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The Toolkit is designed to empower homeowners with practical guidance and educational resources to help reduce the risk of wildfire damage.
Toolkit Resources
Here, you’ll find checklists for creating defensible space, seasonal maintenance tips, and actionable steps to fireproof your home. The page also includes a curated list of flammable and fire-resistant plants to help you make informed landscaping choices.
Identifying Highly Flammable Plants
Pine Trees (Italian Stone Pine, Canary Island Pine)
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Fire-Resistant Alternative:
California Sycamore, Coast Live Oak, Toyon.
Tip for Homeowners:
Reduce the risk of wildfire damage by regularly remove dead needles, trim low-hanging branches, and maintain at least a 30-foot defensible space around your home.
Italian Stone Pines and Canary Island Pines are iconic trees in Southern California landscapes, but they present a significant wildfire hazard. Both species produce resin-rich needles, cones, and bark, which are highly flammable, especially during hot, dry conditions. The dense canopy of these pines can act as a ladder fuel, allowing fire to quickly climb from the ground to the treetops, increasing the speed and intensity of wildfire spread. Their shedding needles and cones create a thick, combustible layer on the ground, which can ignite easily and carry fire toward nearby structures.
Giant Reed (Arundo Donax)
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Fire-Resistant Alternative: Consider planting Bamboo Palm, Lomandra, or Coast Live Oak, which are much less flammable and safer for properties in fire-prone regions.
Tip for Homeowners: Reduce the risk of wildfire damage by regularly trim and remove dry stems and foliage, and avoid planting Giant Reed near structures or other flammable vegetation. Creating defensible space around your home can greatly reduce wildfire risk.
Giant Reed may look like a tall, attractive grass, but it’s one of the most fire-prone plants you can have near your home. Its hollow cane-like stems dry out quickly and burn fast, while thick patches of reeds act like a wall of fuel that allows flames to spread rapidly. Dead stalks build up at the base and act as kindling, making the plant even more dangerous. For better fire safety, this invasive plant should be removed and replaced with fire-resistant landscaping.
Mexican Fan Palms/ Italian Cypress
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Fire-Resistant Alternative:
Instead of Mexican Fan Palms, consider planting California Sycamore, Toyon, or Coast Live Oak, which are far less flammable and help reduce wildfire risk around your home.
Tip for Homeowners:
If you already have Mexican Fan Palms, reduce the risk of wildfire damage by regularly remove dead fronds, maintain a clear space around the base, and keep the surrounding area free of dry debris. Proper maintenance can help reduce fire hazards while keeping your landscape looking tidy.
While Mexican Fan Palms add a tropical look to yards, they can quickly become a fire hazard if not maintained. Their tall trunks collect layers of dead, dry fronds that act like a “ladder fuel,” allowing flames to climb from the ground up into the canopy. Once ignited, these dry fronds can drop burning debris, spreading fire to nearby vegetation or structures. Without regular trimming and upkeep, Mexican Fan Palms significantly increase wildfire risk around your property. For safer landscaping, consider replacing them with low-maintenance, fire-resistant trees and shrubs.
Eucalyptus Trees
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Fire-Resistant Alternative:
Instead of Eucalyptus trees, consider planting Olive, Crape Myrtle, or Toyon, which are far less flammable and help reduce wildfire risk around your home.
Tip for Homeowners:
To reduce the risk of wildfire damage, maintain at least 30 feet of defensible space around eucalyptus trees by trimming lower branches, removing leaf litter, and keeping dry material cleared. Consider planting fire-resistant vegetation nearby to create additional protection for your home.
Eucalyptus trees are known for their fast growth and aromatic oils, but these same oils make them highly flammable. During dry seasons, the leaves and bark can ignite easily, posing a serious wildfire risk.
Juniper
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Fire-Resistant Alternative:
Replace junipers with manzanita (compact varieties), coffeeberry, or ceanothus, which are less resinous and much harder to ignite.
Tip for Homeowners:
If you already have junipers, keep them well-watered, thin interior dead material, and maintain at least 10–15 feet of clearance from your home or other flammable plants.
Junipers are widely used as foundation shrubs, but they contain dense, resinous foliage that ignites easily. Their low, creeping branches act like “fire ladders,” carrying flames from the ground to nearby structures.
Pampas Grass (Cortaderia Selloana)
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Fire-Resistant Alternative:
Choose deer grass, blue fescue, or sedge grasses, which maintain green growth and don’t build up the same level of dry fuel.
Tip for Homeowners:
If you keep pampas grass, trim it back annually before fire season and remove dry leaves or plumes. Ensure there’s a defensible space buffer around clumps.
Pampas grass forms large, dense clumps with sharp blades and dry plumes that catch fire quickly. Once ignited, the tall grasses burn extremely hot and can spread flames across large areas.
Oleander (Nerium Oleander)
Click here for alternatives and maintenance tips
Fire-Resistant Alternative:
Plant Toyon, lemonade berry, or bush monkeyflower — hardy natives that provide color and habitat without posing the same fire risk.
Tip for Homeowners:
If you have oleander, keep hedges pruned and avoid planting them against fences or structures to reduce the risk of wildfire damage. Be sure to remove dead branches promptly.
Oleander is popular for hedges due to its bright flowers and hardiness, but its thick, oily leaves and woody stems burn with high intensity. Its toxins also make cleanup after a fire hazardous.
Homeowner Fire Safety Checklist
Create Defensible Space
- Clear brush, dead plants, and debris at least 30 feet around your home.
- Maintain a “lean, clean, and green” zone: keep lawns watered and trimmed.
- Remove flammable materials such as firewood, propane tanks, or gasoline cans away from your home.
Maintain Your Property
- Clean gutters and roofs of leaves, pine needles, and debris regularly.
- Trim tree branches at least 10 feet away from your roof and chimney.
- Prune shrubs and trees to prevent fire from spreading between vegetation.
Fire-Resistant Landscaping
- Choose fire-resistant plants and landscaping materials.
- Avoid highly flammable plants such as eucalyptus, juniper, and pampas grass near structures.
- Maintain proper spacing between trees and shrubs to reduce fire spread.
Home Hardening
- Install ember-resistant vents and screens.
- Use fire-resistant roofing, siding, and decks where possible.
- Seal gaps around doors, windows, and vents to prevent embers from entering.
Emergency Preparedness
- Keep a garden hose or sprinkler system ready for use.
- Maintain accessible fire extinguishers and know how to use them.
- Create and practice a family evacuation plan, including multiple exit routes.
Ongoing Maintenance & Monitoring
- Consider professional property inspections for additional safety recommendations.
- Regularly inspect your property for potential fire hazards.
- Stay updated on local fire danger alerts and restrictions.
Stay prepared with our free Fire Safety Checklist! Keep this printable guide on hand to easily identify fire hazards around your home and take proactive steps to protect your property. Download it below and start safeguarding your home today.