show menu

Fire SAFE Sonoma - Inspections - Education - Wildfire prevention

By Amie Windsor

The Meyers and Walbridge Fires left scars along the western fronts of Sonoma County, and the Glass Fire is consuming east county as we go to press. Is the worst of fire season is over yet? Neighbors in these fire-ravaged areas are turning to recovery mode seeking FEMA assistance tools for rebuilding or moving on.

Unfortunately, despite the fact that more than 3 million acres have burned in California this year, fire season has really only just started.

ā€œWeā€™re in the thick of it now,ā€ said Roberta MacIntyre, board president of Fire Safe Sonoma.

Fire Safe Sonoma is an area nonprofit formed in 1998 whose mission is to increase awareness of wildfire issues around the county. The organization has been instrumental in helping educate residents about wildfire prevention and safety, especially through distribution of their publications, ā€œLiving with Fire in Sonoma Countyā€ and ā€œReady, Set, Go.ā€

ā€œOur number one goal? We want people to be able to get out. Then we want to protect property and in doing so, letā€™s try not to destroy the environment along the way.

Working with the environment is key.

Our rural environments here in Sonoma County need extra attention,ā€ MacIntyre said. ā€œWe have more roads per capita than any other county in California, making maintenance difficult. And we need resources.ā€

MacIntyre, Sonoma Countyā€™s fire marshal from 2008 to 2015 has more than 35 years experience has a city firefighter. She was brought into Fire Safe Sonoma for her expertise and knowledge. Along with former Sonoma County Fire Chief Vern Losh, current county fire marshal James Williams, Cal Fire Battalion Chief Marshall Turbeville, Assistant Fire Marshal for Santa Rosa Paul Lowenthall and others, the group worked to create the countyā€™s first Community Wildlfire Protection Plan.

ā€œThe CWPP identifies wildland fire risks and details fire hazards,ā€ MacIntyre said.

The CWPP is currently back at the County and will be reworked by a yet-to-be-named consultant group along with Caerleon Stafford, Sonoma Countyā€™s Fire Inspector, whose expertise on vegetation management and fire mitigation has been integral since the Tubbs Fire struck three years ago.

ā€œShe has become the face for Fire Safe Sonoma,ā€ MacInyre said.

With the countyā€™s CWPP off Fire Safe Sonomaā€™s shoulders, the organization is focused on providing smaller, scalable CWPPs for communities like Mill Creek, Occidental and Sonoma Valley. In each CWPP, Fire Safe Sonoma identifies fuels reduction needs, evacuation route issues and the need for better alert systems.

MacIntyre said the group was in the throes of completing Mill Creek Community Wilfire Protection Plan when the Walbridge Fire struck.

The plans empower communities to take more control of their immediate environments, especially the rural areas within the WUI ā€“ or wildland urban interface ā€“ so that when fire strikes, they have a plan.

ā€œWe have to become comfortable with evacuation. We have to be ready to go,ā€ MacIntyre said. She admitted that before the Walbridge Fire she was a ā€˜stay and defend girl.ā€™

ā€œIā€™m 63. Iā€™m still healthy. Iā€™m not going anywhere,ā€ she said. MacIntyre rates her Middletown house a seven or eight of 10 for structural hardening. She keeps working on it one vent at a time, acknowledging that structural hardening can be expensive and daunting.

ā€œBut itā€™s like eating an elephant; you do it one bite at a time,ā€ MacIntyre said.

When it comes down to it, MacIntyre realized that staying to defend her home wasnā€™t worth it, and that risking her life for her insurance company isnā€™t worth it either.

To learn more about Fire Safe Sonoma and to sign up for their regular Zoom classes, visit www.firesafesonoma.org. You can sign up for emailed NEWSSLETTERS to stay current with what is happening at Fire Safe Sonoma and subscribe to updates: lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/RiS2Gf9/newsletter

FREE Wildland Fire Assessment Program

Fire Safe Sonoma FREE Home Inspections
Fire Safe Sonoma FREE Home Inspections

Countless communities, homes, and lives have been lost in California due to disastrous wildfires over the past several years and this trend is likely to continue.

Much of Sonoma County is considered by CAL FIRE to be a High Fire Severity Area or a Very High Fire Severity Area, which means YOUR home is likely to be more susceptible to wildfire. Itā€™s not a question of IF it will happen, but WHEN. Will your home survive when a wildfire strikes?

Fire Safe Sonoma is offering FREE home assessments to help you be proactive in protecting your family and property and to make sure our community doesnā€™t become another statistic. Trained assessors working with Fire Safe Sonoma will perform a step-by-step walk-through of your property with you on-site and provide guidance, tips, and resources to educate you about areas in and around your home that are more vulnerable to wildfire.

