Starting them young! Mike Baldwin’s granddaughter is already doing her part to make Kensington safer—one handful of brush at a time. Zone 0 has never had a cuter cleanup crew! 💚
Fall Dumpathon Wrap-Up: Another Great Success!
Our 13th annual Fall Dumpathon is officially in the books! Over the 10-day event, all 12 dumpsters were put to good use. Five filled up and had to be replaced so residents could keep loading and one was filled and replaced twice! We collected more than 600 cubic yards of wildfire fuel.
Funders for the Dumpathon include San Diego Fire-Rescue, The San Diego Regional Fire Foundation, San Diego River Conservancy, Councilman Sean Elo-Rivera and Kensington residents. ESD also donates dumpsters for this event.
Download the Welcome to Kensington flyer here.
Zone Zero Guidelines Are Here!
The highly anticipated Zone Zero Guidelines for Existing Structures have just been released by the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department. This is an important step forward in wildfire safety.
Zone Zero refers to the first five feet around your home, one of the most critical areas for preventing structure ignition from wind-driven embers. These new guidelines provide clear, practical direction on what should (and should not) be within that space, especially for properties in Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones.
Now is the time to take a fresh look at your home’s immediate surroundings and make any needed adjustments.
👉 View the Zone Zero Guidelines for Existing Structures
👉 Learn more: sandiego.gov/wildfire-prevention
Mid-City ‘Surviving a Wildfire’ Forum Draws 100+
San Diego residents gathered January 21, 2026 to hear vital advice from firefighters and other experts on surviving wildfires like the Los Angeles area experienced last winter. Missed the event? You can watch the videos on our blog post.
Explore Our Earth Day Fire Safety Posters
At Earth Day, we showcased key fire safety strategies like defensible space, Zone Zero, and fire-resistant building materials. Take a look at the posters we shared, complete with helpful links so you can dive deeper and protect your home and community.
We all remember the terrifying brush fire that raged in Fairmont Canyon on October 15, 2019. It presumably started in a homeless encampment somewhere off Aldine. If the winds had been blowing west, not east, our Kensington canyons and potentially our homes would have been in peril. That’s why Kensington community members take fire safety seriously. It could happen any time.
Kensington Fire Safe is a community organization under the umbrella Fire Safe Council San Diego County. We are an IRS approved 501(c)3 non-profit organization. Our mission is to educate Kensington neighbors about fire safety and encourage each other to make our homes fire safe through home hardening, brush clearing and fire-resistant landscaping.
Kensington Fire Safe is proud to be a grant recipient of the San Diego Regional Fire Foundation, with support from the San Diego River Conservancy. This vital funding—along with generous donations from Kensington residents—makes our fall and spring Dumpathons possible.
Thank you all for helping keep Kensington fire-safe, one Dumpathon at a time!
Kensington Fire Safe’s Latest News:
- Baldwin Takes Helm of Kensington Fire Safe as Group Expands Wildfire Preparedness Efforts
Kensington Fire Safe has named Mike Baldwin its new president. Baldwin has led the group’s record-setting Dumpathons and secured Firewise recognition for 61 local homes, and he brings more than 35 years of business leadership to building a stronger, lasting wildfire-preparedness effort for the community. - Are Home Inspectors Really Updated on Zone Zero?MetroView Fall 2026: Kensington Fire Safe answers your wildfire questions: where to find a home inspector who knows the new Zone Zero rules, which plants are now allowed near your house, and whether insurers will demand more. Plus, meet KFS’s new president and mark your calendar for the Fall Dumpathon, October 20 – November 2.
- Can Four-Legged Firefighters Make Canyons Safer?
MetroView Summer 2026: Kensington Fire Safe answers your wildfire questions: could goats clear our overgrown canyons, and do fire-resistant paints really protect wood trim? Plus, a record-breaking 25.37 tons of brush hauled away at this spring’s Dumpathon. - Can Kensington get Firewise home insurance discounts?
MetroView Spring 2026: Could going Firewise help protect your home—and your wallet? Here’s what Kensington residents need to know. - Mid-City ‘Surviving a Wildfire’ Forum Draws 100+
San Diego residents gathered January 21, 2026 to hear vital advice from firefighters and other experts on surviving wildfires like the Los Angeles area experienced last winter. - Really? A fine for mulch or plants within five feet of the house?
MetroView, Winter 2026: New “Zone 0” rules may soon require a five-foot non-combustible area around homes in Kensington—here’s what that means for your landscaping, insurance, and safety. - What Exactly Are “Fire Ladders” ?
MetroView, Sept. 2025: Confused about “fire ladders”? Here’s what they are, why they matter, and how to make your home safer before the next wildfire. - Why were over 30,000 acres removed from the City of San Diego’s former High Fire Hazard Severity Zone?
MetroView, June 2025: Judy investigates how new state fire hazard maps reshaped San Diego’s designated high-risk areas—and what updates may restore critical protections. - Reduced San Diego High Fire Zones Questioned at Forum
A surprising update to the State Fire Hazard map eliminated over 30,000 acres from San Diego’s “Very High” fire zones—raising concerns about fire safety and preparedness. Local Fire Safe Councils quickly organized a public forum where CalFire and San Diego Fire-Rescue officials explained the science behind the new designations and how the city plans to respond.