The Firebreak
The Newsletter of the Olivenhain Fire Safe Council
February 2023
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From the President
Happy New Year from the Olivenhain Fire Safe Council! I’m sure everyone is as relieved as we are that despite dire forecasts about a dry winter, January brought us a lot of rain. So for the time being, the vegetation is hydrated, and we can breathe a little easier about wildfire. (The flip side of all the rain is that the vegetation will be more abundant when we hit fire season later in the year, so think about clearing and maintaining defensible space now!)
Like the weather, the OFSC is getting off to a robust start in 2023. On January 18, our board had the pleasure of meeting with Josh Gordon, our new fire chief, and had a very productive discussion. Chief Gordon has deep family ties to Olivenhain, dating back to the first settlers, so he really understands our issues. We are hoping to meet quarterly with him to strengthen our partnership with the fire department and keep the lines of communication open, as we all seek to make a difference here. And we’re also hoping to interview him for an upcoming issue of The Firebreak.
January also saw the debut of two significant initiatives, both of which you can read more about below. We recently launched our pilot Neighborhood Ambassador program, our first step toward creating an active cadre of volunteers from neighborhoods throughout Olivenhain to serve as liaisons between their neighbors and the OFSC, as well as develop expertise in defensible space, home hardening and evacuation planning (assemble those go bags!) and more to share with their neighbors.
Concurrently, we have begun work on our Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP), and we really, REALLY need your input to help ensure we are able to produce an accurate and meaningful plan that will lead to a more resilient community.
And the fire professionals with the UC Cooperative Extension have just released a new survey to assess the needs in the state for programs and information, and they would very much like all of us to weigh in so they can serve us better (see article below).
Here's hoping 2023 is a momentous year for the OFSC and all of us in Olivenhain (for all the right reasons). With your participation, it will be!
—Sarah Lifton
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URGENT!
The Olivenhain Fire Safe Council needs your input!
The OFSC has begun work on a Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP), and we need your help to capture an accurate picture of community concerns and priorities. The CWPP is one of our principal charges as a fire safe council, and it is a top priority, as it will guide our activities moving forward and help us qualify for grants to benefit the entire community.
Community Wildfire Protection Plans are blueprints for preparedness at the neighborhood level. They organize a community’s efforts to protect itself against wildfire, and empower citizens to move in a cohesive, common direction. The CWPP template we’re required to use has six main sections (listed below), and we don’t need to respond to all, but we’d like to address as many as possible.
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Community Engagement and Education. How can we better engage with the community to spread the word about wildfire preparedness and encourage residents to take action?
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Structural Hardening. What needs do you see for property owners to “harden” their homes against wildfire—e.g., installing ember-resistant vents, Class A roofs and double-paned windows; cleaning gutters and installing leaf guards, replacing termite-damaged wood, replacing wood siding with stucco, etc.? What would encourage homeowners harden their homes?
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Defensible Space. Where do you see a need for property owners to establish and maintain defensible space—e.g., creating and maintaining 0-5’, 30’ and 100’ zones; eliminating ladder fuels that could ignite the canopy; eliminating vegetation that is touching roofs or eaves, weed abatement, etc.? What resources would help—e.g., a chipping program, dumpster days to collect green waste, training in chainsaw use, information about grazing, etc.?
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Fuels Treatment. This addresses wider, community levels of vegetation. Where in Olivenhain are the most compelling needs to reduce the vegetation that could help fuel a wildfire? What is needed—e.g., roadside thinning, fuel breaks, diseased/dead tree removal, vegetation management using goats, etc.? Where?
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Evacuation Planning. (NOTE: This does not refer to the Fitch report or the 2019 evacuation plan.) What routes would you take if you saw smoke on the horizon before an evacuation warning or order was issued? We need to determine Primary, Alternate, Contingent and Emergency (PACE) routes, in descending order of preference, and may not ultimately have all four. (The emergency “route” refers to a Temporary Safe Refuge area—a clearing or parking lot where surrounding vegetation is scarce and you can go if all the other evacuation options are unavailable.) We will have to create a map showing these routes. so we need to work on this ASAP.
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Other Mitigation and Preparedness Projects. What, if any, projects would you like to see that don’t fall under the previous categories—e.g., clear signage to direct first responders to your address, a dumpster program for household or hazardous waste, etc.?
Our deadline for submitting the CWPP draft is extremely tight, so if you have ideas and comments to share on any of the areas listed above, please don’t delay. We would like all community input by February 20, so we can finish drafting the document by the March deadline.
To respond, please email your comments to
OFSC president Sarah Lifton.
Thank you!
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OFSC launches pilot Neighborhood Ambassador program
Last year, residents of several Olivenhain neighborhoods stepped forward to volunteer for OFSC’s pilot Neighborhood Ambassador program. And on January 26, they gathered on Zoom to get acquainted, learn more about their roles as ambassadors and discuss concerns (especially evacuation) and what they can do moving forward.
