News
As Joy Road Deteriorates, Residents Wonder ‘When will it ever get fixed?’
Joy Road is a primary evacuation route for over 600 residents—assuming all other routes are passable, more if any are closed. While full of potholes and crumbling edges, like many West County roads, two winters ago a slide narrowed the road further making two-way...
Homeowners Insurance 101: Defensible Space Rebates, Firewise Communities and Other Tips
Safer West County hosted insurance meetings over the past few months (one in Occidental and then one in Monte Rio) to help residents understand the current insurance landscape and give homeowners practical information to help keep or secure insurance. Key...
“Intersection of Fire and Flood” – OAEC’s Brock Dolman Featured on NBC News
Check out this great clip from NBC news about Occidental Art & Ecology Center’s 80-acre wildlands management! As we thin and limb our forests and landscapes towards fire fuels reduction, let us remember that as Brock says, “Slash ain’t trash – it’s beneficial...
Fall 2023 Cal Fire Assessment Expansion
Cal Fire has initiated a training of people outside their organization to help expand the ease with which we can have our properties assessed. Assessments help us understand our highest risks and how to reduce them—empowering us to make our homes more fire-resilient,...
Public Safety Power Shutoff
A Message from PG&E For public safety, we may turn off electricity when gusty winds and dry conditions, combined with a heightened fire risk, are forecasted. This is called a “Public Safety Power Shutoff” or “PSPS.” When possible, we will email, phone, or text...
Torch: Solar-Powered Outdoor Sensors Spot Wildfires
If this thing works as advertised, it could be a lifesaver for Sonoma County residents. Torch is a cutting-edge fire detection system developed to help protect properties and the environment from the devastating effects of wildfires. Torch's innovative...
Newsletter archives
Gutter Guards: Easily Improve Your Home’s Fire Safety
Gutter guards are a simple addition to your home and can remove one of the biggest risks of your house igniting during an ember storm. Gutter guards not only offer some peace of mind but also reduce your maintenance during fire season —when you usually need to clean...
Two Ways to Protect Against Power Outages
Did you know that PGE will pay you to help lower the risk of power outages and also to help you install battery back up systems for your home? Here are two programs you will want to learn more about. GridSavy Rewards GridSavvy Rewards, a program that pays...
All About Biochar: An Eco-Friendly Burn
Biochar is a preferred alternative to pile burning for vegetation management because it reduces smoke (and carbon emissions), increases soil and forest health, and reduces scarring on the forest floor. The best part is that it’s an easy modification to traditional...
SEC Launches Tending the Land for Fire Resilience in Sonoma County
Header Photo Credit: Ian Nelson Sonoma Ecology Center, Pepperwood, and Occidental Arts and Ecology Center recently launched a new, free in-depth online resource for Sonoma County land stewards. Tending the Land is a A website guide for anyone who plays a role in...
Prior Planning Saves Lives: Three Easy Steps
Got ten minutes? Set a timer and take ten to plan for the unexpected as you read on! Save these numbers... 1. Grab your phone and put these SoCo Alert numbers in your contacts as favorites (very important!), so they by-pass your DoNotDisturb setting at night in...
A Handy Guide to Sustainable Defensible Space
What is a moonscape and is it important? What are your thoughts on “gorilla hair mulch”? Do you know if you’ve got “Ladder fuel” laying around your property? If only there were a Defensible Space guide that demystified the jargon and helped us understand...
Seven Saturdays to a More Fire-Resistant Home
The Seven Saturdays series by PG&E is such a great review of defensible space, home hardening and emergency preparedness! Have a watch and see what you might knock off your list this month to create a safer environment for you, your family and your neighbors.
The Ins & Outs of Residential Generators: Part 1
The following blog post is a summary of Carl Wahl's Residential Generator Seminar presentation. Read on for specs, pros and cons and an a deep dive into... How a Generator Works Fuel Choices Types of Home Generators Sizing a Generator for Your Needs Overall System...
What a Shovel and a Gallon of Water Have in Common…
Together they can make a world of difference in fire prevention. Did you know ... When doing work outside on your land with mowers, weed eaters, chainsaws, or other mechanical devices, placing a shovel and one gallon of water somewhere nearby can save you a lot of...
Safer West County’s Member Gardens Demonstrate Firesafe Beauty
Photo Credit: Resilient Landscape Coalition; Design by April Owens, photo by Saxon Holt/PhotoBotanic A few weeks ago, over 200 residents toured the Safer West County's member gardens with Ellie Insley, where they learned how to garden and create a fire-resilient...
