By Agencies
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The Ventura County Fire Department congratulates the Golden Oaks neighborhood in Ojai, which became the sixth community in Ventura County to earn recognition from the National Fire Protection Association’s Firewise USA program.
Firewise recognizes communities that organize to reduce their wildfire risk by following best practices for vegetation management and home hardening.
“Ventura County has experienced devastating wildfires in recent years,” Fire Marshal Massoud Araghi said. “When neighborhoods come together to create defensible spaces and make it harder for embers to light buildings on fire, it significantly reduces the risk for the entire community.”
Communities participating in Firewise complete wildfire risk assessments and develop action plans that prioritize projects to lower community-wide wildfire risk. Participants must invest at least one hour of volunteer work on those projects for every home in their community each year.
Achieving Firewise USA recognition can reduce home insurance premiums for property owners in the community.
At least five more Ventura County communities have submitted paperwork seeking Firewise USA recognition.
More than 200 people participated in an August community workshop in Camarillo hosted by the Ventura County Fire Department to share information about the Firewise USA program. About 40 communities have indicated that they intend to organize and seek Firewise USA status.
Learn more about how your community can earn Firewise recognition at http://vcfd.org/firewise/
