Explore Our Earth Day Fire Safety Display
Our Earth Day booth was dedicated to those who suffered loss of life or property in the Montezuma and L.A. fires, and to the brave firefighters who fought to protect them.
Check out the posters we featured at the April 12 Earth Day celebration in Kensington—plus links to dive deeper into fire safety!
There’s a lot of great information below, so scroll through or jump straight to the topic that interests you most:
- We’re All in This Together! – Keep your family and community safe with recommended apps to stay informed during an emergency.
- Defensible Space: Zone Zero & Zone One – Learn how to create a buffer around your home to reduce wildfire risk.
- Seal Up Your Home! – Replace crawl space and attic vents with ⅛” mesh to keep burning embers out.
- Most Wanted: Fire Hazard Culprits! – Find out which plants and landscaping choices increase fire danger—and what to use instead.
- Dumpathon (April 17-28) – Get rid of flammable yard and canyon trimmings for free!
- Choose Fire-Safe Building Materials – Discover smart choices for home hardening and wildfire-resistant construction.
- Emergency Home Protection: FireIce
We’re All in This Together!
Wildfire safety is about our whole neighborhood.
Look out for each other! In an evacuation, check on elderly or disabled neighbors to ensure everyone gets out safely.
Stay informed with apps like Watch Duty and Citizen to track wildfire activity in real time.
Protect Your Neighborhood! Trim brush in your yard and canyon.
Sparky says: “We’re only as safe as our neighbors. Let’s keep our neighborhoods safe and fire-ready!”
Links to learn more:
Where Do You Go for Wildfire Info? MetroView, Jan 2025: Judy shares essential resources and expert insights on staying informed during wildfires, including recommended apps, official alerts, and emergency communication tips.
Ready, Set, Go! Your San Diego Fire-Rescue Department encourages everyone to become familiar with the Personal Wildland Fire Action Guide. It provides essential information about defensible space, fire-resistant vegetation and home hardening materials. This guide also includes a checklist of emergency supplies needed as part of your personal wildland fire action plan.
ZONE 0 (0-5 feet) from home:
The Ember-Resistant Zone
- Remove all flammable materials—no plants, mulch, or vines.
- Replace wood mulch with concrete, decomposed granite (DG), or stone.
- Trim back flammable trees to ensure they’re not touching your roof.
ZONE 1 (5-30 feet) from home:
The Ember-Resistant Zone
- Use low-growing, fire-resistant plants spaced widely apart.
- Choose non-combustible ground cover like gravel, rock, or DG instead of wood bark.
Sparky says: “Fire can’t burn what isn’t there! Keep flammable plants and materials away from your home.”
Links to learn more:
Ready for Zone Zero Around your Home? MetroView, Sep. 2024: Learn how California’s new five-foot fire-free zone could impact your property and what steps you can take now to improve fire safety.
Enhancing Fire Safety in San Diego Zone 0 Defensible Space Landscape Renovation Ideas by Greenway Landscape Design and Build.
YouTube Video: Fire Chief Debunks Defensible Space Myth In this presentation Todd Lando, Battalion Chief and Wildfire Hazard Mitigation Specialist, discusses defensible space, applicable fire codes and ordinances covering zones 0 – 4, and busts myths as it relates to creating defensible space. Choice of vegetation around your home is just one aspect of creating defensible space.
Thoughts on the Los Angeles 2025 Fires by Greg Rubin Following the devastating Los Angeles fires, landscape contractor Greg Rubin shares insights on fire-resistant landscaping gleaned from over 20 years of experience and the mentorship of CalFire firefighter Bert Wilson. He emphasizes the importance of plant hydration over specific plant selection, advocating for light overhead irrigation of native plants and shredded redwood mulch to create defensible space and protect homes from ember attacks. Rubin also proposes community-level solutions like lightly irrigated native greenbelts to buffer homes from wildland fires.
Forma Landscaping’s recommendations on Zone Zero Most landscape enhancements add delight or convenience to daily living. The creation of a “Zone 0” is no exception – yet it can also have dramatic impact on safety. Here’s what we understand about the latest fire risk reduction recommendations.
