Red Flag Warning 10/22/2020-10/23/2020

The National Weather Service has issued a Red Flag Warning, in effect for ALL areas of Marin and the North Bay through Friday morning (10/23/2020). Learn more about Red Flag Warnings and fire weather at www.firesafemarin.org/fire-weather. Double check your family's evacuation readiness at www.firesafemarin.org/evacuation today!

The Red Flag Warning means critical fire weather conditions are being observed now. Now is the time to prepare.

The National Weather Service issues Red Flag Warnings & Fire Weather Watches to alert fire departments of the onset, or possible onset, of critical weather and dry conditions that could lead to rapid or dramatic increases in wildfire activity.

A Red Flag Warning is issued for weather events which may result in extreme fire behavior that will occur within 24 hours. A Fire Weather Watch is issued when weather conditions could exist in the next 12-72 hours. A Red Flag Warning is the highest alert. During these times extreme caution is urged by all residents, because a simple spark can cause a major wildfire. A Fire Weather Watch is one level below a warning, but fire danger is still high.

The type of weather patterns that can cause a watch or warning include low relative humidity, strong winds, dry fuels, the possibility of dry lightning strikes, or any combination of the above.

The National Weather Service has issued a Red Flag Warning, in effect for ALL areas of Marin and the North Bay through Monday evening at 9 PM. Learn more about Red Flag Warnings and wildfire preparedness at http://www.firesafemarin.org/fire-weather. Double check your family's evacuation readiness at http://www.firesafemarin.org/evacuation today!

The Red Flag Warning means critical fire weather conditions are being observed now. Now is the time to prepare.

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE National Weather Service San Francisco Bay Area 559 AM PDT Sun Sep 27 2020  CAZ505>507-280500- /O.CON.KMTR.FW.W.0005.000000T0000Z-200929T0400Z/ Coastal North Bay Including Point Reyes National Seashore- North Bay Interior Valleys-North Bay Mountains- 559 AM PDT Sun Sep 27 2020  ...RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM PDT MONDAY FOR OFFSHORE WINDS AND LOW HUMIDITY FOR THE ENTIRE NORTH BAY...  * WIND...Gusty offshore winds will continue in the hills through   this morning with gusts of 40 to 60 mph persisting. Offshore   winds in the hills will ease by this afternoon but then another   burst of winds will develop tonight into early Monday. For    lower elevations, expect wind gusts of 20 to 35 mph, with    strongest winds expected today and tonight.   * HUMIDITY...Lowering to around 30% by sunrise Sunday. RH values   staying steady from 12-25% Sunday into Monday with no humidity   recovery Sunday night.   * HIGHEST THREAT...Elevations above 1500 feet where winds will    be strongest. Any remaining heat in the Wallbridge fire may    flare up as well.   * IMPACTS....Any fires that develop will spread rapidly in the    hot, dry and windy weather.  PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...  A Red Flag Warning means that critical fire weather conditions are either occurring now...or will shortly. A combination of strong winds...low relative humidity...and warm temperatures can contribute to extreme fire behavior.

TONIGHT, Tuesday, August 25 at 6pm!
Free Webinar—Evacuations & Warnings: How to Survive a Wildfire

Due to the large number of wildfires and associated evacuations that we are experiencing, our webinar topic this month will be "Evacuations & Warnings: How to Survive a Wildfire". Join Todd Lando, Battalion Chief/Wildfire Hazard Mitigation Specialist at Central Marin Fire Department, to learn how to prepare your family and yourself to survive and safely evacuate a wildfire.

Can't join tonight? The webinar will be recorded and available on our website and Facebook for later viewing.

Our originally scheduled webinar "Community Organizing for Fire Preparedness" has been rescheduled for next month.

When: August 25, 2020 06:00 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada)
Topic: Evacuations & Warnings: How to Survive a Wildfire
Join on Facebook live stream or via zoom here:https://firesafemarin.zoom.us/j/87382415962

A free chipper day, with curbside pick-up at your property, will be held September 22 for all residents of Christmas Tree Hill in Corte Madera.  This program is funded by FIRESafe MARIN and Measure C - Marin Wildfire Prevention Authority, in partnership with Central Marin Fire Authority.

