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.
Organize it
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.
Plan it
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.
Do it
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.
Tell Firewise USA® about it
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:
Participate in the Home Assessment Program and let staff know that you are interested in participating in a Community Chipping Day.
Create your defensible space and stage vegetation within 5 feet of your curbside or driveway (it needs to be extremely visible, ideally from the main road or driveway).
The contractor will give you a call to let you know what day they will be coming by.
Receive free chipping service
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.
Useful Links
Ready for Wildfire - Wildfire is coming... Are you ready?
Real Estate Inspections (AB-38)
Sunrise Powerlink's Defensible Space Grants Program
Burn Demo - Exterior Wall Fire Demonstration
List of Items Recommended for your Emergency Kit/Go Bag
Have a portable radio or scanner and plenty of batteries to stay updated on the fire – phones and TVs may not work.
Emergency contact numbers.
Extra emergency kit in car – in case fire cuts you off from your home.
Cash – credit cards may not work due to lack of electricity -a minimum of $200 in denominations less than $20.
One gallon of water per person and per pet per day.
Three days of nonperishable food and one week’s supply of any special foods needed for medical purposes or for children.
Paper cups, plates and plastic utensils, paper towels, can opener.
One week + supply of medications.
First aid kit.
Plastic bags, garbage bags.
Flashlight.
Blankets.
Extra clothes, comfortable shoes, hat, sunscreen.
Pocket knife.
Personal hygiene items, e.g. women’s products, toilet paper.
Fire Extinguisher.
Face mask for each member of family.
Tools to turn off gas and water – If you have time, turn off gas, electricity and water.
Flashlights
Cell Phone Charger
Glasses, sun glasses, hearing aids
Matches in a water proof container
Books or games.
Local maps.
Paper and pen.
Important papers:
Copy of your passport or driver’s license
Children’s birth certificates
Marriage or divorce papers
Insurance information
Titles for any property you own
Tax information
Pictures
(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