WAYS TO PREPARE YOUR HOME FOR THE WILDFIRE SEASON

Spring is the perfect time to prepare your home for this year's wildfire season while participating in the NFPA's (*) National Wildfire Community Preparedness Day on May 1, 2021 to improve the fire protection and safety of your property. 

Southern Marin Fire District and Mill Valley Fire Department have been performing defensible inspections and based on more extreme fire incidents, they are asking residents to do more than in the past. Together, they want to work to protect your homes and keep our community safe.

Here are a few ways to protect your home:

1. Cut Dry Grass and Brush - cut your dry grass and brush back 19 ft from roads, driveways, and your neighbors' property line, 30 ft from your home, and up to 150 ft if your home is affected by steep slopes.
2. Trim Back Branches - remove branches that are smaller than three inches in diameter that are within 10 ft of the structure's roof or chimney.
3. Clear Out Dead Debris - clean out any build-up of dead leaves or pine needles from gutters, decks, roofs, and exterior stairways. Maintain the clearing throughout wildfire season.
4. Remove Dead Vegetation - remove all dead vegetation from the property, including leaves and tree droppings, grasses, bushes, shrubs, and trees. Please remove dead vegetation from within bushes, shrubs, and trees.
5. Limb Up Trees - limb up trees by cutting low hanging branches 10ft from the ground and cutting branches from other trees and shrubs to create adequate spacing.
6. Make Your Address Visible - ensure your address numbers are clearly visible from the road by using placards with contrasting bright colors and reflective fonts. To order a placard, please visit www.smfd.org.

To learn more about preparedness resources, click here.
For more information about the National Wildfire Community Preparedness Day, click here.

To receive important district news, safety tips, emergency preparedness information and more, please subscribe to Southern Marin Fire Protection District's Official Newsletter! Subscribe here.  They will send you an email newsletter when important news or announcements are added to their website, as well as monthly.

(*) NFPA: National Fire Protection Association

Update RE: fire preparedness activities (including chipping)

The latest FIRESafe MARIN newsletter includes: Information regarding development of Home Hardening rules in California; discussions between the insurance industry and the California Insurance Commissioner, and the Tue., Feb. 23 FIRESafe MARIN webinar (topic is the ember-resistant, first 5 feet zone around your home; a future requirement). 

Newsletter link: https://mailchi.mp/firesafemarin/living-with-fire-in-marin-county-4830062?e=e9f65495f4 

Webinar link: https://www.firesafemarin.org/events/seminars-workshops/living-with-fire/webinar-zone-zero-the-critical-first-5-ft