Congratulations to the KenCrest Ridge Neighborhood on becoming the 800th Firewise USA® Community in California!

"This marks a new record for wildfire prepared communities in California. The recognition by the NFPA [National Fire Protection Associaton] highlights the steps the community has taken to ensure that wildfire risk is reduced in their area and that residents are prepared."

- CAL FIRE Office of the State Fire Marshal

Our Fire Safe Council is dedicated to creating more Firewise communities throughout the county. Please check out our Firewise USA® webpage to learn more about the process and how you can get recognition for your neighborhood.

Members of Ventura County Fire Department's Wildland Crew # 12 assisted the Ventura Regional Fire Safe Council with a Curbside Chipping Event in the Moorpark Home Acres Community. In total, about 37 cubic yards of vegetation was chipped, with an average pile size of 2.64 cubic yards!

All chips remained in their community, to enrich the soil, while we gave feedback to avoid using the chips within 5ft of their home. Even Supervisor Janice Parvin stopped by to support the work being done!



This vegetation management program reduces the flammable fuel load and increases weed abatement activities in this area that borders a wildland-urban interface threat zone.

Meanwhile in Newbury Park, Ventura County Fire Department and the C.R.E.W. collaborated with Ventu Park Fire Safe Council and Ventura Regional Fire Safe Council to chip an estimated 42 cubic yards - roughly 20 truck beds full! - of vegetation.

This drop-off style event accommodated folks from Ventu Park neighborhoods, who brought brush piles of all sizes. By clearing their defensible space, they're increasing their own wildfire resiliency and their neighbors. But when the whole neighborhood works together, it's worth more than the sum of its parts!

Live in Ventu Park? Stay connected with Ventu Park Fire Safe Council and check out their website: vpfs.org.

At Ventura Regional Fire Safe Council's Curbside Chipping Event in the Via Ondulando neighborhood of Ventura, 29 piles were chipped for an estimated 66 cubic yards of vegetation! Woodchips generated by this event were transported and donated in part to Girl Scouts of California's Central Coast at their Monarch Restoration Garden at Camp Arnaz, in partnership with Ventura County Resource Conservation District.

Did you miss the first few Firewise USA® Workshops of the year? No sweat! Click on the video icon in this section to watch the first workshop of the year.

Our live workshops happen every 3rd Friday at 1PM on Zoom and you can register here.

We upload past workshops on our YouTube Channel here.

SCE's Wildfire Mitigation Plan outlines actions they are making to lower the risk of wildfires associated with electrical systems in high fire risk areas. Some of these actions include strengthening the grid, conducting inspections on equipment, vegetation management, improved monitoring and further risk assessments, and many more.

You can learn about all of the work being done by visiting

https://www.sce.com/wildfire/wildfire-mitigation-efforts