UC Marin Master Gardeners share this fire-smart landscaping tip for the month of June:
Clean up your Zone Zero. Zone Zero extends zero to five feet from structures, including the building itself, and should be completely free of combustibles.
- Clean-up areas where wind eddies deposit leaf and plant litter along the perimeter of your home, on the roof, and combustibles under decks.
- Clear dead debris from flowerbeds close to the house and any combustible mulches.
- Remove dead, damaged and diseased plant branches, trees and shrubs. Dispose of the material in your green waste bin.
- Any vegetation should be pruned back and kept hydrated especially along exit routes. Placement and maintenance of plants are more important than type of plant.
- Move common combustible fire hazards away from the area immediately surrounding your home including brooms, rakes, plastic bins, wood furniture, furniture cushions, wood piles, and natural fiber door mats. Move these items as far away from the house as possible – or indoors if a nearby wildfire threatens.
Find more fire-smart landscaping tips at Marin Master Gardeners.
