January 2024: It’s Our 25th Birthday!

Diablo Firesafe Council turns 25 this year! While our official birthday is in October, we’re going to be celebrating all year long. Stay tuned as we expand our programs to support neighbors and partners more than ever before.

With that in mind, this month’s newsletter highlights a few of the presentations and events that make organizations like ours so effective.

DFSC President, Sheryl Drinkwater, and former Executive Director, Cheryl Miller, presented home hardening and landscaping information for the Oakland Firewise community last month.

Sharing their decades of home hardening experience and insights into new developments like Zone 0, they provided community leaders and homeowners with information that can be put to use immediately.

The gathering also provided other fire agency officials and engaged neighbors with an opportunity to exchange their own information and experience for home hardening and collectively reducing community risk.

Mark Tukman will be giving an online presentation on innovative wildfire-related deliverables, with particular focus on fuels management in Alameda and Contra Costa Counties. Fire chiefs and marshals are especially encouraged to join, as the data and tools presented are intended for proactive fire prevention planning.

We recommend all community members see the Tukman Geospacial exceptional analysis and planning report and risk mapping. They offer a comprehensive look at how risk is measured and what factors to be most aware of.

The California Wildfire and Forest Resilience Task Force closed 2023 with a deep dive into the ways California is working to create Fire Adapted Communities. In particular, Daniel Berlant (CAL FIRE) discussed the importance of engaging directly with homeowners and Jacy Hyde (CFSC) presented the ways in which the Firesafe Council model has been successful.

Hyde pointed out that this is “deeply personal” work and requires the trust and communication that can only come from within local communities. The recording is worth watching for anyone interested or involved in Firesdafe or Firewise work. (And if you’d like to jump right to that part of the program, it’s at 11:55.)

Support your community by supporting DFSC!

Diablo Firesafe Council is your partner in wildfire prevention for Alameda and Contra Costa Counties. Our volunteers work tirelessly to help communities with home hardening, fuel clearing, and arranging funding for major projects. Please support this work with a small donation right now.