Let’s get wildfire ready! Mountain communities come together for disaster preparedness

Mountain Communities Fire Safe Council
Contributed

The Mountain Communities Fire Safe Council (MCFSC) is hosting a community outreach and education event from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 7 at the Mountain Resource Community Center, 25380 Franklin Dr., to deepen community understanding of natural disasters and inspire preparation and safety for these kinds of events. The event seeks to welcome and serve both existing community members as well as the measurable population of new homeowners who moved to the area in the past year.

The MCFSC provides fuels reduction, defensible space, outreach/education and home hardening assistance in the San Jacinto Mountain communities. The event will feature and promote several local organizations and agencies including the work of the Woodies; MCFSC’s volunteer force that serves elderly and low-income homes in the community, U.S. Forest Service, Southern California Edison, Idyllwild Fire Protection District, Cal Fire, California Highway Patrol, Team Rubicon, Forestry and Fire Recruitment Program, Idyllwild Community Garden, Idyllwild Board of Realtors, Emergency Management Department, local tree contractors, Mountain Disaster Preparedness and Caltrans.

A food truck, cotton candy, popcorn and a family activity station will ensure a fun time. Attendees will learn about topics such as proper abatement strategies, fuels reduction, home hardening, Wildland Urban Interface and defensible space zones. Defensible space refers to managing vegetation and flammables around the home to maximize a home’s chance of surviving wildfire. Defensible space, in combination with “home hardening” retrofits, are essential to residents living in areas at risk of wildfire. Current state regulations require 100 feet of “defensible space” around homes in very high fire hazard severity zones, yet many are lagging in compliance.

This event will also highlight the Listos toolkit trailer recently acquired through the California Fire Safe Council’s Listos Trailers and Toolkit grant.

Questions about Mountain Communities Fire Safe Council can be directed to Caitlin Mathey, Mountain Communities Fire Safe Council administrative assistant, at [email protected] or 951-659-6208.