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Fire-ey Questions, Mar-Apr-May 2026

By Amy Dyson and Judy Harrington, Co-Chairs, Kensington Fire Safe (KFS)

Kensington’s Fire Safe Council will share researched answers to your inquiries Send fire-related questions to info@kensingtonfiresafe.org.

Q #1  I hear some Kensington blocks are going for a Firewise designation to get insurance discounts.  What is it and how do you get it?

Maybe. The National Fire Protection Association’s Firewise USA program recognizes homeowner fire safety efforts with a certification you can share with insurers. Some  20+ San Diego County communities have earned it and some in those areas said they received insurance discounts or rebates. In other instances, it may have avoided insurance cancellations.  The current California FAIR plan website specifically lists available Firewise discounts.

The best reason to go Firewise, however, is to reduce risk for your homes and our entire community.  Many of the requirements are steps Kensington Fire Safe has been taking for years, such as investing in fire safety education and efforts – like our semi-annual Dumpathons for brush management. 

One north Kensington area is currently investigating Firewise requirements and has an identified “Wise Guy” or project leader.  Besides having a leader, the group will also need to develop a three-year action plan and document their fire safety efforts. Kensington Fire Safe can help with these and many other requirements.

If you’ve ever wanted to do more to increase your block’s fire resilience, this is a concrete way to do it!  Check out the Firewise process, and if you want to consider kicking this off in your area, let us know. We’re happy to share our learnings: info@kensingtonfiresafe.org More info at: https://www.nfpa.org/education-and-research/wildfire/firewise-usa/become-a-firewise-usa-site

Q #2 Is KFS holding a Spring Dumpathon and can I get a dumpster in front of our home?

Yes, we are planning a May 5-18, 2026 Dumpathon!  Unfortunately, new requirements for dumpster events are quite challenging for Fire Safe Councils, but San Diego Fire Rescue is working very hard to resolve them.  We’re optimistic that we will be able to proceed!

If you would like to be a dumpster-minder, contact us at info@kensingtonfiresafe.org.  BTW, we’re going to prioritize dumpster locations for Kensington communities seeking Firewise certification.  For more information, check out our Q & A.

Q #3. Can I get tax credit for the double pane windows I installed to increase my home’s fire resistance?

Your 2025 window expenditures probably also helped save energy, and that may qualify you for clean energy tax credits this April 15^th. Credits can equal up to 30% of qualified expenses, including energy efficiency improvements installed during the taxable year.  However, under the last budget bill, apparently some credits end December 31, 2025, with no 2026 extension for typical rooftop solar or home improvements.  To learn more, go to: https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/energy-efficient-home-improvement-credit

Q#4 Are trees allowed in the new Zone Zero?

Depends on who you ask.

 City website currently says…”Trees are allowed within Zone Zero as long as they are properly maintained and regularly pruned. Healthy branches must be kept at least five feet from roofs and exterior walls, and the tree canopy (drip line) at maturity must be maintained at least 10 feet from roofs and other structures.” https://www.sandiego.gov/fire/community-risk-reduction/defensible-space-property-owners

But your insurance company may use their research institute regs, which currently state:  “Remove all trees, limbs, and branches within or overhanging (looking vertically to the sky) the 0–5 Foot Noncombustible Zone”. https://wildfireprepared.org/wp-content/uploads/WPH-How-To-Prepare-My-Home-Checklist.pdf

JOIN US

 Earth Day, April 11^th … and make some Zone Zero qualified cactus (while supplies last)!

With gravel in pots rather than the raffia pictured here.  We need lots of round, fairly smooth rocks!  Please let us know if you can help!

Fire-ey Questions, Sept-Oct-Nov 2025

By Amy Dyson and Judy Harrington, Co-Chairs, Kensington Fire Safe (KFS)

Kensington’s Fire Safe Council will share researched answers to your inquiries and over 85 questions posed at November’s Montezuma Fire forum. Send fire-related questions to info@kensingtonfiresafe.org.  

