Pre-fire planning pays off in Ventura County

Fire officials praised the response by residents after a lightning-sparked wildfire endangered several Ventura county neighborhoods. Ventura county has put a priority this spring on educating the public about the Ready, Set, Go! program and the requirement of 100 feet of defensible space. Residents evacuated early, and firefighters were able to use the defensible space to successfully protect...

How to escape from a quickly approaching wildfire

Wind-driven wildfires can move unbelievably fast, racing up hillsides, leaping canyons and sending burning embers flying miles ahead of the flame front. Residents may have only minutes to escape their neighborhood as the wildfire approaches, and for many, it may be the most terrifying experience of their life, buffeted by hurricane-force winds, with burning debris being blown through the air,...

Don’t get burned after a disaster

The aftermath of a major fire, as anyone who has lived through a wildfire will tell you can be confusing and upsetting. Residents are faced with numerous decisions. If they have suffered a loss, there are decisions to be made about how to protect, salvage, and repair what remains, and to begin replacing what was lost. The state of California has created a document to help guide people through...

How to get fire insurance if you live in the wildland-urban interface

Chances are you already know how hard it is to get fire insurance if you live in the Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI), or in an area of California classified as a Cal Fire high Fire Hazard Severity Zone (FHSZ). But even though getting home or renter’s fire insurance can be a challenge for WUI residents, it is far from impossible, it just takes work and preparation. Every year, hundreds of...

Governor declares Wildfire Awareness Week in California

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has declared May 2-8 to be Wildfire Awareness Week (PDF) in California. Cal Fire’s theme for the week is You Provide the Defense, We Provide the Offense! based on the internationally recognized Ready, Set, Go! program. Events are planned through the week, with a planned roll-out of a new CalFire website called Ready for Fire on May 2nd and a kick-off event...