Recently, the MySafe:LA public safety division of The Safe Community Project produced another wildfire safety fair in the greater Los Angeles region. These fairs are designed to engage people who may have little real-world understanding of the role they need to play in creating a more wildfire-resilient community.
This event was held in the Mount Washington area of Los Angeles. This is a hillside community with tight, narrow, winding roads and a significant fuel load, not to mention many older, unsafe, at-risk structures. Previous meetings with the two area homeowner’s groups have revealed a significant level of concern but also a total lack of understanding of how residents play a role in reducing wildfire risk.
Our organization, known for its collaborative spirit, spearheaded this event in partnership with various key entities. These include Los Angeles Council District 1 (Eunisses Hernandez), the Los Angeles City Fire Department, the County Fire Department, the Department of Aging, the Department of Water and Power, Rec and Parks (including Park Rangers), and a number of vendors who provide home hardening and defensible space solutions. Our 16-year partnership with the LAFD was further strengthened for this event, where we were honored to have an Assistant Chief, local Battalion Chief, and Type 1 apparatus, as well as the Department’s drone unit, demonstrating how the LAFD utilizes drones to fight wildfire. Our public/private wildfire partnership, known as the “Los Angeles Wildfire Resilience Alliance”, is a powerful mechanism for both of our organizations to effectively reach tens of thousands of people living in L.A.
The outcome of this wildfire safety fair is more than a public relations exercise. There are now enough engaged homeowners that we will be able to assist the area HOAs in becoming recognized Fire Safe Councils. A five-year threat analysis, plus a three-year action plan, will be put in place, and this extremely at-risk neighborhood will take specific, measurable steps to reduce the risk of wildfire.
The next Wildfire Safety Fair will take place on September 14th in the Hollywood Hills.