Q #1 Why are firefighters talking about “ladders” in our yards?

A:  Six homes destroyed in a recent Lakeview fire, 1,600 in L.A. last year…while we don’t know exactly how each ignited, recent fire safety articles and presentations have warned that “ladders” can be a major source of damage.  What are they?  Anything flammable that leads to your home.  Major culprits include wood fences that ignite easily bringing the flames closer to window frames, eves or other flammable parts of a home.

If this old fence ignited in a wildfire, it could bring flames to a wood window frame three feet away. Tree branches and other close plants could also be moved out of the five-foot zone zero next to the structure to increase fire safety.

Is vinyl fencing better than wood? It is supposed to be relatively fire-resistant and more difficult to ignite.  If it does ignite, it may burn slowly, releasing less heat than some other materials.  However, we’ve been told that burning vinyl could produce toxic fumes including hydrogen chloride which might spread the fire further and cause respiratory problems for residents and firefighters. Consider non-combustible materials like steel or wrought iron for your fence replacement. You could also investigate possible flame resistant-coating/primer at the link below. As always, do your own research!

Other possible ladders include flammable vegetation like tall grasses, shrubs and any tree branches that come within ten feet of a structure, allowing flames to climb up to your home.  This potentially lets a “ground fire” become a more destructive and rapidly spreading “crown fire.”  Solution? Prune back branches at least 10 feet from your home. Remove combustible plants, mulch and debris in “Zone Zero” – the first five feet from flammable structures.  Instead of wood mulch, consider hard scape such as pavers, concrete or rocks in this area.  Shredded redwood i.e. “gorilla hair” mulch has been reported as less flammable if you keep it well-irrigated with overhead watering, but how many of us are doing that with our water rates?

Two lists on Kensingtonfiresafe.org may help your efforts to reduce flammable yard growth: one lists landscape designers who completed a fire-resistant gardening course.  The second list includes Kensington-resident recommended gardeners and landscapers.

What else can I do if it’s inevitable that we’ll have a fire eventually?

One of our KFS members took part in “Home Inspection Zone” training that’s normally given to firefighters, and had some additional and very specific recommendations:

1. 1/8” screening over eve, gable and ridge vents and any opening to crawl space or, check out Vulcan Vents which are supposed to close up when heated.
2. Clean up roof, gutters and other sites of accumulated debris and leaves.  Where they’ve collected is where burning embers are likely to fall.  
3. Weather strip exposed nooks and crannies
4. In the event of a fire and possible evacuation:
   1. Move cushions, plastic or wooden patio furniture, door mats, umbrellas, trash cans, cars, RVs and anything else that’s flammable away from your home
5. Close all windows and doors; leave outside lights on
6. Turn off propane tanks
7. Grab your pre-prepared list of who grabs what. You don’t want to spend precious time deciding that now.

And next month will be the anniversary of the Montezuma fire where we lost a house just across Fairmount Avenue in Alvardo Estates.  A good reminder that it can happen here!

Links to learn more:

CALFIRE’s wildfire safety steps:  https://readyforwildfire.org/prepare-for-wildfire/hardening-your-home/

Fire-resistant Fencing and Gates by Marin Fire Safe. https://firesafemarin.org/harden-your-home/fire-resistant-fencing/

Paint wooden fences or structures with FireGuard flame resistant coating/primer. https://shieldindustries.com/fireguard/

Eco-appropriate Homescaping for Wildfire Resilience: compare specific retrofits to cost and priority for safety. https://defensiblespace.org/house/house-upgrade/

FireIce is a spray-on formula that creates an oxygen-blocking gel to starve a fire of oxygen, and is supposed to be safe for people and plants.  It’s expensive but apparently available to homeowners in an aerosol spray, a home defense unit for pressure washers, and also refillable fire extinguishers from their website, Amazon or other distributors.  www.fireicesolutions.com

Click here to meet Kensington Fire Safe’s board of directors.