What has Fire Safe Sonoma been up to?! | |
It's time for Fire Safe Sonoma's favorite time of year - tabling season! These events are a great opportunity for us to educate and share resources to communities throughout the county.
Starting off strong at Climate Ready Cotati, FSS, alongside our partners at the Resilient Landscape Coalition, were able to connect with the local community and share information on gardening in the defensible space zone and the importance of fire resilient landscapes.
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FSS also shared resources at the Sonoma Valley Emergency Preparedness Fair, the Oakmont Fire & Earthquake Fair, and the Windsor Earth Day event. Our upcoming tabling events will be at the Climate Action Fest on May 4th, 2025 and at the Wildfire & Earthquake Expo on June 1st, 2025. Come say hi!
FSS not only loves to table at local events, but unlocked a new-found passion for parade participation. On April 19th, 2025, FSS participated in the Butter & Eggs Day Parade in downtown Petaluma. The float FSS built demonstrated defensible space zones zero and one, while also having fun following the theme of "Petaluma in Wonderland".
| | Designing and building the float was a fun project for the team to work on, and we can't wait to participate next year. FSS hopes to use this defensible space model for future events. | | Apply Now for the SWC D-Space Rebate Project While Funds Last! | | |
Safer West County (501(c)(3)), in conjunction with Fire Safe Sonoma, has received a hazardous fuels reduction grant from CAL FIRE to make homes more fire safe in western Sonoma County.
In the event of a wildfire, having 100 feet or more of defensible space has been clearly demonstrated to help save homes. We hope that this rebate project will help residents create beautiful, healthy, and "firewise" landscapes around homes.
This application is for residents of Camp Meeker, Forestville, Monte Rio and Occidental to request rebates for defensible space work around their homes, driveways and other structures. Rebates cover two-thirds of the project cost up to $1,000. This is a one time $1,000 rebate.
| | Central Sonoma Coast Firewise Community Celebrates “Ben Way” Neighbors for French Broom Removal | | |
On March 23rd, Zoe Belzpalko organized her neighbors on Ben Way in the Central Sonoma Coast Firewise Community (CSCFC) to spend a few hours pulling french broom from the side of the road and into the source point of the broom on a property. Fire Safe Sonoma's Listos Tool Trailer was a great resource.
Earlier, on February 26, 2025, CSCFC hosted a viewing of Jason Mills’ Fire Safe Sonoma Speaker Series recording of his talk on broom and invasive species. After watching the recording a couple times, Zoe went to work. Zoe, from France, appropriately provided French music to accompany the french broom work.
As a result, one can’t see any broom along Ben Way, and The Ben Way Neighbors plan to do maintenance to keep it out.
| | Alta Vista Heights HOA Firewise Community "Dooms the Broom" | | |
Members of the Alta Vista Heights community gathered for a Firewise Community Tool Trailer Work Party focused on reducing fire hazards in Parcel B. Nineteen homeowners, along with three FSS California Climate Action Corps (CCAC) Fellows, participated in the effort to remove invasive French Broom and Himalayan blackberry.
Thanks to favorable soil conditions and the use of specialized tools, including weed wrenches and a 6-foot digging bar, volunteers successfully removed approximately six pickup truckloads of vegetation in just over two hours. The larger, tree-sized French Broom plants posed a particular challenge but were effectively pried out by the team.
In addition to the productive fieldwork, the event fostered a strong sense of community engagement. Volunteers took the opportunity to connect with neighbors, and one FSS Fellow noted the high level of community involvement and enthusiasm.
There were some concerns expressed about the remaining cut materials left on the ground. To mitigate any ongoing fire risk, the HOA plans to either scatter or remove the remaining vegetation.
The Alta Vista Heights HOA extends sincere thanks to all who participated and contributed to the success of this important fire mitigation effort.
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RLC & SWC:
Resilient Landscaping Presentation
Date: April 26, 2025
Time: 10:00am-11:30am
Location: Forestville Community Library
Event Description: Discover how you can make your home and it's landscape fire resilient with a science-based approach.
Registration is required.
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Climate Action Festival - Future Fest
Date: May 4th, 2025
Time: 12:00pm-4:00pm
Location: Lucchesi Community Center
Event Description: Cool Petaluma’s annual expo for local resources is growing once again to become Future Fest & Expo 2025!
Now in its fourth year, they partnered with both the City of Petaluma and Petaluma City Schools to expand the reach and offerings. This time, they are taking over the entire Petaluma Community Center at Lucchesi Park for a Sunday afternoon of climate action through community building.
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Fire Safe Solutions for Design, Building, and Upkeep Webinar
Date: May 5th, 2025
Time: 6:30pm-7:30pm
Location: Zoom Webinar
Event Description: Join the UC ANR Fire Network to learn about simple, low-cost actions that you can do to protect your house and property. This webinar is intended for all of California’s homeowners, renters, and other interested community members.
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Fire Behavior Basics Presentation
Date: May 9th, 2025
Time: 6:00pm-7:00pm
Location: Sonoma Community Center
Event Description: Whether you're a wildfire enthusiast or just curious about how to protect your home and community, this event is for you! We’ll delve into the science of wildfires, breaking down how they behave and how you can use this knowledge to safeguard your property.
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Mother's Day Pancake Breakfast & Safety Fair
Date: May 11th, 2025
Time: 8:00am-12:00pm
Location: Keiser Park, Windsor
Event Description: Bring Mom! Treat her to breakfast and stay to enjoy the festivities. Meet your local first responders, check out emergency vehicles, and learn tips to keep your family safe during an emergency. Also come for a chance to win raffle prizes!
Kids are FREE! $5 suggested donation for adults.
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Smoke Ready Sonoma: Wildfire Smoke & Prevention Measures
Date/Time:
- English Session: May 15th, 2025 at 12:00pm-3:30pm
- Spanish Session: May 30th, 2025 at 5:30pm-8:00pm
Location: TBD
Event Description: In this session, you'll learn how to interpret air quality levels and understand the impact of wildfire smoke, properly wear an N95 mask for optimal protection, and create your own at-home air purifier for a healthier environment.
To reserve your spot email mavalos@capsonoma.org.
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FSS Speaker Series - Wildfire Season Lookout with Ben Nicholls, CAL FIRE
Date: May 22nd, 2025
Time: 2:00pm-3:00pm
Location: Zoom
Event Description: For more than 4 years the Fire Safe Sonoma Speaker Series has captivated Sonoma County audiences with compelling speaker events featuring current leaders in issues relevant to wildland fire safety and risk reduction, delivering unique perspectives, bold provocative ideas, and hopeful inspiration for our thoughtful audience.
| | | Opportunities & Resources | | The North Coast Resource Partnership is pleased to offer a Request for Proposals for Technical Assistance to Tribes and economically disadvantaged communities to support grant applications for on-the-ground projects that improve forest health and increase wildfire resilience. | | |
2025 Chipper Program Currently Accepting Applications
Permit Sonoma Fire Prevention Division provides free chipper services to residents who are engaged in making their property more wildfire safe. The purpose of the program is to create defensible space, specifically around the home, structures, and access routes to the structures, for properties located in the unincorporated areas of Sonoma County.
Prepare your piles per the guidelines before submitting your application. The Chipper Program Application Portal is open from March to October 1, 2025. Click the button below for more details.
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