Replace Crawl Space and Attic Vents with ⅛” Mesh
Prevent burning embers from entering your home through vents during a wildfire!
Upgrade to ⅛” mesh or honeycomb vents, which close automatically when heated.
Need someone to help install your vents? Call San Diego handyman Jake Prather, (619) 635-5469.
Sparky says: “Smaller mesh and special vents help keep your home safe from flying embers—don’t let fire sneak in!”
Links to learn more:
Vents on homes create openings for flying embers. Ember entry through vents can result in ignition of combustible materials in the attic, and result in a building burning from the inside out. The importance of ember and flame entry into vents during wildfires has resulted in the development of commercially available vents designed to resist the intrusion of embers and flame, and recommendations for new or retrofit vents to protect existing openings. Click here for more info.
Is your vent mesh 1/8″ or less?
We encourage all homeowners to evaluate your vents for ember resistance. Check out the Ember Certified Contractor Network for Vulcan vents, or visit BrandGuard Vents. We believe ember-proofing to be the single most cost effective way to provide maximum benefit against wildfires!
1/8″ Screens Placed in Vents and Eaves Can Protect Your Home from Flying Embers Learn how to use mesh in the openings under tile roofs to block burning embers from getting in.
Visit Wildfire Defense Mesh where you can get information on ordering materials and watch a DIY video on installing vents yourself.
Most Wanted:
Fire Hazard Culprits
Palms: Highly flammable and non-compostable. Avoid them!
Wood Mulch: A perfect ember catcher! It can ignite easily and spread fire to structures.
Eucalyptus: Packed with oils and shedding bark—this tree makes them a dangerous choice in fire-prone areas.
Ice Plant: Once thought to stop fires, but it guzzles water and causes erosion on slopes.
Sparky says: “Choose California native plants—they’re naturally more fire-resistant and need less water!”
Links to learn more:
We have many articles on this subject on our Fire-Wise Landscaping page.
Free Dumpsters around Kensington: April 17 – 28!
Reduce wildfire risk by dumping flammable canyon and yard trimmings for free.
Create defensible space within 100 feet of structures—give firefighters the access they need and a fighting chance to save your home!
Maintain your property to keep you and your neighbors safe.
Trim, don’t clear! Remove lower branches to slow fire spread while protecting slopes from erosion.
Sparky says: “Trim it back, keep us on track! A fire-safe yard means a safer neighborhood!”
Links to learn more:
Visit the Dumpathon page of our website to see where the dumpsters will be placed for our Spring Dumpathon, April 17 – 28. You’ll also find a Kensington-resident approved list of gardeners and landscapers that can help you cut back on your flammable yard growth.
Choose Fire-Safe Building Materials
Replace old windows with dual-paned glass. Dual-paned windows not only insulate against heat, but they also reduce the risk of breaking under extreme temperatures during a fire.
Replace wooden fence next to your house with vinyl. Vinyl keeps flames at bay and provides better protection.
Sparky says: “Fire-safe building materials make your home stronger and safer—let’s protect what matters most!”
Links to learn more:
Cal Fire’s Hardening Your Home Wildfire safety steps to protect your home, loved ones, and the wider community.
Fire-resistant Fencing and Gates by Marin Fire Safe.
Sustainable Defensible Space: Eco-appropriate Homescaping for Wildfire Resilience Explore the graph that connects the importance of a specific retrofit to cost and see how you can get the biggest bang for your buck.
FireIce: Protect Your Home From Immanent Fire Danger
FireIce is a spray-on formula that creates an oxygen barrier, starving the fire of oxygen. “It remains effective at extremely high temperatures and can last up to 48 hours, can be easily rehydrated, has excellent adhesion on virtually all surfaces, and instantly cools.” “It’s safe for people, plants and aquifers.” The Home Defense Unit which includes a FireIce Wand, 4 buckets of FireIce to Protect 5000sf is $2500 delivered. The 2-bucket Home Defense Unit is $1800.
Links to learn more:
More information and videos can be found at www.fireicesolutions.com.