Fairfax City Council
June 7, 2023

Investing in a Fire Adapted Marin County
What the
Marin Wildfire Prevention Authority
is Doing for You
Fairfax Town Council
June 7, 2023
Marin County – Leading the Way in Fire Prevention
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• Coordination of effort across 17
jurisdictions
• Full community support
• Recognizes climate change as an
accelerant and environmental
resilience as a solution
• Everyone has a role to play
• Comprehensive, long-term plan
MWPA Goals Areas
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Reduce
Wildfire
Fuels
Vegetation
Management and
Local Wildfire
Prevention
Mitigation
Improve
Evacuation
Systems
Wildfire
Detection, Alert,
and Evacuation
Program
Improvements
Provide
Grants to
Residents
Grants to modify
homes and
partnerships to
collaborate and
augment funds
Educate
the
Public
Public outreach
and education
about fire
prevention,
preparedness,
and risk reduction
Reduce
Risks to
Homes
Defensible
Space
Evaluations
(1/3 annually)
and Home
Hardening
6/8/2023 5
House Out Approach
Parcel-level data Harden Homes Defensible Space
Emphasizing importance of individual homes in preventing disaster Grants to help low-income residents and those
with access and functional needs to get it done
Defensible
Space
Evaluations • Nearly 34,000 inspections
performed in 2022
(approximately 80,000
residential properties)
• 60% took action
6/8/20236
Resident Grant
Programs • Defensible Space Grants: • Up to $1,000 per property – no match required.
• Home Hardening Grants: • Up to $5,000 per property
– some items
require 50% match.
• $800,000 allocated for FY 23/24 &
$800K for prior, FY 22/23
• Statistics – for every dollar spent by the
MWPA, two dollars are spent by
residents.
6/8/20237
Chipper Days • Direct link from our Defensible
Space Evaluation Program
• 2022 Season: • 3,307 pick-ups and removal • 10,507 yards removed (1,051 dump trucks)
• 2023 Season – pickups
started May 15: • All residents get 5 pick
-up days
• Online pre-registration
required: https://reserve.chipperda
y.com/marin
6/8/2023
8 6/8/2023 9
Public Education
6/8/2023 10
Evacuation Route Clearing
AFTER
6/8/2023 11
Evacuation Risk Assessment
• Ingress/egress risk assessment
• App development: Fire risk analysis
to help prioritize projects
• Roadway terrain and condition
• Traffic patterns
• Number of cars
• Pinch points
• Sync traffic preemption devices
(i.e., green lights in a certain direction)
• Demographics of community
(such as access and functional needs)
Photo: Alan Dep, Marin Independent Journal
Lassen Fire, September 2021, San Rafael, California
6/8/2023 12
Prescribed Herbivory
Shaded Fuel
Breaks • Shaded Fuel Breaks along the
Wildland Urban Interface.
• 100’-300’ Defensible Space.
• Several levels of community
engagement.
• What does success look like? • Where are we building them? • How do we design these fuel breaks?
• How do we construct them? • How do we maintain them?
6/8/2023 13
Greater Ross
Valley Shaded Fuel
Break
14 •38 miles in the Ross Valley
•Phase 1 is completed (16 miles)
Central Zone – Fairfax Projects
6/8/2023 15
• Fairfax Invasive Vegetation Treatment Program
• The Town of Fairfax, in cooperation with the Ross Valley Fire Department (as Lead Agency) proposes continued implementation of a Defensible Space Inspection and Evaluation Program that will inspect and evaluate residential, commercial, and undeveloped properties for potential wildfire hazards.
• $104,710
• Fairfax Defensible Space Inspection and Evaluation Program • The Town of Fairfax and Ross Valley Fire Department (as Lead Agency) propose continued implementation of a vegetation management program intended to reduce invasive, nonnative fire hazardous vegetation that, when impacted by wildfire, might threaten structures or impede ingress and egress on evacuation routes. • $104,710
Central Zone Projects (including Fairfax)
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• Evacuation Route Improvements
• $200,000
• Continued implementation of an MWPA “core funded” vegetation management project intended to reduce fire hazardous vegetation that, when impacted by wildfire, might create heat, smoke, flame, and ember conditions that impede ingress and egress on roadways or other potential evacuation routes.
• Greater Ross Valley Shaded Fuel Break
• $950,000
• The proposed project is continued implementation of a shaded fuel break and hazardous fuel reduction and forest health management zone within 200-300 feet of structures at the boundary of the WUI in the Ross Valley.
• Defensible Space and Home Hardening Evaluation and Inspection Program– Supplemental Funding • 305,030
• The Greater Ross Valley Fire Agencies (MRN, RVY, KNT, CMD) representing the local taxing authority MWPA members propose an MWPA Central Zone core funding allocation to support the development and capital investment required to expand a successful multi agency Defensible Space and Home Hardening Evaluation and Inspection Program.