break in Zone 2. Native grass areas should be mowed down before they cure in late summer.

Slopes and erosion

Fire risk increases on slopes because fire moves faster uphill, so CSFS recommends extending defensible space farther downhill from the house. After thinning, keep soil covered to prevent erosion: native grasses, erosion blankets and rock in channels. Burned or freshly cleared slopes can produce flash flooding and debris flows in summer storms, as communities below the Waldo Canyon burn scar saw in the years after that fire.

What drives the cost

Defensible-space landscaping costs depend on the size of the lot and how much vegetation must be removed, how steep the terrain is, haul-off or chipping of material, how much wood mulch is replaced with rock, irrigation changes, and new plantings. Thinning a wooded acreage lot is a very different job from re-mulching a suburban foundation bed. Get written estimates that separate removal, haul-off, materials and planting.

Questions to ask a landscaper

Are you familiar with the CSFS Home Ignition Zone guide?
What will you put in the first five feet, and why?
How will you handle irrigation for plants near the house?
Will tree thinning be done by your company or a tree service, and are they insured?
Do HOA covenants affect what we can remove or plant?

Bottom line

A fire-wise landscape in Colorado Springs starts with the first five feet around the house, then works outward. It can still be attractive and water-wise. If you want help redesigning beds, swapping mulch or planning a defensible-space project, request a landscaping company and mention that wildfire safety is a goal.

Frequently asked questions

Is wood mulch bad near my house in a wildfire area?

Colorado State Forest Service guidance treats the first five feet around the home as the most critical zone. Noncombustible ground cover such as rock, gravel or pavers is the safer choice there.

Are junipers a problem?

Junipers are resinous and tend to hold dead material, so they are a poor choice next to the house in wildfire-prone areas. Keep them out of the first five feet and well spaced farther out, or replace them.

Who can assess my property for wildfire risk?

Your local Colorado State Forest Service field office and fire department can advise. The Colorado Springs Fire Department runs a wildfire mitigation program for city residents.

Sources and further reading

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