Burned Vegetation Management

Photo Courtesy of Fire Safe Council of San Diego County

Irrigate fire-stressed plants as soon as possible after returning home. Water the ground beneath trees the full circumference of the drip line (the canopy branches, plus a few feet further) until the soil is moist down 12-15 inches.

Assess the trees. If most buds are green, moist, and flexible, they have a good chance of survival.  I the condition of a tree is uncertain, wait until the following spring to assess again.  

Fire-stressed trees are prone to beetle attack. Look for pink to red-colored pitch on trees and branches as evidence.

During dry seasons, remove dead or dying trees and trees that are beetle infested. Dead trees create falling hazards, fuel for future fires, and invite diseases and insects that may affect surrounding healthy vegetation.

Avoid tree removal during the winter rainy season to minimize soil disturbance and erosion.

California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection – Identifying Dead and Dying Conifers on Private Land in California.

 Photo Courtesy of Kenneth M. Greene, Greene-Taffy Creations

Agricultural Recovery

Photo Courtesy of the Regents of the University of California,

Report Wildfire Agricultural losses to the San Diego County Department of Agriculture, Weights, and Measures at (858) 694-2739

Agricultural Disaster Assistance 

First Aid for Fire Damaged Avocado Groves

Photo Courtesy of the Regents of the UNiversity of California,
UC Statewide IPM Program

San Diego County Assessor’s Office Property Tax Exception and Exclusion Relief: (858) 505-6262

Erosion Control

Barren areas should be replanted as soon as possible. Use temporary erosion control measures until plants are well established:

Erosion control blankets: manufactured roll of mulch rolled onto land to protect from wind and water.

Fiber rolls: straw, flax, or other similar materials bound into a tight tubular roll. Intercept and reduce flow speed and filter sediment. Not effective unless trenched.

Silt fences: filter fabric entrenched and attached to supporting poles. Detain sediment-laden water to allow sediment to drop out. Useful for perimeter areas. Not appropriate for slopes.

Straw matting: loose straw spread over the soil, sometimes tied down with staples. Protects soil from rainfall.

Straw or wood chip mulching: layer of straw or wood chips worked into the top couple inches of soil to hold soil in place.

Slash spreading: tree limbs and branches spread over the soil to help intercept and disperse water.

Log terraces: placing or falling de-limbed, dead trees on the contour of the land and across a slop to slow and disperse water.