While wildfires are a natural part of California’s landscape, the fire season in California and across the West start earlier and end later each year. Climate change is considered a key driver of this trend. This trend is made worse by our current drought. Warmer spring and summer temperatures, reduced snowpack, and earlier spring snowmelt create longer and more intense dry seasons that increase moisture stress on vegetation and make forests more susceptible to severe wildfire. The resources below can help you mitigate the risk of wildfires on CTH, and show you how best to protect your family and your home:
1. The CalFire website contains invaluable information and videos about how to prepare for wildfires, see https://www.readyforwildfire.org
CTH FIREWISE INITIATIVE
CTH NRG has started the process of applying for CTH Firewise site recognition in partnership with FIRESafe MARIN. We invite volunteers to help us organize and launch this initiative.
Some insurance companies now offer substantial discounts to homeowners in recognized FIREWISE Communities. The Firewise USA Program encourages local solutions for safety by involving homeowners in taking individual responsibility for preparing their homes from the risk of wildfire. The program provides resources to help homeowners learn how to adapt to living with wildfire while encouraging and empowering neighbors to work together to take actions now to reduce their wildfire risk and prevent losses. We hope to join the growing network of more than 1,500 recognized Firewise communities that take actions and ownership to prepare and protect their homes against the threat of wildfire. Scientific research has shown the effectiveness and benefits of implementing wildfire mitigation concepts across individual property boundaries and throughout communities. For more details about the program and how you can play a role see: https://www.firesafemarin.org/firewise.Please email us at cthnrg@gmail.com to get involved.
PREVENTION: DEFENSIBLE SPACE & HARDENING YOUR HOME We urge CTH residents to continue all possible efforts to ensure that you have defensible space around your home and that your home is hardened to withstand embers that ignite fires. For excellent advice and guidance please see the Firesafe Marin website: https://www.firesafemarin.org/defensible-space | https://www.firesafemarin.org/home-hardening.
You're invited to watch FIRESafe MARIN's new video series. We're producing short videos on wildfire preparedness for homeowners and residents in Marin's Wildland Urban Interface (WUI). The first video introduces the concepts of "Fire-Smart" landscaping with UC Marin Master Gardeners from the UC Cooperative Extension and FIRESafe MARIN. The result of a 30-year cooperative partnership between our two organizations, we think every Marin homeowner will find this useful and to the point: you can have a beautiful landscape that helps protect your home from wildfires! Want more information on Fire-Smart landscaping? Visit FIRESafe MARIN's Defensible Space page, and the UC Marin Master Gardeners website today!
Fire-Smart Landscaping - FIRESafe MARIN and UC Marin Master Gardeners
Defensible Space Zone Zero
Part 2 in FIRESafe MARIN's New Video Series
You're invited to watch the second release in FIRESafe MARIN's new video series. This short video introduces the concepts of "Zone Zero," the noncombustible zone from 0' to 5' around your home that can help protect your home from wildfire embers. This area is most vulnerable zone in your home's defensible space to embers, and requires good planning and frequent maintenance. FIRESafe MARIN will help you understand your home's vulnerabilities, and teach you simple and inexpensive techniques that may save your home from wildfire.