Woodacre, CA – Day to day, wildfire is one of Marin County’s most ominous threats. The recent fires in Lake County, the 20th anniversary of Marin’s devastating Vision Fire and the beautiful-but-parched terrain all around us serve as constant reminders.
The Marin County Fire Department (MCFD) is working with FIRESafe Marin and nearby fire protection agencies to update its 10-year-old Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) and has scheduled four public meetings for residents to learn more about it and participate in developing the new plan.
The 6 p.m. meetings are:
- Monday, October 12, Mountain View Room of the Mill Valley Community Center, 180 Camino Alto, Mill Valley
- Tuesday, October 13, Red Barn of the Bear Valley Visitor Center, 1 Bear Valley Road, Olema
- Wednesday, October 14, Council Chamber, San Anselmo Town Hall, 525 San Anselmo Ave., San Anselmo
- Thursday, October 15, Novato City Hall, 901 Sherman Ave., Novato
“While wildfire damage is fresh in people’s minds here in Northern
California, we’d like to get as much feedback as we can before we finalize our new plan,” MCFD Chief Jason Weber said. “The majority of our residents live very close to our world-class scenery, and unfortunately that scenery is vegetation that serves as fuel for a wildfire. Because of that proximity, we have to be ready for the worst scenario.”
The meeting goal is to share facts about the latest fire science, assess preparedness and identify risk-reduction projects that enhance public safety. Having a fresh CWPP in place would account for the latest developments in technology, help build relationships and improve public education. A federally required CWPP serves as a framework to prioritize wildfire hazard protection, develops actions to reduce structural ignitability, and identifies and prioritizes potential fuel treatment, hazard mitigation and restoration projects.
At a recent Marin County Board of Supervisors meeting, Weber urged local residents to check firesafemarin.org, www.readymarin.org and www.readysetgomarin.org to take preemptive actions in and around homes and prepare plans for quick evacuations in case a devastating wildfire strikes in Marin. He said the creation of the 14-member Tamalpais Fire Crew 10 years ago has been “a great investment” by the Supervisors, and prevention efforts to clear vegetation away from dwellings are helping with preparedness.
“Can the same thing happen here in Marin? Absolutely, it can,” Weber said. “We live in a susceptible area, but there are a lot of things people can do right now to make our neighborhoods safer.”