Attention, Marin Residents: Wildfire Forum Coming Up

MARIN COUNTY, CA – In Marin County, the population tops more than 260,000 people with 11 municipal governments and 16 fire agencies. So when it comes to wildfire prevention, jurisdictional boundaries blur.

“Like a flood or an earthquake, a wildfire knows no boundaries,” said Marin County Fire Chief Jason Weber. “It’s imperative that we work together to prevent wildfire and to be prepared for wildfire for the good of our entire community.”

To boost countywide preparedness efforts, local residents are invited to a coordination forum set for Saturday, May 4, at the Embassy Suites in San Rafael from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.

"Following the devastating fires that hit Sonoma and Napa in 2017, fire chiefs in Marin collaborated with other officials to develop the “Lessons Learned” report that created a roadmap for Marin’s own wildfire prevention and emergency-preparedness efforts," county officials said.

"The report emphasized that in addition to expanding on existing work, a coordinated countywide approach to wildfire prevention and community preparedness will be critical to meeting the local wildfire challenge."

The free, public forum will offer an opportunity to hear about local wildfire prevention in neighborhoods throughout the county, vegetation-management projects on open-space lands, emergency-preparedness efforts at the community level, and what needs to happen to meet “Lessons Learned” goals.

“The fire chiefs have always been a cohesive group, but these recent fires have certainly brought us closer together,” said Novato Fire Protection District chief and Marin County Fire Chiefs Association president Bill Tyler. “These events make it very clear that we must address our wildfire challenge at a greater community level, rather than by individual jurisdictions. We know it has to happen. Now it’s just about how to do it.”

Attendees also will hear from a former Paradise, CA, resident, learn what can be done to protect homes and property, and discover ways to work together to make Marin as wildfire-safe and emergency-ready as possible.

At the forum, Chief Tyler plans to present work areas identified as best approached strategically and collaboratively across the county, officials said.

“The fire chiefs all agree that countywide participation and coordination is needed to ensure that we have the resources we need to be effective, that those resources are managed efficiently, and that communities throughout the county are as safe and resilient as possible,” he said.

The forum is being hosted by the nonprofit FIRESafe Marin, the Marin County Fire Chiefs Association, the County of Marin, and Firewise USA.

Although the forum is free to attend, attendees are encouraged to register online.

The Embassy Suites is located at 101 McInnis Parkway in San Rafael.

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