FILE PHOTO: Flames explode from untrimmed weeds and shrubs during the Bautista Fire in June 2020 in Anza. Anza Valley Outlook/Diane Sieker photo
When authorities talk about defensible space – the area between your home and a potential fiery disaster – they are being serious. The Rock Fire in Anza that torched 295 acres Aug. 24 brought that into perspective. Four homes and seven outbuildings were destroyed. Well-maintained defensible space helped save at least one home from the flames.Mowing, weed whacking, pruning and relocating combustible materials like firewood piles are advised to help create a buffer between structures and a possible inferno. Anza Valley residents are familiar with the dangers of not maintaining a buffer zone and the importance of employing hazard reduction methods to keep it in good shape.The state recommends that light fuels such as grass, small shrubs and weeds should be abated and tree branches
