Friday, July 18, 2025

401 Home Landscaping Tips for Fire Safety

We examine the growing wildfire risks for homeowners, particularly in fire-prone areas across the United States. We get insights from Kevin Marini, a UC Defensible Space Advisor. He highlights the importance of maintaining clear spaces around homes and managing vegetation in three defensive zones. Originally aired in Episode 361.    Pictured: Aftermath of the Altadena (CA) Wildfire, January 2025. Links:  Subscribe to the Beyond the Garden Basics Newsletter (https://gardenbasics.substack.com/) https://gardenbasics.substack.com   Other links mentioned in today’s podcast: The Dance of Defensible Space (https://ucanr.edu/sites/ucmgplacer/files/381747.pdf) , by Kevin Marini UCANR Fire Network: Creating a Defensible Space (https://ucanr.edu/sites/fire/Preparedness/Landscaping/DefensibleSpace/) U. Nevada-Reno: Mulch and Flammability (https://naes.agnt.unr.edu/PMS/Pubs/1510_2011_95.pdf) CalFire Demonstration Fire Video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AYvwogREEk4) IBHS Research Center Ember Storm Test Video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IvbNOPSYyss) FireSafe Marin (https://firesafemarin.org/) CA Native Plant Society list of fire-resistant plants (https://chapters.cnps.org/redbud/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/03/fire-resistant.pdf) More Wildfire Protection Tips (https://www.whathappensnow.com/landscape-tips-for-wildfire-prone-areas/) : Utah State University (https://extension.usu.edu/news_sections/gardening/landscape-now-to-help-prevent-wildfire-destruction-later) University of Nebraska-Lincoln (https://water.unl.edu/article/lawns-gardens-landscapes/fire-smart-landscaping) Vail, Colo. (https://www.vail.gov/government/departments/fire/wildland/fire-free-five-landscaping-guide) Ashland, Oregon (https://ashlandoregon.gov/919/Best-Practices-for-Fire-Resistant-Landsc) Minnesota/Wisconsin (https://files.dnr.state.mn.us/assistance/backyard/firewise/firewiseLandscaping.pdf) Fort Worth, TX (https://www.fortworthtexas.gov/files/assets/public/v/1/fire/documents/landscaping.pdf) British Columbia, Canada (https://firesmartbc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/FSBC_Tri-FoldLandscapingBrochure_ForWeb-1.pdf) All About Farmer Fred: GardenBasics.net (https://bit.ly/3tnEh9K) “Beyond the Garden Basics” Newsletter (https://gardenbasics.substack.com/) Farmer Fred website (https://bit.ly/3xLZ1KN) :  http://farmerfred.com The Farmer Fred Rant! Blog (https://bit.ly/3QoD10a) http://farmerfredrant.blogspot.com Facebook:  "Get Growing with Farmer Fred"  (https://bit.ly/3Ov2B1N) Instagram: farmerfredhoffman (https://bit.ly/3QoDfEy) https://www.instagram.com/farmerfredhoffman/ Blue Sky: @farmerfred.bsky.social (https://bit.ly/3AIHU0W) Farmer Fred Garden Minute Videos on YouTube (https://gardenbasics.net/videos) As an Amazon Associate (https://amzn.to/36MhR9W) , I earn from qualifying purchases from possible links mentioned here. Got a garden question?  • Leave an audio question without making a phone call via Speakpipe (https://bit.ly/3HiE11E) , at https://www.speakpipe.com/gardenbasics • Call or text us the question: 916-292-8964.  • Fill out the contact box at GardenBasics.net (https://bit.ly/3tnEh9K) • E-mail: fred@farmerfred.com  Thank you for listening, subscribing and commenting on the Garden Basics with Farmer Fred podcast (https://gardenbasics.net/) and the Beyond the Garden Basics Newsletter (https://gardenbasics.substack.com) .