What is the Sun Valley Firewise Community?
Marin is the fastest-growing Firewise county in the US!
Marin has more Firewise USA-recognized neighborhoods than any other county in California and is the top Firewise USA county in the nation.
It begins with local residents organizing to develop a plan to take individual responsibility for preparing and protecting their homes from the risk of wildfire. Creating defensible space also helps others—with the unique topography of the Sun Valley “flats,” some neighbors will need additional support.
Firewise® Community
Firewise USA® is a national program that certifies communities that have managed vegetation and reduced fire hazards in their neighborhoods. Firewise certification provides recognition from the fire department and other local authorities that we are an active, fire-safe community, and it qualifies us for grants and other help. This certification can be a factor in persuading a fire department to defend our community in a wildfire or other emergency situation. Firefighters will not even attempt to defend an area that does not have defensible space.
In addition, being Firewise can provide certain fire insurance benefits and encourages insurance companies to underwrite in our area. Insurers are starting to drop policyholders in Northern California. The more participants we have, the safer we will be.
What is FIRESafe MARIN?
FIRESafe MARIN (FSM) is a nonprofit organization in Marin County that is dedicated to reducing wildland fire hazards and improving fire-safety awareness. Marin County fire chiefs lead FSM.
FSM’s mission is to encourage fire-safety preparedness, vegetation-reduction projects, Firewise® community formation, and education outreach for communities in Marin. FSM provides grants and subsidizes neighborhood events, such as chipper days. FSM takes the lead on prevention activities, such as educating the public and offering wildfire hazard walks through neighborhoods.
We can reduce the risk of wildfire significantly if we create and maintain defensible space, remove dead vegetation, clean the ground around and trim the lower trunks of trees, limit broom and other chaparral shrubs that are invasive, and cut back flammable plants to a safe distance from structures.
Let’s protect our Sun Valley San Rafael community.
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