Maintain Plants Along Home Exit Routes
Remove climbing vines and wood planters near windows and doors.
May is a good month to observe the health of plantings along the exit routes from your home to your vehicle. Exits may be through doors or windows and along a path to a vehicle parked on a street, a detached garage, or a meeting place with neighbors. Embers can ignite combustible material along your exit route, possibly preventing you from exiting your home or a fire fighter from entering.
- Identify the escape routes to your vehicle
- Remove or move jute door mats, wood planters and other combustible materials from your exits
- Assess the health and condition of the plants along each route
- Remove dead plant material and plant debris
- Remove vines near doors or windows
- Replace wood gates, arbors or trellises near exit routes with noncombustible material
For more information on fire-smart landscaping, visit http://marinmg.ucanr.edu/BASICS/FIRESMARTLANDSCAPING/
