AUBURN
Placer County continues to lead the country with the highest number of designated Firewise USA® communities and on Sept. 2 celebrated a new milestone.
County and fire officials joined Granite Bay residents from the Mooney Ridge community to celebrate the addition of the 150th Firewise USA® community. A commemorative sign was presented to neighborhood organizer Patrick Dwyer during a special ceremony this morning to mark the achievement, which comes just as the country moves into September’s National Preparedness Month.
Firewise USA® provides a framework for neighbors to work together to reduce wildfire risk through actions such as creating defensible space, removing hazardous vegetation, and hardening homes. Since the program began in Placer County in 2007, residents have invested thousands of volunteer hours in wildfire risk reduction.
“Wildfire preparedness is about much more than responding when a fire starts,” said Cal Fire/Placer County Fire Chief Jim Hudson. “The work residents are doing before an emergency, creating defensible space, hardening their homes and working with their neighbors, helps create safer conditions for firefighters and communities.”
In July, Placer County received a Fire Risk Reduction Community designation from the California Board of Forestry and Fire Protection, recognizing the county’s comprehensive approach to wildfire prevention and risk reduction. California requires insurers to account for the designation when setting rates, although the amount of any potential savings varies by insurer and property. Residents should contact their insurance provider to determine how the designation applies to their policy. Firewise USA® participation may also qualify homeowners for wildfire-related insurance discounts, depending on their insurer and policy.
In eastern Placer, the county has coordinated with the U.S. Forest Service and National Forest Foundation on fuels reduction projects on county-owned property near Olympic Valley and Cabin Creek, helping leverage resources and expand the amount of land receiving treatment.
For more information about Firewise USA® communities, visit Placer County’s Firewise program webpage.
For more information about preparedness, including wildfires, visit readyplacer.
~ Placer County press release
