Embers are the main culprit in home destruction during wildfires, accounting for 90% of cases. During wildfires, embers will accumulate at the base of walls around a home or ignite nearby vegetation. By removing all combustible materials within the first 0-5 feet of a building (firewood, building materials, and garbage/recycling), you can significantly reduce the risk of your home igniting from embers. In our demonstration gardens, rock was placed within the first 0-5 feet to create a more resilient Zone Zero. 

Our demonstration gardens also show that you can maintain vegetation in your garden, but space it out and use rocks or pathways to create breaks in the vegetation. This will minimize the risk of a fire spreading quickly through the garden and toward your home. Lastly, rocky swales were installed to allow for natural drainage. 

Moving forward, keep an eye on this space for upcoming public education events such as field trips and garden tours.

The compliance, planning, and installation of these two gardens were funded through Measure C’s, Marin Wildfire Prevention Authority. To learn more about Marin Wildfire Prevention Authority, visit their page here. 

Novato Fire’s vegetation management program collaborated with the Habitat Corridor Project to create the blueprint for the garden and assemble a plant list. For these fire smart demonstration gardens, native plants were carefully chosen and specifically placed throughout the garden to maintain adequate spacing for fire safety while also providing screening for privacy.  

Both demonstration gardens were installed by Cagwin and Dorward after a competitive bidding process. The Station 63 demonstration garden was installed in the winter of 2023. At this location, the garden was designed to incorporate multiple habitat zones, so residents could see how a fire smart landscape would look in a variety of gardens, from full sun to shade. The administration building demonstration garden was installed in the winter of 2024. At this location, the garden was designed to showcase a single, cohesive theme within a commercial landscape.  

Novato Fire’s vegetation management staff provided training to the landscape maintenance crew for updated maintenance techniques specific to local plants and fire smart landscaping. Novato Fire’s vegetation management program is collaborating with volunteers from local working groups, such as the Marin Master Gardeners, to prune the trees and shrubs and add plants when necessary.