Roadside Vegetation
Roadside Vegetation Management
Why Roadside Vegetation Clearance Matters
Wildfires in California are increasing in speed and destruction. Since 2015, nearly 400 people have died and more than 115,000 structures have burned in the Western U.S. Narrow, overgrown roads are a serious hazard during a wildfire — they block fire engines trying to respond and slow down residents trying to evacuate.
Blocked roads can cost lives. That’s why Central Marin Fire, in partnership with the Marin Wildfire Prevention Authority (MWPA) and local jurisdictions, is leading a program to restore safe clearances along priority evacuation routes.
Property Owner Responsibility
The Central Marin Fire Department reminds all property owners that maintaining roadside vegetation is your responsibility—even if that vegetation is located within the public right-of-way in front of your home.
Most streets in Corte Madera and Larkspur include a public right-of-way (ROW) that extends beyond the pavement. While it may appear to be public land, vegetation in this area is legally the responsibility of the adjacent property owner. This includes trimming trees and clearing brush that could obstruct roads, reduce visibility, or pose a fire hazard.
Local and state fire codes require 10 feet of horizontal clearance along roadways and driveways and 15 feet of vertical clearance above roads. This zone often overlaps with the required defensible space around homes and buildings. These requirements are essential to ensure safe access for emergency vehicles and support community evacuations during wildfire emergencies.
2025 Roadside Vegetation Program
Work begins August 25, 2025, clearing approximately 25 miles of evacuation routes in Corte Madera, Larkspur, Kentfield, Ross, Fairfax, and San Anselmo.
Inspectors are tagging vegetation that may obstruct evacuation routes or increase wildfire risk. Tagged vegetation is a candidate for removal, but not every tag is exact. Similar vegetation without tags may also be cleared if deemed hazardous.
Important: Contractors may remove this vegetation under the authority of the Fire Chief. This work is fully funded through MWPA, but property owners remain legally responsible for ongoing maintenance.
Opt-Out Information
Property owners were sent letters in early August offering the chance to opt out. The deadline was August 21, 2025. Owners who opted out are still responsible for performing and maintaining the same clearances at their own expense.
Opting out does not relieve responsibility under:
- California Fire Code §4907.2 & §4908
- Corte Madera Municipal Code §15.04
- California Public Resources Code §4291
Questions?
More details and FAQs: www.centralmarinfire.org/roadside
What Work Will Be Performed?
- Remove or cut back vegetation encroaching into roadways or shoulders
- Create a minimum 15 feet of vertical clearance over the full roadway width
- Remove hazardous vegetation (bamboo, juniper, acacia, pampas grass, flammable vines) within 10 feet horizontally from the road edge
- Prune roadside trees to 6–10 feet above ground to reduce ladder fuels
- Remove dead or downed vegetation placed by residents near the road (if piled before work begins)
Remember: This is a one-time clearance effort. Property owners remain responsible for ongoing maintenance of roadside vegetation year-round. Central Marin Fire cannot perform recurring clearance in all neighborhoods without compromising service equity.
Questions? Contact us at
Example Images
The following examples show typical roadside vegetation before and after clearance. Hover over each image to see the proposed vegetation removal overlay.
Privacy Screening
Crews will attempt to minimize impacts to privacy screening. However, residents must be aware that certain screening plants may constitute an evacuation or fire hazard in violation of codes and ordinances.
Central Marin Fire Department encourages residents to choose relatively fire-resistant privacy screen plants, and maintain them so that they do not intrude into the public right-of-way or impede emergency vehicle ingress and egress. Even those plants with relative fire-resistance may be removed from roadside areas if they intrude into the public right-of-way, the 10' roadside clearance zone, or create other hazards as determined by a fire-code official.
See www.firesafemarin.org/plants for information on privacy screens and hedges.