When planning a home garden through the lens of fire safety, it’s helpful to think in terms of spatial zones. Zone 1, closest to the house and extending out for 5 feet, is the most important to care for. Plantings here should be kept short, and to a minimum. Zone 2, extending from 5 to 30 feet out, can include more plantings, but they should ideally remain under two feet; grasses and lawns should be mowed to a length no greater than four inches. Prune trees up to six to ten feet from the ground, and for shorter trees, refrain from exceeding one third of the total tree height. Treetops should be no closer than ten feet from your home. Additionally, trees and shrubs should be clustered together in small groups to break up the landscape's vegetation. Finally, in the zone between 30 to 200 feet from your home, trees should be spaced a certain distance apart: at least 12 feet between treetops when planted 30 to 60 feet from the home, and at least 6 feet between treetops when planted 60 to 100 feet from the home.