This is a FREE PUBLIC SERVICE brought to you by Fire Safe Sonoma as part of its Wildland Fire Assessment Program (WFAP) with funding from CAL FIRE, California Climate Investments, The County of Sonoma, and PG&E.

Information and recommendations that assessors provide to residents are based on established mitigation practices and do not enforce any codes or standards.

Get on the list. Act fast because there are a limited number of assessments available. Sign up @ www.firesafesonoma.org.

Fire SAFE Sonoma Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/FireSafeSonoma.org

______________________________________________

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2020 AT 2 PM ā€“ 3:30 PM

Webinar: The Home Ignition Zone: This webinar is the first of a three-part series discussing ways to reduce your homes risk to wildland fire.

https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_BoBrqK7MRYebXUbV5-uobg

ā€œThe Home Ignition Zone,ā€ will focus on ways homeowners can reduce wildfire risk by creating defensible space in the area immediately around the home, with a particular focus on the area within five-feet around the homeā€™s exterior. This area is where the house is most vulnerable to radiant heat, embers and direct flame contact (RED).

In this webinar, after a one-hour presentation, we will spend about 30 minutes in a question and answer format discussing what people can and should do in the Home Ignition Zone. We are limited to 100 attendees so please register early!

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2020 AT 2 PM ā€“ 3:30 PM

Webinar: Creating an Effective Defensible Space

https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_jLJBTOs8SZyZHY1tkGdRoA

This webinar is the second of a three-part series discussing ways to reduce your home's risk to wildland fire.

In the ā€œCreating an Effective Defensible Space,ā€ webinar, based on Fire Safe Sonomaā€™s iconic publication ā€œLiving with Fire In Sonoma County,ā€ will show homeowners how to reduce the risks from wildfire by creating a lean, green and clean area around your home. In this presentation we will lead you through the six steps to creating this defensible space in the area 100 feet or more your home.

The webinar will consist of a one-hour presentation, followed by about 30 minutes in a question and answer period where we will attempt to answer all the questions attendees have. We are limited to 100 attendees so please register early!

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2020 AT 2 PM ā€“ 3:30 PM

Webinar: Structural Hardening

https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_jMLF6ABdT0ik0bUz9O9fWQ

This webinar is the last of a three-part series discussing ways to reduce your home's risk to wildland fire.

How a house is designed, where it is built, materials used in its construction, landscaping, and access all influence survivability during a wildfire.

In the ā€œStructural Hardeningā€ presentation will suggest home improvements that homeowners can do to make a home much easier to defend and will improve its chances of surviving a wildfire with or without direct firefighting intervention.

The webinar will consist of a one-hour presentation, followed by about 30 minutes in a question and answer period where we will attempt to answer all the questions attendees have. We are limited to 100 attendees so please register early!

DOWNLOAD our Documents & Resources

@ firesafesonoma.org/documents-resources-2/

Fire SAFE Sonoma Ready, Set, GO! Fire Action Plan
Fire SAFE Sonoma Ready, Set, GO! Fire Action Plan

READY SET GO! Booklet in English and Spanish:

firesafesonoma.org/wp-content/uploads/english-web_3-19-19.pdf

READY SET GO! VIDEO: in English and Spanish:

ENGLSH: youtube.com/watch?v=lUadL9wdzxc

SPANISH: youtube.com/watch?v=4zxEXpn1Lx8

Fire SAFE Sonoma instructional video
Fire SAFE Sonoma instructional video

EVACUATION WARNING RESOURCES:

firesafesonoma.org/evacuation-warning-resources-8-5-20/#

LIVING WITH FIRE IN SONOMA COUNTY BOOKLET:

firesafesonoma.org/wp-content/uploads/living_with_fire.pdf

Fire SAFE Sonoma Guide to Urban Wildland Interface property management
Fire SAFE Sonoma Guide to Urban Wildland Interface property management

EMERGING FIRE SAFE COUNCILS ā€“ FORMING A FSC PRESENTATION:

firesafesonoma.org/wp-content/uploads/emerging-fire-safe-councils_8-17-20v2.1.pdf

CWPP RISK ASSESSMENT TOOL:

firesafesonoma.org/wp-content/uploads/risk_assessment_template.pdf

Concerned about your landscape?

GUIDE to Fire Resistant Plants for landscapes
GUIDE to Fire Resistant Plants for landscapes

As you head into the rainy season, take a look around your garden to see how flame-resistant your plants are, and if this would be a good time to replace them with plants that aid your fire protection plan.

This guide is published by Oregon State University, Washingtn State University, and the Uiversity of idaho.

FIND this booklet @ firefree.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Fire-Resistant-Plants.pdf

We've moved our commenting system to Disqus, a widely used community engagement tool that you may already be using on other websites. If you're a registered Disqus user, your account will work on the Gazette as well. If you'd like to sign up to comment, visit https://disqus.com/profile/signup/.
Show Comment