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Firewise Communities: The Power of Working Together

Published on 11/2/2023

Fire Safe Marin
FIREWISE COMMUNITIES: THE POWER OF WORKING TOGETHER

By: Fire Safe Marin | November 2, 2023
Posted by Sarah Dobrovolny

Living in Marin means majestic views of the ocean and Mt. Tam, a glimpse of the fog rolling across the Golden Gate Bridge, and farmers markets dotting town centers. It means engaged citizens, active school communities, and lots of mountain bikers and hikers on the trails. But life in Marin also means living with wildfire – a scary reality that can seem overwhelming alone. Fortunately, our county is rising to this challenge together and is the nation's leader in wildfire preparedness.

There is a lot we can do to protect ourselves, our loved ones, homes, and community from wildfire. In 2020 we voted for Measure C, creating the Marin Wildfire Prevention Authority to bring together all our fire agencies to clear evacuation routes, manage the vegetation in our wildlands and help homeowners to fire safe their houses and properties. Some 52,000 Marin residents have joined Firewise neighborhoods to prepare together. Firewise communities organize evacuation drills, educate neighbors about home hardening and fire smart landscaping, and remove dangerous fuel loads from around homes. Marin County has 78 Firewise neighborhoods, one of the most in the country and an active force in wildfire prevention.

Margaret Fisher recently helped to establish her neighborhood in Alto Monlino as a new Firewise community. It took effort to recruit her neighbors and get the ball rolling, but there has been a very positive response that goes beyond emergency planning. Seventy-five people showed up to their first get together, “Neighborfest.” Many new and old neighbors met each other for the first time since Covid lockdown. With the support and resources of Fire Safe Marin, they were able to make an action plan to prepare the neighborhood for fire:

Introducing their year 1 goals
Getting everyone signed up for Alert Marin
Sharing key actions to create defensible space in every yard
Sharing evacuation tips, including what to bring, where to go and how to get there.

The group has already seen the impact of becoming a Firewise site. Their neighbors are cutting back overgrown vegetation and using the free county chipper days, funded by the Marin Wildfire Prevention Authority.

“Every little step helps to create defensible space. It was hard at first to remove those plants we have grown to love. But it’s a little like clearing out clutter from your garage. It feels good once you do it. I think neighbors will see a group purpose in cleaning up. It’s a group project that we each are participating in individually in our own homes, but we are all together working toward the end goal.”

⁓ Marny Fisher, Firewise Leader

Neighborhood by neighborhood, Firewise communities are making a big difference to our collective built landscape of Marin. If you are interested in joining a Firewise community or starting one in your neighborhood, please check out this link or contact Fire Safe Marin by emailing info@firesafemarin.org. We are here to answer your questions and encourage you to join in the effort to keep Marin fire safe.

Fire Safe Marin is a non-profit organization dedicated to reducing fire hazards, promoting fire safety awareness, and helping residents prepare for wildfires in Marin County, California. Be part of a cultural shift that values safety and resilience as our community’s hallmarks. Learn more at www.firesafemarin.org.

Sarah Dobrovolny lives in San Anselmo with her husband Spencer and their 18-month-old Sadie. Sarah is a Stay At Home Mom, works for Fire Safe Marin as a copy editor/Spanish content translator, and helps local small businesses with social media content creation. Sarah founded and coordinates Mobile Baby Hangouts and Little Movers & Shakers Playground Meetups. She volunteers as SMMC’s SAHM group leader, co-leader of the San Anselmo/Fairfax town group, on the 2023 Events team, and as a copy editor for The Crier.