The program, modeled after Poway’s highly successful Neighborhood Emergency Corps (with elements from the Neighborhood Ambassador program promoted by Fire Adapted Communities Learning Network), designates point people in different neighborhoods, to function much like block captains in a Neighborhood Watch. They serve as intermediaries between their neighbors and OFSC and provide information about resources and preparedness for matters related to wildfire safety. They may convene neighbors for educational and social events and depending on how involved they want to become, they may learn how to conduct informational property assessments to advise their neighbors on ways to harden their homes, maintain defensible space (which is the law) and prepare for evacuation. The OFSC offers support and resources, such as informational materials and connections to programs like the county fire safe council’s free chipping program and free defensible space program for seniors, the disabled and low-income residents.
The goal is to multiply the OFSC’s capacity and build awareness of best practices for protecting people and property from wildfire.
Our inaugural group of ambassadors includes Ron Bernstein (Knightsbridge), Jennifer Bishop (Dove Hollow) Sue Brown (Windsor), Ron Medak (Brookside) Lou Obertreis (Via di Felicita) and Jed Olenick (Double LL Ranch).
If you’re interested in joining them by becoming a Neighborhood Ambassador for your HOA or neighborhood, contact our program coordinator, Lou Obertreis, by clicking here.
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Please share your thoughts on wildfire with our friends at the UC Cooperative Extension |  | |
Your help is needed to understand the wildfire-related needs of Californians! As fire professionals with the University of California Cooperative Extension, our job is to work with residents, landowners, agencies, and other organizations to promote resilience and adaptation to wildfires.
We are asking Californians to complete this survey (https://bit.ly/UCCE_Fire_Survey) by February 28, 2023. By filling out this survey, you will help us develop educational resources and workshops about wildfire preparedness, as well as guide scientific research and make policy recommendations aimed at helping Californians deal with wildfire risks and impacts.
This survey should take approximately 10-15 minutes to complete. Your participation in the survey is voluntary and your answers are anonymous. If you share your contact information in the survey, it will not be connected to your answers unless you wish to be contacted for a follow-up interview.
By participating in this study, you can choose to enter a lottery to win one of fifty $20 VISA gift cards. Your contact information will not be linked to your answers.
If you have any questions about this survey please contact the fire advisor for Southern California:
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Luca Carmignani, Fire Advisor, UCCE Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, and San Diego counties, carmignani@ucanr.edu
For more information about wildfire-related programming from University of California Cooperative Extension, please visit the UCCE website or Facebook page.
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We don't have any events or activities planned for the immediate future. But watch this space in the coming months as we fill out our calendar. | | | |
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Now that it’s tax prep season, and you’re likely pulling out financial records in advance of that April deadline, it’s a good time to spend a little effort reexamining your homeowner’s insurance coverage. It’s important to assess your policy annually to safeguard your home and its contents so you’re prepared in case the worst should happen.
- Review your current policy to see if you need to make any adjustments. For example, does your policy cover code upgrades? (This is often overlooked and can be a significant factor if the home is damaged or destroyed and you need to rebuild.) Check with your insurance agent or carrier for guidance.
- Video, photograph or otherwise create a home inventory showing the contents of your home—store it in the cloud or somewhere it can be accessed easily if your home is destroyed.
- Factor in any home improvement projects undertaken in the previous year – it could be something as simple as new flooring or window coverings, or a larger project such as a kitchen or bath remodel or room addition.
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Seriously consider pursuing Wildfire Prepared Home designation from the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety (IBHS) by hardening your home and maintaining defensible space and with research-based measures that meaningfully reduce wildfire risk.
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Alternatively, implement the measures promoted by the California Department of Insurance, in its Safer from Wildfires initiative.
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Another excellent source of information for protecting your home is United Policyholders’ WRAP (Wildfire Risk Reduction and Asset Protection) initiative, which incorporates similar guidelines as IBHS and the Department of Insurance. Their comparison table below shows the different measures from the Wildfire Prepared Home, Safer from Wildfire and WRAP. (Also available on their website.)
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There are many ways you can help make our community safer from wildfire by becoming an Olivenhain Fire Safe Council volunteer. Bring your ideas, talents, skills and connections!
Opportunities include:
EVENTS AND PROGRAMS: Brainstorm with us to create, plan, set up and staff events.
FUNDRAISING: Help with outreach to businesses and neighbors. Identify grant opportunities, promote employer matches, develop and assist with fundraising events.
NEIGHBORHOOD AMBASSADORS: Be the point person in your neighborhood to identify unique needs and vulnerable residents and keep your neighbors informed in the event of a wildfire or other emergency. If you live in a community with an HOA, leverage the HOA structure to make your community safer through structure hardening and defensible space projects.
SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS: Do you have special skills and knowledge of relevant industries? We could use your help when there is a need for information, services or referrals (e.g. , insurance agents, lawyers, accountants/bookkeepers, Realtors, contractors, tradespeople, handymen, videographers, writers, PR professionals, artists, graphic designers, etc.).
OTHER IDEAS? Let us know!
Click here to find out more or sign up as a volunteer.
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The Olivenhain Fire Safe Council relies on donations to carry out its mission of enhancing fire prevention, safety and preparedness for all residents, through ongoing outreach, education and collaborative interventions, projects and activities. Help us build capacity by making a generous contribution. Make checks payable to Olivenhain Fire Safe Council and mail to Olivenhain Fire Safe Council, 2240 Encinitas Blvd., Ste. D, #165, Encinitas, CA 92024. Zelle and Paypal options will be available soon. | |
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Join our email list (scroll down on page for signup form).
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