Free Chipper Day Guidelines:

● Pre-registration is required:

Register Now

• Signup is on a first come first served basis. When we have reached our capacity, any additional registrants will be placed on a wait list. Residents on the waitlist will not receive a pickup unless they receive a confirmation email due to a cancellation.
• Residents need to bring their one pile to their curb for the chipper pick up by 8 am the day we have scheduled for your site. Pickup could be delayed for 1-2 days due to the volume the chippers are processing.
• Your pile is limited to 10 feet x 4 feet x 4 feet in size. If a pile is larger than 10x4x4, the excess will be left for the resident to remove. Firewise sites run the risk of losing their chipper event the following year if there are too many size violations.
• Do not tie or bag your vegetation.

What CAN go in the chipper?

• Tree limbs up to 8” in diameter.
• Shrubs, brush, limbs, woody bushes, pampas grass, scotch broom, cypress, juniper, bamboo.
• Lay all vegetation the same way with the base of the branch or plant at the same end.

What WILL be taken but can't be put in the chipper?

• Cut roots from bamboo, cut roots with rock/gravel/dirt from plant- place next to pile.
• Palm fronds - place next to pile.

What will NOT be taken for the safety of our crews?

● Trash, poison oak, blackberry brambles, firewood, construction materials, lumber, regular yard waste, leaves, lawn clippings.

Contact information: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

May 11, 2020

Dear Resident,

Fire Department’s throughout Marin have been in continuous contact with the Marin County Health and Human Services Department regarding the current state of the COVID-19 health crisis, and more importantly on what are the best practices during the Shelter at Home Order as restrictions begin to ease. Certain activities, such as fire hazard mitigation and defensible space clearance, have been allowed to continue with social/physical distancing and proper utilization of face coverings.

During the months of June through September, the newly created Marin Wildfire Prevention Authority “MWPA”, supported by your local fire agency, will begin conducting individual defensible space and home hardening evaluations in West Marin, Ross Valley, Kentfield, Larkspur, and Corte Madera. The MWPA evaluation teams, wearing proper facial coverings, will be going door-to-door requesting access to the exterior of your property to conduct a complete and comprehensive 360-degree evaluation of your home and property. The evaluations will be used to assist homeowners in making their homes and properties defensible from fire.

The evaluation teams will be evaluating whether your home currently meets wildland-urban interface “WUI” defensible space and construction requirements and will make recommendations on how to improve your homes ability to survive a wildfire. The evaluation will also determine if your property meets the requirements for defensible space as required by the California Public Resource Code Section 4291 and the California Fire Code Section 4907.2 and 4908 (see the attached requirements). Properties that are determined to be in violation of the defensible requirements may be referred to your local fire department for further action.

In an effort to protect the general public and the employees of all Marin County Fire Agencies, and reflective of the Shelter in Place Order (SIP) issued April 29, 2020 by the Health Officer of the County of Marin, requests for all non-essential fire inspections were previously suspended.

AS OF MAY 4^TH 2020, THE TERM “SUSPENSION” WILL BE CHANGED TO “MODIFIED”

The intent of this MODIFICTION is to respect the county order to shelter in place, limit personal contact and exposure, and to slow the spread of COVID-19 to the maximum extent possible.  

The following fire inspections will be evaluated and scheduled on a case by case basis:

• Starting May 4, 2020, construction inspections including verification of project scope (close-in), fire protection systems inspections, vegetation management/defensible space, photovoltaic, generator, ESS/battery systems, and final fire construction inspections may be eligible for Inspection.
• Also eligible are investigation and/or inspection of reported hazardous conditions that impact fire protection systems or conditions that reflect a threat to life safety. Persons reporting a hazardous condition shall email the local fire agency (see reverse for contact information) with a request to investigate. The request shall include the reporting party’s name, address and phone number, and a brief narrative of the issue and photos or videos (when possible).

