As we get deeper into fire season, now is a good time to assess your landscape for immediate fire risk and take action. When evaluating fire risk, think lean, clean, and green, and start at the house and work out.
With these principles in mind, we’ll focus on Zone 0, the first 5 feet surrounding your home. Next month we will focus on Zone 1.
A Clean Zone 0
Remove any combustible materials that are within 5 feet of your home. This includes (but not limited to) wood-based mulches, leaf litter and woody or dead plant materials, wood piles, and furniture. Clean under raised decks and in wind eddies that trap debris. Also, remove any plant debris from your roof and gutters.
A Lean and Green Zone 0
It is best practice to remove plants from Zone 0. However, if you have plants in this area, consider removing woody plants, keeping plants low to the ground, and keeping plants away from windows, doors, and combustible siding. Having ample space between plants will help slow the spread of fire, and properly irrigate your plants to keep your plants green and healthy through the summer.
Ongoing maintenance of Zone 0 is critical.
Additional learning resources:
Fire-smart landscape maintenance
For more information on Fire Smart Landscaping from the Marin Master Gardeners, click here.
