JULIAN FIRE SAFE COUNCIL

Our mission is to provide information, education and training to the citizens of Julian to promote fire prevention and safety in our community.

Backcountry Communities Thriving has recently taken over the duties of the Julian Fire Safe Council. We welcome any input from the community and hope to engage as many residents in the efforts to protect our homes and neighbors. If you would like to participate in the Julian Fire Safe Council, please contact us at jfsc@bc-ct.org.

Sign Up for a Free Home Assessment

Starting in January, the Fire Safe Council of San Diego County will be offering FREE home ignition zone and defensible space assessments. Trained staff provide education, evaluation and recommendations to help you meet your wildfire resilience goals. Registration is requied through the Fire Safe Council of San Diego County website.

What is a Firewise USA Community?

Home ignition zones often overlap onto adjacent properties. This makes the conditions of neighboring homes and vegetation a part of the wildfire threat. It's extremely important that neighbors work collaboratively with each other (and talk with each other) to reduce their shared risk.

Firewise USA® is a voluntary program that provides a framework to help neighbors get organized, find direction and take action to increase the ignition resistance of their homes and community.

Create a board or committee of volunteers to represent your community, including residents and partners such as local forestry agencies or the fire department. Identify a resident leader who will be the program point of contact. The board or committee defines the boundaries of the site and determines the number of individual single family dwelling units. Minimum of 8 dwelling units and a maximum of 2,500.  

The board or committee will collaborate with their local wildfire expert to complete a community wildfire risk assessment. The assessment should be a community-wide view that identifies areas of successful wildfire risk reduction and areas where improvements could be made. Emphasis should be on the general conditions of homes and related home ignition zones.  The assessment is a living document and needs to be updated at a minimum every 5 years. The board/committee will use the risk assessment to create a three-year action plan, broken down by year, that identifies and prioritizes actions to reduce ignition risk to homes.

Each year, neighbors complete educational and risk reduction actions identified in the plan. These go towards your site's annual reporting efforts. At a minimum, each site is required to annually invest the equivalent of one volunteer hour per dwelling unit in wildfire risk reduction actions. If your site has identified 100 homes within its boundary, than 100 hours of work or the monetary equivalent, based on the independent sector value of volunteer time, need to be completed for that year.

When the above criteria have been met, the Resident Leader applies for recognition through the Firewise® Portal, describing educational and mitigation work in the site. Each year, sites renew their status by reporting their activity.

County of San Diego Agriculture and Livestock Pass Program

All commercial livestock or agricultural operators and managerial employees in the unincorporated area are now able to apply for an Ag Pass. When a mandatory evacuation order is given, all people, including Ag Pass holders, must evacuate. When fire and law enforcement leaders allow, Ag Pass holders will be able to return to the area to move, feed and provide veterinary care of livestock, or work on irrigation systems, farm equipment and other essential infrastructure.

Ag Pass access is limited to daylight hours and doesn’t guarantee entry to an evacuated area.  Fire and law enforcement officials make the decision for entry based on fire behavior and public safety. Click here for more information about the program.

Defensible Space Assistance Program

** This program is currently not accepting new applicants. The program will relaunch on January 2nd, 2024. Please monitor the Fire Safe Council of San Diego County's website for program updates. **


The Defensible Space Assistance Program (DSAP) is designed to assist homeowners that need to create defensible space, and are not able to do so because of physical, economic or other barriers. It is imperative that all homeowners maintain at least 100 feet of defensible space around their homes to aid in protecting themselves and their communities from the devastation of wildfire. 


Visit the Fire Safe Council of San Diego County's website to apply.  The property owner must be the individual to apply for the DSAP Program. Each application will be carefully considered. The


Please note: Wait time for this program depends on funding availability and geographic location.

No-Cost Chipping Program

The Community Chipping Program is through the Fire Safe Council of San Diego County. Please note that they are currently not accepting applicants until January 2nd, 2024. 

Maintaining the legally required 100 feet of defensible space around your property can be a challenge for homeowners. Once you’ve taken the necessary steps to protect your property by thinning and trimming hazardous brush, you are often left with large piles of dry vegetation, which can themselves become a fire hazard.

How to participate in the Community Chipping Program:

Visit the Community Chipping Program page at the Fire Safe Council of San Diego County for more information.

Residential KnoxBox Program

In the event of an emergency, it is important that first responders are able to reach residents as quickly as possible. When doors are locked, this slows down the response time. The San Diego County/Fire Protection District's Residential KnoxBox Program is designed to give residents a back-up plan to be accessible during a crisis.

Qualifying residents will receive a lock box at no cost. Inside, a spare house key can be stored for access by County Fire during emergencies. County Fire will install the box. Visit the County's website to see if you qualify and to apply.

Free Smoke Alarms for Seniors

The Burn Institute offers free smoke alarm installations for seniors 62 years+ who own their own home in San Diego County through their Fire-Safe Seniors Program. If you meet these qualifications, fill out their form and someone will contact you shortly to complete the sign-up process. Once registered, trained, screened volunteers will set-up an appointment time to install alarms up to California State Fire Code in your home free of charge.

Lessons from Paradise

Survivors of the catastrophic wildfire that burned through Paradise in 2018 draw from their experience and immense personal loss to warn us about what can happen if we don’t take action to protect ourselves and our homes.  The urgency of their message cuts deep.

Defensible Space Zones

Defensible space, coupled with home hardening, is essential to improve your home’s chance of surviving a wildfire. Defensible space is the buffer you create between a building on your property and the grass, trees, shrubs, or any wildland area that surround it. This space is needed to slow or stop the spread of wildfire and it helps protect your home from catching fire—either from embers, direct flame contact or radiant heat. Proper defensible space also provides firefighters a safe area to work in, to defend your home.

Zone 0 : Ember Resistant Zone

Zone 1: Lean, Clean and Green Zone

Zone 2: Reduce Fuel Zone

Visit Cal Fire's website  for complete descriptions of each zone and to download brochures and useful checklists to keep you, your home and your neighbor safe from a wildfire.

Preparing Makes Sense for Pet Owners

Helpful tips to keep the four legged members of your family safe too.

Create a Pet Disaster Plan

The County of San Diego Department of Animal Services offers free disaster plans and guides to help you help your pets and livestock.

List of Items Recommended for your Emergency Kit/Go Bag


(List of items provided by San Diego Regional Fire Foundation)

Julian Fire Safe Council Board of Directors

Kim Simas - President

Hilary Ward - Treasurer

Donna Garcia - Secretary

William Everett - Member