Fire-Smart Landscaping at Southern Marin Fire Station 4

Welcome to Southern Marin Fire Protection District’s latest community education project, an innovative and engaging effort to bring wildfire resilience to life through landscape design. Beginning in June 2025, Fire Station 4 in Tamalpais Valley will undergo a transformative landscaping renovation, designed to model best practices in fire-smart, water-wise, and habitat-friendly gardening. 

This highly visible, residential-style landscape will feature native plants, defensible space strategies, and Firewise design elements. Through onsite educational signage and future community outreach, the project serves as a living classroom where residents can learn how to reduce wildfire risk around their own homes.

Backed by Marin Wildfire (MWPA) funding and aligned with our Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP), this educational initiative highlights our commitment to public safety, environmental stewardship, and proactive wildfire preparedness.

Come see how a smarter landscape today helps protect our community tomorrow.

Check Out Our Progress!

This project aims to showcase how smart plant choices, strategic spacing, and a clear Zone Zero work together to create a fire-resilient and beautiful landscape at Fire Station 4, located at 309 Poplar Street, Mill Valley.  Each element shown here reflects best practices in defensible space and Firewise landscaping from low-fuel plantings to a non-combustible perimeter around structures. This is what wildfire-ready landscaping looks like in action.

Why This is a Critical Project for SMFD and Residents

Creating a fire-smart garden is about more than just aesthetics, it's a critical step in protecting your home and neighborhood from wildfire. The area closest to your home, known as Zone Zero (the first five feet from any structure or extension of the structure), should be kept clear of combustible materials, including mulch, wood fencing, or flammable plants. This buffer is one of the most effective ways to prevent embers from igniting your home during a wildfire. Thoughtful plant selection, proper spacing, and routine maintenance all contribute to reducing the speed and intensity of a fire. The renderings below highlight how these principles can be integrated into a landscape that is both beautiful and defensible—giving residents a powerful, real-world example to follow.

As wildfires continue to pose a growing threat to our region, proactive landscaping is one of the most impactful steps homeowners can take to protect their properties and strengthen community resilience. By learning from real-life examples like the Fire Station 4 demonstration garden, residents can feel empowered to create defensible space, prioritize non-combustible materials in Zone Zero, and choose plants that not only thrive in our climate but also reduce fire risk.

Whether you're starting from scratch or making small changes, every decision in your yard can make a difference. Use the resources below to get inspired, find native and fire-smart plants, and take the next step in creating a safer, more sustainable Marin.

Resources

Fire Preparedness & Landscaping Guidance

• Fire Safe Marin – Defensible Space & Landscaping

• Marin Wildfire Prevention Authority (MWPA)

• UC Marin Master Gardeners – Fire-Smart Landscaping

Native & Firewise Plant Nurseries (Marin & Nearby)

• CNL Nursery - Native plants & fire-wise options

• Sloat Garden Center - E Blithedale - Plant Nursery & landscaping

Ready to Learn More or Start Your Own Project?
Visit us at Fire Station 4 to see fire-smart landscaping in action, and reach out to the Southern Marin Fire Protection District for more guidance on how to harden your home and create defensible space.

We plan to host a ribbon-cutting event toward the end of the summer to showcase our project to residents. This will give our new vegetation time to take hold and grow into our beautiful vision!

For questions regarding the Fire Safe Garden project, contact The SMFD Prevention Division:

prevention@smfd.org

415-380-1120

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