Winter is a great time to prune plants for fire safety. All plants can burn, but removing or
trimming branches now can reduce potential fuels and create space between plants and plant
groupings to slow or interrupt the path of fire to your home during wildfire season.
Before you begin, you should understand how to prune for the health and aesthetics of your trees
and shrubs. Knowing when to prune is also important since some plants, including many natives,
should be pruned during our dry summer months when they are dormant.
To prune for fire safety, start at your house and work out.
● Remove dead and dying branches and plants
● Remove branches within 10 feet of your chimney consult an arborist)
● Tall branches within 5 ft of your gutters increase plant debris on your roof and in your gutters.
Diligently clean the debris and consider consulting with an arborist to create clearance without
detriment of the tree’s health.
● Dense branches hide flammable debris in their interior that can easily ignite. Thin the branches
to create space within the structure.
● Dense planting groups create a path for fire to rapidly spread to your home. Thin/reduce or
remove.
● Thin/reduce branches that interfere with your walkways and paths may impact your ability to evacuate.
For pruning how-to and timing information, check out these helpful videos.
For more about Fire Smart Gardening, Marin garden advice and events, or to reach out
to us with garden questions, click here.
