Monrovia Fire & Rescue To Inspect About 1,400 'High Risk' Homes

MONROVIA, CA – In the wake of last year's Southern California wildfires, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and State Farm teamed up to give 150 grants worth $500 – a total of $75,000 – to fund projects that can help prevent or mitigate the next wildfires, according to the press release. One of these grants went to the Monrovia Fire & Rescue Department, and Thursday they will start to inspect around 1,400 Monrovia homes classified as being in a Very High Fire Severity Zone.

Monrovia fire officials will educate residents on brush clearance and defensible space, as well as how to assess the vulnerabilities of local homes and how residents can harden their structures, Fire Chief of Monrovia Fire and Rescue Brad Dover said. The event coincides with the start of their annual brush inspections, beginning May 15.

“When our firefighters begin canvassing the neighborhoods in the coming weeks they will be able to connect with the residents and be able to further help assess their properties,” Dover said.

Last December, 29 wildfires burned through Southern California, including the Thomas Fire and a fire in Monrovia. Almost a quarter million residents were evacuated and more than 300,000 acres burned, resulting in millions of dollars in property losses and the declaration of a State of Emergency, the press release said.

One of the main causes of the severity of these fires was the large amounts of dry vegetation due to the multi-year drought, which still persists today, the press release said. Wildfires once described by “seasons” are now burning earlier and later in the year across the country, and more people are living where wildfires are a high risk, the press release said.

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