Sans Mateo Community Wildfire Protection Plan Workshop  Tuesday, November 9th      Over the past year volunteers of the Southwest Riverside County FireSafe Council have been traveling the back roads of the Santa Rosa Plateau and through the Ortega Highway communities of Rancho Capistrano, El Cariso, Decker and Morrell Canyons. They have recorded the wildfire risk in the foothills, mountains and plateaus west of Lake Elsinore, Wildomar, Murrieta and Temecula.
Volunteers from these communities gathered data such as the number of homes, construction types, diversity of native vegetation, slope aspects and road conditions. The raw data from the survey shows that there are 3,269 residents living in 1,184 homes with the average home values ranging from $300,000 to $2.5 million. The vegetation and terrain ranges from level grass lands to steep slopes covered by shrubs to large forested areas. The survey also identified that there are over 2,300 vacant parcels available for future development.

Community members are now invited to help the FireSafe Council move on to the next stage to develop a plan to help protect themselves from wildfire. Called a Community Wildfire Protection Plan, or referred to as a CWPP, this plan will identify risks and develop strategies to manage fuel and harden homes amd other structures against wildfire. Riverside County Fire Department / Cal Fire has been actively participating with the Southwest Riverside FireSafe Council in the development of this plan.

The workshop will be held on Tuesday, November 9th from 6-9pm at the David A Brown Middle School at 21861 Grand Avenue in Wildomar and will focus on the development of this CWPP. Residents, land owners, utilities and agencies involved in wildfire protection or disaster preparedness are encouraged to attend to discuss current wildfire risks and identify and prioritize solutions.

Susan Frommer, a FireSafe Council board member who participated in the initial data survey recognizes how developing a CWPP can bring communities together to find solutions to a threat they all share. "Most of us who live on the Santa Rosa Plateau and in the canyon areas off the Ortega Highway love living in nature amongst the chaparrel and oaks. However this same vegetation is prime fuel for wildfires. As a community we need to come together to make our homes safe from the flames, while respecting the natural values of the vegetation which surrounds us." She added, "People who choose to live in these rural areas come from a variety of backgrounds. Wildfire prevention and property protection is a unifying factor upon which we can all agree."

If you can attend this important community workshop, please RSVP to Susan Frommer at (951) 461-9691 or e-mail her at <firstwaterlady@verizon.net>