Community Guide 2017
Wildfire Preparedness in the San Geronimo Valley by Ken Massucco, retired Marin County Fire Chief Every year seems to bring more and more wildfires in West Marin and Northern California. Most of these were con- tained quickly, others have not been. Some of the largest fires in Marin have been in the San Geronimo Valley and West Marin. These include: 1923–Fire burned from Ignacio to Woodacre; scorched 40,000 acres and destroyed 35 homes in Woodacre 1945–Fire burned from the mill site where Kent Lake is now to Barth’s Retreat on the north slope of Mt. Tam. The fire consumed 18,000 acres of brush and valuable timber. 1965–Chileno Valley Fire burned 2,600 acres and several ranches. 1995–Mt. Vision Fire burned 12,076 acres and destroyed 48 homes. In 2010, the Marin County Fire Chiefs in an effort to help our residents be better prepared before and during a wild- fire launched the “Ready, Set, Go!” program. More infor- mation about this program and how it will help you can be obtained by visiting the Ready, Set, Go! website at www. readysetgomarin.org. The main principles behind the program are: READY : The concept is simple. This first phase teaches homeowners to prepare their property well in advance of a fire. GET SET: The Set phase of the program stresses emergency prepared- ness and situational awareness. GO : Early evacuation is a key component in RSG. There are a few minimum efforts you can take for mak- ing your home defensible and to help prepare yourself and your family for a wildland fire. These include: Create 100 feet of defensible space around structures: • Limb and prune trees within 6-15 feet off the ground and away from roofs.
• Remove leaves and needles and other dead or dying veg- etation from roofs and gutters. • Clear all flammable vegetation, trash and other combus- tible materials 10 feet around and above propane tanks. • Keep firewood and lumber at least 10 feet from struc- tures. • Clear driveway of flammable vegetation 15 feet vertically and 10 feet horizontally from edge of a driveway. Make sure attic vents, the underside of decks and balconies are properly screened to prevent ember intrusion. Post a clearly marked address sign. (During a large wild- land fires, resources would respond from throughout Marin or even from neighboring counties. Critical time can be lost if the street and address are not clearly marked).
Mt. Vision Fire, 1995 (Photo courtesy Marin County Fire Department)
CERT Volunteers Leo DenOuden, Alison Rider, and Skag Dukkers (Photo by Anne McClain)
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SGVCC
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