Ojai Community Builds Wildfire Resilience

Best Practices Federal Emergency Management Agency / Region IX February 2019

Disaster Mitigation Working in California Ojai Community Builds Wildfire Resilience

Ventura County, CA Since its founding in 1874 the beautiful town of Ojai, ringed by rugged mountains and steep chaparral-covered can- yons, has been threatened with de- struction at least nine times. The Wheeler and Day Fires in 1985 and 2006 burned over 280,000 acres and destroyed homes and other structures near the town. The Ojai community placed a bronze plaque to express gratitude for the heroism of firefighters who successfully battled the Wheeler Fire during extremely dangerous conditions. years; developed high-quality years of Ojai Valley preparation Those experiences brought an online resources; and built strong and planning. Extremely hot, dry awareness of vulnerability, along effective partnerships with the and windy conditions caused that with a determination to become a USDA Forest Service, Ventura fire to grow and move with incredi- wildfire resilient community. Ojai County Fire Protection District, ble speed. Readiness and detailed Valley residents realized that aware- City of Ojai, County of Ventura, evacuations plans were critically ness and vigilance alone would not Ventura County Sheriff Depart- important, since the two-lane coun- suffice. To develop a plan of action ment, Ventura County Resource ty egress roads can be overwhelmed a group of fire professionals, educa- Conservation District and others. by traffic. Fortunately, the wind tors, insurance experts, homeowner direction during the Thomas Fire associations and others formed the The board of directors and adviso- spared the City of Ojai the fate of Ojai Valley Fire Safe Council ry council have been able to effec- Paradise, California, but this lesson (OVFSC), a nonprofit organization tively engage and coordinate with has not been lost on the Ojai Valley dedicated to promoting wildfire other agencies, organizations, vol- community. The Woolsey Fire in safety through education and action. unteers and citizens to accomplish 2018 served up a harsh reminder to Since 2000, the OVFSC has suc- significant risk reduction. The the Ojai Valley community that the cessfully managed over $1 million OVFSC is working on expanding new normal is a year-long fire sea- in federally funded grants; per- community planning and efforts son and that wildfire is a constant, formed extensive vegetation man- with a focus on working from the unending threat. agement in key high-fire hazard home outward and, drawing from zones in the Ojai Valley area; con- the lessons learned from previous The OVFSC’s “whole community” ducted extensive education pro- fires, in preparing communities to approach has brought real progress. grams for schools, homeowners, live safely and sustainably in a fire Individuals, families, business own- farmers, ranchers and landscape -prone environment - before, dur- ers, ranchers, farmers, landscape professionals; held its innovative ing and after a fire. professionals and others are all in- Wildfire Safety Fair every two volved. Thanks to successful wild- The large Thomas Fire tested the fire safety fairs and other outreach FEMA Region IX Mitigation Division and the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services Best Practices Disaster Mitigation Working in California efforts, people are developing or the roadway. Since the fire, Hwy acres of weed whacking, brush refining their safety, communica- 33 has closed numerous times clearance, tree removal, branch tion, and evacuation plans. The from debris flows, and the North removal and more on our rugged OVFSC’s grant-funded projects Fork Springs roadway has also suf- little piece of land. When the fire have provided equipment and direct fered significant debris flows. A came we moved everything out- aid to cut back flammable vegeta- number of homes have suffered side away from the house, and we tion and create and maintain defen- damage from debris flows after the even threw the welcome mats out sible and survivable space around fire. in the yard and left. The mats structures. Residents have learned (and many other things) burned how to create defensible space, Of the homes and other structures up!” The home was also built build with fire-resistant materials, destroyed or damaged in his neigh- with materials that are resistant to and retrofit older, vulnerable struc- borhood, Chris said, “not a single wildfire and specifically designed tures. one was lost from direct flame with no eaves, understory or at- contact from burning vegetation. It tached decking. The high ceilings Chris Danch, Fire Safe Council was all about ember ignition or a mean no attic and no attic vents Grants Manager and a life-long resi- burning house causing adjacent could invite embers. dent of the Ojai Valley, has fasci- homes to catch fire.” The Danch nating stories to tell about the vari- home was spared from the Thomas The main message that Chris ous conflagrations that have threat- Fire because of both extensive fire Danch and other members of the ened the valley. The 2017 Thomas clearance and structure design. Ojai Valley Fire Safe Council Fire alone burned 281,893 acres, When Chris and his wife Angie want to relay is that fire safety in destroyed 1,063, damaged 280 learned of the Thomas Fire they a high-hazard area needs to be structures in Ventura and Santa Bar- worked two 12-hour days fine- the ongoing responsibility of all bara Counties, and cost over $204 tuning the fire clearance and mak- community members. Today, the million to fight. The Woolsey Fire ing sure that nothing flammable scope and speed of wildland fires in 2018 burned 96,949 acres and was near the house. That was be- means that public safety agencies destroyed or damaged 1,643 struc- fore Chris and Angie evacuated for cannot alone fully protect our tures in LA and Ventura counties. four weeks. communities. Everyone needs to “We’ve had some close calls with work together! fires that could have destroyed “I’m kept very busy with three Ojai” says Danch. “We’ve also learned a lot of lessons about what works to reduce our risk, and what we need to do to protect lives and property.” As a homeowner in the North Fork Springs community in the mountains behind Ojai, his house was at ground zero of the Thomas Fire. In the North Fork Springs community, seven of the 21 homes were destroyed, nine more were damaged, and many other structures (a cabin, In gratitude to the firefighters carports, garages, workshops, stor- More information: age buildings, and fences) were Ojai Valley Fire Safety Council burned completely. All but the http://firesafeojai.org/ Danch home had their water and California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services electrical systems damaged. Most www.caloes.gov telephone poles were burned, along National Fire Protection Association / Firewise USA with burnt trees that had fallen onto www.nfpa.org

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