Fire Break

A gap in vegetation or other combustible material that is created intentionally to slow or stop the progress of a wildfire. Fire breaks can be natural, such as a river or a rocky area, or they can be man-made, such as a wide, cleared strip of land or a road. By removing fuel sources, fire breaks help to limit a fire’s ability to spread and provide firefighters with a strategic advantage in their efforts to control and extinguish wildfires. In legal disputes related to wildfires, such as the Calf Canyon/Hermit’s Peak Fire, issues may arise concerning the adequacy and maintenance of fire breaks, the allocation of resources for their creation, and the responsibility of various parties in preventing and controlling wildfires through the effective use of fire breaks and other mitigation strategies.