The Time for Fire Mitigation is NOW!
The fires blazing elsewhere in California are sobering reminders to continue making your home more fire-resilient, step by step. It is no longer a question of whether defensible space and home hardening work; it boils down to what you can afford, what you can do...
Phone Alert Checklist: Stay in the Know and Contribute to Your Community
Let’s make sure you have everything easily accessible and up to date on your phone - emergency contacts, alerts, a find my phone feature and anything else that can bring efficiency and ease to an unexpected, stressful situation. Alerts. Make sure you have the tools...
Download Watch Duty: Handy App for Wildfire Alerts
Watch Duty is a non-profit that provides realtime alerting and monitoring of Wildfires in the American West. For updates about fires, wind conditions, etc: Watch Duty incorporates fire mapping, wind direction, Cal Fire aircraft tracking, and more. Watch Duty has...
What Can You Do With $1000? – A New Walkway
This Project: A stone and gravel walkway (similar to the one pictured above) will create a beautiful (and nonflammable) area next to your home! Dimensions: 100 sq ft (20 ft by 5 ft) space Estimated Labor Cost: $990 (not including tax) Materials 4” of base rock...
As Joy Road Deteriorates, Residents Wonder ‘When will it ever get fixed?’
Joy Road is a primary evacuation route for over 600 residents—assuming all other routes are passable, more if any are closed. While full of potholes and crumbling edges, like many West County roads, two winters ago a slide narrowed the road further making two-way...
Does Home Hardening Work?: A Closer Look at the Lahaina “Miracle” House
How many of us have wondered whether making changes to our structures and landscaping will actually reduce wildfire risk? Learn about the science behind mitigating wildfire exposures to homes and businesses with Safer West County Board Member and Madronus...
Resilient Landscaping Workshop Recap
In April, Safer West County teamed up with Resilient Landscapes Coalition to present a workshop for the community all about creating and maintaining a fire-wise, sustainable garden that supports biodiversity while meeting County code requirement. Missed the event?...
Homeowners Insurance 101: Defensible Space Rebates, Firewise Communities and Other Tips
Safer West County hosted insurance meetings over the past few months (one in Occidental and then one in Monte Rio) to help residents understand the current insurance landscape and give homeowners practical information to help keep or secure insurance. Key...
Spring is Here! Mindful House Projects for Bird Nesting Season
As we leave winter months and welcome spring, here are a few things to reset your home for fire resilience. And, speaking of spring, make sure you are well aware of nesting season! Click here to read more about considerations for wildlife in the coming spring months...
General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS) in Cazadero
Story by Mike Nicholls During and following the Walbridge Fire in 2020. Cazadero had no 911 service for days – our telephone landline provider, Frontier Communications experienced a central office back-up battery failure, Comcast/Xfinity failed once their battery...
“Intersection of Fire and Flood” – OAEC’s Brock Dolman Featured on NBC News
Check out this great clip from NBC news about Occidental Art & Ecology Center’s 80-acre wildlands management! As we thin and limb our forests and landscapes towards fire fuels reduction, let us remember that as Brock says, “Slash ain’t trash – it’s beneficial...
How to Set Up a FREE Risk Assessment of Your Home
From Permit Sonoma Fire Prevention: Take a critical step to reduce wildfire risks to your home by scheduling your FREE structure risk assessment today! Our home hardening contractors will identify the highest risks to your home and provide you with a personalized list...
National Wildfire Coordinating Group Standards for Mitigation in the Wildland Urban Interface
Published by National Wildfire Coordinating Group, this publication establishes the standards for understanding and implementation of concepts, issues, and best practices to increase community fire adaptation. This publication is designed to: • Support common...
Fall 2023 Cal Fire Assessment Expansion
Cal Fire has initiated a training of people outside their organization to help expand the ease with which we can have our properties assessed. Assessments help us understand our highest risks and how to reduce them—empowering us to make our homes more fire-resilient,...
Book Recommendation: The Last Fire Season – A Personal and Pyronatural History
In 2020, a dry lightning storm that ignited hundreds of simultaneous wildfires across the West and kicked off the worst fire season on record. Martin, along with thousands of other Californians, evacuated her home in the midst of a pandemic. The Last Fire Season by...
Burn Pile Guide Tips
Image by Jameson Wolf Before you begin burning piles of debris, please make sure you have a current 2023-2024 burn permit, and that you call before you burn! And remember, Occidental, Camp Meeker, Monte Rio, and Forestville residents have free chipping service. Apply...
