Wildfire experts agree that it’s not a question of if, but when a major wildfire will torch Marin County’s hillsides. The debate centers on whether Marin is doing all it can to prepare for the inevitable firestorm.
The National Weather Service has issued a RED FLAG WARNING for Marin County from Friday at 10 pm through Sunday at 10 am. This type of fire weather is extremely unusual in Marin in December - based on this season's events, FIRESafe MARIN urges Marin residents to take extreme precautions in the coming days. Strong northerly winds are predicted in the North Bay hills, with very low humidities and unusually low fuel-moistures. The NWS upgraded this from a Fire Weather Watch to a RED FLAG WARNING early Friday, based on observed conditions.
FIRESafe MARIN has developed a 7 step (7-day) guide to quickly preparing your home and family for wildfire, all in less than 1 hour per-day. We recommend that TODAY you read and complete Day 1: Clean your roof and rain gutters, and Day 5: Now That You're Ready, Get Set! in advance of the predicted fire-weather.
With a National Weather Service warning in place for high winds coming this weekend, Marin County Fire Department Chief Jason Weber has indefinitely suspended open burning in Marin County.
“We are suspending open burning because of predicted fire weather, the lack of precipitation, and unusually dry fuel conditions for this time of year,” Weber said on December 14. “This directive will remain in effect until adequate precipitation is received and fuel conditions are moderated.”
FIRESafe MARIN, in cooperation with the Marin County Fire Chiefs Association, has updated our online Wildfire Evacuation Guide with new information and intitial updates from lessons learned during the recent North Bay wildfires.
Learn about:
Friday, February 9, 2018 from 11am - 2 pm, FIRESafe MARIN will host a community workshop to help Marin neighborhoods organize to achieve Firewise USA recognition. Learn about the benefits and challenges of Firewise recognition for your neighborhood, while preparing a plan to help your community surviive a wildfire. We'll have representatives from every Marin fire department, land management agencies like MMWD and Open Space, PG&E, and others to help you understand Marin's wildfire risk and develop a plan to address the risk.
The Firewise Communities/USA Recognition Program is a process that empowers neighbors to work together in reducing their wildfire risk. Join the growing network of more than 1,028 recognized Firewise communities (12 neighborhoods in Marin!) taking action and ownership in preparing and protecting their homes against the threat of wildfire.
Multiple wildfires are raging in Southern California as of December 6. A series of Santa Ana wind-driven wildfires have destroyed at least 180 structures, forced thousands to flee and smothered the region with smoke in what officials predicted would be a pitched battle for days.
Here’s what you need to know:
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2017 AT 9:00AM
1600 LOS GAMOS DRIVE, SAN RAFAEL
THIRD FLOOR, OES OFFICES
Your preparedness is not someone else's responsibility. Register for Alert Marin today and prepare in advance for evacuation.
If a wildfire requires evacuation in Marin and time allows, emergency managers will use the "Alert Marin" system to send out notifications by telephone, cellular, VOIP, and text message. If you live, work or go to school in Marin County, you may register your cell phone or VoIP (voice over internet protocol) phone to receive emergency alerts sent by call, text, email, or smartphone application from the County of Marin.
If you live in Marin, you must be prepared to evacuate from wildfire. Although Marin's hillside neighborhoods and "Wildland Urban Interface" (WUI) areas are most at risk, the recent fires in Santa Rosa, Sonoma, and Napa show what we've always understood - under extreme conditions and winds, all communities are potentially at risk. Evacuation planning and disaster preparedness are vital to your family's safety - during large scale and fast moving disasters, you can't count on first-responders arriving to help you in 5 minutes or less like you can on a normal day.
While Marin fire and law enforcement agencies have developed detailed plans and protocols to respond to large wildfires and evacuate residents under variable conditions, it is imperative that residents understand the risk and prepare in advance to evacuate. The Marin County Fire Chiefs Association and FIRESafe MARIN adopted the Ready-Set-Go wildfire preparedness concept years ago to help educated citizens on their responsibilities and options before, during, and after a wildfire.
FIRESafe MARIN was formed in 1991, shortly after the Tunnel Fire in the Oakland and Berkeley hills burned 3,400 structures and killed 25 people. Our newfound mission was simple - to bring people, agencies, and landowners together to address Marin's wildfire risk collaboratively. Along with San Mateo County's newly formed "Fire Safe Council," this idea was a resounding success, and the FIRESafe MARIN, FIRE SAFE San Mateo model was soon adopted nationwide as Fire Safe Councils took our lead and fomed in all 50 states. We are now in our 26th year.
It's All in the History
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