A San Marcos homeowner is preparing for future wildfires by giving her home fire-resistant upgrades.

The homeowner living in the San Elijo Hills neighborhood in San Marcos replaced a wooden gate at her house for a steel one and planted succulents in her backyard to act as a living firebreak.

Lindsey Smith, who is also the president of San Elijo Hill’s Fire Safe Council and candidate for the City Council, mentioned the effectiveness of steel due to it being non-combustible.

“It was previously a large wooden gate. It was starting to warp and definitely show its age,” Smith told ABC San Diego.

When talking about the succulents, she said, “We have this big firebreak of succulents that is, you know, between our house and the pool and the wild land urban interface.”

Smith also began updating her vents.

“So this vent is going to keep those embers outside of my home and keep those embers from intruding into my garage and starting the fire from the inside out of my house,” she added.

She urged her fellow neighbors to take similar precautions in case a big fire accident happens, stating that she doesn’t want San Elijo to be the next “news story like Altadena and the Palisades.”

Smith, who is running for the District 2 seat, highlights her being a “San Marcos Mom, Nonprofit Founder, and Community Association President…. and delivering real results for our neighborhoods – from wildfire preparedness to safer streets and stronger communities” on her homepage.