Moments in Time: Major Fires in the Occidental Area
Fires are driven by hot dry winds that are funneled through our hilly terrain. These dangerous winds return time and again. As a physical form of our hills is fixed, fire sometimes burn the same area more than once. Native American Era, 8000 BCE to 1836 Native...
Budget-Friendly Home Hardening Tips
Three resources for hardening your home that won't break the bank: A FREE Wildfire Risk Guide: Your personalized home evaluation report is organized to help you prioritize the actions you need to take to prepare for wildfire. Budget-Friendly Vents: Vents are an entry...
Creating an Emergency Plan with Illness & Disability in Mind
Those who have been diagnosed or have a family member diagnosed with cancer can have a particularly hard time when natural disasters occur. This can range from not having the ability to refill a prescription to roadways being blocked so they can't make it to the...
Fire-Resistant Landscaping
Are there fire safe plants? Yes and no. Remember, any plant can burn under the right conditions. One way to help reduce your wildfire risk is to use fire-resistant landscaping around your home. Look for plants with these characteristics: Able to...
Easy Home Hardening Weekend Project
The reality is, there are many, many home-hardening activities you can tackle—with no money and only a little of your time. Carve out some time, learn how to reduce risk and protect your home with a few simple chores and a trip to the hardware store. What can you do...
The Five Least Expensive Home Hardening Projects
VENTS: UNDER-EAVE, ATTIC AND CRAWL SPACE WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW Attic, roof and foundation vents can be entry points for embers and flames. Embers that enter the attic or crawl space can ignite combustible debris that can accumulate in these spaces and also combustible...
Residential Fire Extinguishers: Top Recommendations
Fire classes, extinguisher numerical values, and what you should know about them. Always call 911 before attempting any fire suppression. There are five fire classes, but these are the most common: Class A: Fires caused by ordinary combustibles like wood,...
What is a Community Wildfire Protection Plan?
In 2019, Fire Safe Occidental embarked on an ambitious project to create a Community Wildfire Protection Plan. This work was completely driven by local volunteers. The group held community meetings, mailed out surveys to every address in the Occidental Services...
Important Resources for Backup Power Solutions
There are many different backup power solutions that vary in size, cost, fuel and more. If you think a backup power solution may be appropriate for your home or business, PG&E has resources available that can help you with your choice. Learn more about backup...
Public Safety Power Shutoff
A Message from PG&E For public safety, we may turn off electricity when gusty winds and dry conditions, combined with a heightened fire risk, are forecasted. This is called a “Public Safety Power Shutoff” or “PSPS.” When possible, we will email, phone, or text...
How To Create a Wildfire Action Plan
Your Wildfire Action Plan must be prepared and made familiar to all members of your household well in advance of a wildfire. Use the checklist below to help create your plan. Each family’s plan will be different, depending on a variety of issues, needs, and...
How To Assemble an Emergency Supply Kit
The Sonoma County Department of Emergency Management has created a helpful video for creating go bags for the whole family. Watch the video and read on for a detailed checklist! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wf7zQktwpQ Put together your emergency supply kit long...
CAL FIRE Business & Workforce Development Grant For Resilient Forests, Due 3/8
The Wood Products and Bioenergy Team (Wood Products) is part of CAL FIRE’s Climate and Energy Program. Wood Products awards funding for California business and workforce development projects that support healthy resilient forests and the people and ecosystems that...
Residential Generator Safety Guidelines & Maintenance
Disclaimer: This list was written and compiled by Carl Wahl from multiple sourcesbetween 8/2019 and 2/2022, plus input from Stuart Tom. Still, the below should notbe considered as a comprehensive list. This list covers both portable and standby generators. A number of...
Fire Extinguisher Inspection & Maintenance
Replace or service an extinguisher right away if it's been used (to any degree) or ifyou notice any of the following: The hose or nozzle is cracked, ripped, or blocked with debris. The metal locking pin on the handle is missing or if the safety seal is missing/not...
Torch: Solar-Powered Outdoor Sensors Spot Wildfires
If this thing works as advertised, it could be a lifesaver for Sonoma County residents. Torch is a cutting-edge fire detection system developed to help protect properties and the environment from the devastating effects of wildfires. Torch's innovative...
Help with Homeowners Insurance
By Carl Wahl Has your homeowner's insurance policy premium been skyrocketing? Or has your policy been canceled? If so, have you been having difficulty finding a new insurance carrier? This seems to be the new normal for many Californians. A number of carriers have...