The Firebreak
The Newsletter of the Olivenhain Fire Safe Council
Summer 2026
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From the President
It’s been a busy few months for the OFSC since our last newsletter. Last spring, at the same time we were working on a report and application for the San Diego Regional Fire Foundation’s SAFE grant program, we were planning our May 16 Community Barbecue and Wildfire Preparedness Fair (see articles below).
We’ve also been laying the groundwork for an insurance webinar in October and a demonstration of how to conduct a home assessment for the Neighborhood Ambassadors at the end of August. And a few weeks ago, I attended a meeting of the University City Fire Safe Council and the University City Garden Club that addressed how one board member had hardened his home against wildfire.
I’d like to extend our board’s warm congratulations to the newly minted Fire Safe Council of Encinitas, which covers the rest of the city beyond Olivenhain. Because Olivenhain has unique challenges that other parts of the city don’t share, we opted to remain a separate organization when they were forming. But we did help them make connections with the Fire Safe Council of San Diego County, which oversees all the local fire safe councils, and offered advice as they were moving ahead with their plans. We will no doubt be collaborating on some initiatives in the future.
And a reminder that we’re deep into fire season, and vegetation is very dry, which will only get worse as the summer wears on. (Unless the forecast El Nino brings a lot of rain, in which case the vegetation will grow, which brings its own issues.) Please use common sense around the house and the community so we don’t become a statistic. Somewhere between 85% and 95% of wildfires are caused by humans (depending on which source you want to cite). For the sake of ourselves and our neighbors, let’s keep Olivenhain (and Encinitas) fire-safe.
—Sarah Lifton
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OFSC receives 2026 SAFE grant to pilot new program
On June 22, OFSC was thrilled to receive a generous SAFE grant from the San Diego Regional Fire Foundation. The grant, which will cover most of our overhead for the coming year, also marks a new direction for OFSC.
According to Encinitas city records, 2,144 homes in Olivenhain were built before 2008. That date is significant because that’s when the state building code was modified to require ember-resistant vents in new construction. Since most of Olivenhain is in a High or Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone, the fact that so many homes were built before that requirement represents a significant vulnerability in our community. Don Butz, president of the Fire Safe Council of San Diego County and fire chief of Lakeside, has stated that if homeowners do nothing else to harden their homes, they should install ember-resistant vents. The Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety (IBHS), a nonprofit funded by the insurance industry, has conducted extensive research on the significant role that wind-driven embers entering attic vents play in igniting buildings (https://ibhs.org/wildfire/ember-entry-vents/). CAL-FIRE, in a two-day training that three OFSC board members attended in February, also stressed the importance of ember-resistant vents (or 1/8” mesh instead of the ¼” mesh that was standard before the code change) and noted that financial incentives are the one thing that has shown to be effective in motivating homeowners to install the vents.
Following in the footsteps of several other fire safe councils in the county, which have implemented incentive programs for vent replacement and other home hardening modifications, OFSC will be carrying out a two-part program. First, a postcard with information about the importance of upgrading vents to the ember-resistant standard will be mailed to all 2,144 addresses of pre-2008 homes in Olivenhain. Then, a small number of incentive grants will be made available to homeowners (as partial reimbursements once the vents are installed) as a pilot program. If it’s successful, and the demand is there, we will then pursue additional funding to expand the program to more homes.
Stay tuned for more information as it develops.
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May 16 Community BBQ and Preparedness Fair brings out residents
Olivenhain residents turned out in force May 16 for the 2026 Community Barbecue and Wildfire Preparedness Fair. As in previous years, it was held on the Meeting Hall grounds and featured an array of informational booths from agencies and nonprofits, as well as a number of vendors with wildfire-related products and services. And best of all, the Encinitas Fire Department cooked lunch for everyone, and an opportunity drawing and mystery instant win helped generate resources to keep OFSC going in the coming year.
Many thanks to all the organizations that helped make it a success:
Encinitas Fire Department, CAL-FIRE (and mascot Captain Cal), San Diego County Sheriff’s Office, San Diego Humane Society, SDG&E, American Red Cross, Encinitas CERT, Nature Collective, Olivenhain Municipal Water District and the California Native Plant Society.
We are also grateful for the vendors who brought special expertise about options for protecting life and property:
All-Risk Shield, Burtek Energy, Ember Pro, Lucia Risk Reduction & Fire Protection Consulting, Mighty Fire Breaker, San Diego County Solar and STPro Insurance.
And we extend our deepest thanks to the following businesses and individuals who donated goods and services to help us generate the resources we need to continue providing outreach and education about wildfire prevention and preparedness in our community. We encourage everyone to support these generous and public-spirited companies.
Ron Bernstein, California Pizza Kitchen Encinitas, Elements Massage South Carlsbad, Fox Point Farms, Friends of OFSC, The Henry Restaurant, Honey’s Bakery & Bistro, Lepaon Chocolatier, Meritage Wine Market, Nectarine Grove, Las Olas, Pannikin Coffee & Tea, Parakeet Cafe, Pastaria Vivi, Rosanna’s Pasta Shop, Seaside Market, Samantha & Thomas Jensen of STPro Insurance Services, LLC and Trader Joe’s Encinitas.
Many thanks also to the volunteers who helped with setup and teardown. We couldn’t have done it without you!
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Thursday, October 15, time TBD. Insurance webinar with Thomas Jensen and Robert Feldman, who specialize in hard-to-insure properties. Mark your calendar now. More information to follow. | | | | |
Something as routine as mowing can start a wildfire.
According to CAL-FIRE, when a mower blade strikes a rock or piece of metal, it can create sparks. During hot, dry, and windy conditions, those sparks can ignite dry grass in seconds and quickly spread into a wildfire. (Several years ago, this scenario actually happened in Olivenhain, but the fire department got there fast enough to extinguish it before it spread.)
CAL-FIRE says to help create one less spark by mowing responsibly:
- Avoid mowing on hot, dry, or windy days.
- Mow before 10 am, when conditions are cooler.
- Clear rocks and other debris before you begin.
- Keep water and a shovel or fire extinguisher nearby.
Make safe choices before you use machinery that can create sparks to help prevent the next wildfire.
Source: CAL-FIRE
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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. Contact Lou Obertreis for more information.
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 wildfire 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 tax-deductible contribution. (Check to see if your employer will match your donation.)
To donate through PayPal, click here.
To donate by check, make checks payable to Olivenhain Fire Safe Council and mail to Olivenhain Fire Safe Council, 2240 Encinitas Blvd., Ste. D, #165, Encinitas, CA 92024.
You can also donate through Zelle. Email us for specifics.
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