Home » Community » Madera Firewise Program
AmeriCorps crew providing assistance to Madera Firewise communities

Madera Firewise Program

Madera Firewise® Program Empowering neighbors to work together to get wildfire ready

NORTH FORK – The Madera Firewise® Program provides guidance and a framework for neighbors to work together to become wildfire ready.  With Title III funding from Madera County, Yosemite/Sequoia Resource Conservation & Development Council (YSRCDC) has partnered with Coarsegold Resource Conservation District (CRCD) to re-establish a Firewise® program for rural and foothill communities located within Eastern Madera County.

Related Story: Cedar Valley Fuel Reduction Project Begins

Funding is being utilized to empower communities to protect their homes by becoming nationally recognized as a Firewise USA® site through the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Firewise USA® process.  To start, neighbors form a committee and get a minimum of 8 residences onboard. They then work together to identify hazards in their community, develop an action plan to mitigate those hazards, and collectively demonstrate voluntary work towards that action plan.

Communities taking part in the Madera Firewise® Program have access to implementation resources to help them address the hazards outlined in their community action plans.  This spring, through a partnership with United Way Fresno and Madera Counties, AmeriCorps crew assistance was directed to communities in the program.  The NCCC Blue 7 Team helped elderly community members create defensible space around their properties by clearing debris, and assisted homeowners with their individual risk assessments.

Becoming a Firewise® site also offers access to educational and training resources, provides application opportunities for home insurance discounts, fosters the develop of community partnership, and helps make homes wildfire ready.  These benefits were discussed during the program’s virtual kickoff meeting, which featured a CAL FIRE expert, a Resident Leader of a current Firewise® Site, and a presentation on the Listos (Ready!) California’s “5 steps to emergency preparedness”.

A Firewise® Community is a Wildfire Ready Community, so don’t delay! To get more information about how to create a Firewise® site in your neighborhood contact CRCD: maderafirewiseprogram@gmail.com

Yosemite Sequoia Resource Conservation & Development Council

The Yosemite Sequoia Resource Conservation & Development Council is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to natural resource conservation and economic development. The Council service area includes the rural and foothill communities of Fresno, Madera, Mariposa and Tulare Counties.

Coarsegold Resource Conservation District

The mission of the Coarsegold Resource Conservation District is to promote, protect, and improve the diverse natural resources of Eastern Madera County.

Leave a Reply

Sierra News Online

Sierra News Online