The following shall be REQUIRED prior to scheduling and receiving an inspection:

March 23, 2020

Dear Residents,

The Central Marin Fire Department has been in continuous contact with the Marin County Health and Human Services Department regarding the current state of the COVID-19 health crisis, and more importantly on what are the best practices during the Shelter at Home Order. As you are aware certain activities have been allowed to continue, as long as social distances of 6 feet or greater are maintained.

The County urges non-essential outdoor services to be deferred to minimize risk of transmission.  However, there are some outdoor services that would be considered essential and are permitted under this Order, including fire reduction work, maintaining growth along curbs and medians in order to ensure visibility along roadways, minimum basic operations necessary to maintain the value of a business, and other tasks that are essential to the health and safety of the public.

The Central Marin Fire Department, Town of Corte Madera, and City of Larkspur will continue its vegetation management and hazardous fuels reduction projects along our PRIMARY and SECONDARY evacuation routes while maintaining social distances.

March 23, 2020

Dear Residents,

The Central Marin Fire Department has been in continuous contact with the Marin County Health and Human Services Department regarding the current state of the COVID-19 health crisis, and more importantly on what are the best practices during the Shelter at Home Order. As you are aware certain activities have been allowed to continue, as long as social distances of 6 feet or greater are maintained.

The County urges non-essential outdoor services to be deferred to minimize risk of transmission.  However, there are some outdoor services that would be considered essential and are permitted under this Order, including fire reduction work, maintaining growth along curbs and medians in order to ensure visibility along roadways, minimum basic operations necessary to maintain the value of a business, and other tasks that are essential to the health and safety of the public.

Inspection Criteria

Fire Inspectors will be looking for the following items during the inspection:

Central Marin Fire Department has identified high hazard areas in Larkspur where improvements can be made to reduce the amount of hazardous vegetation located along your PRIMARY and SECONDARY EVACUATION ROUTES. Many properties located on and around “Madrone Canyon” were found to be non-compliant for roadside vegetation clearance.

The Town of Corte Madera has partnered with Central Marin Fire Department to provide funding for the initial clearing of vegetation located along the roadway fronting your property. During the month of February, 2020 over a period of 7 days from February 22-29, personnel from the Town and the Fire Department will be working with private contractors to begin the clearing of vegetation along the roadways in Madrone Canyon and surrounding neighborhoods.  Read below to learn more about this important program:

• Letter to Residents
• Fire Code
• Example Images 
• Privacy Screening
• Work Calendar
• Contractors

Corte Madera Residents
FREE CHIPPER DAY
June 8 th , 2019

Central Marin Fire Department & the Town of Corte Madera have partnered to sponsor a free chipper day. Dispose of your brush, branches, and dead vegetation.

WHERE: The Cove School Parking Lot
(330 Golden Hind Passage)

WHEN: 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Saturday June 8 th , 2019

WHY: To provide a more “fire-safe” community.

Join us for a FREE 2-hour seminar on wildfire preparedness for Marin residents.

Tuesday, June 4, 2019 7PM-9PM at the Corte Madera Community Center

As Marin residents, we all share responsibility to be prepared for wildfires.  Wildfires are a natural part of our environment, and it’s imperative that we build our homes, maintain our landscapes, and prepare our families for the next major fire. 

Learn about your community’s hazard and what you can do about it from the wildfire experts at Ross Valley Fire Department, Marin County Fire Department, and FIRESafe MARIN.

• Are you and your family prepared to safely evacuate when a wildfire strikes?
• Is your home vulnerable to igniting from wildfire embers?
• Does your home have adequate Defensible Space?
• Are you interested in working with neighbors and land managers to reduce fire risk in your community? 

This workshop is intended primarily for residents, homeowners, and regular visitors to Corte Madera, Larkspur, Greenbrae, and Marin County, CA.  Registration online at www.firesafemarin.org/events is encouraged, but not required. 

Central Marin Fire Department to partner with FIRESafe MARIN on evacuation route vegetation clearance beginning in 2019 in Corte Madera and Larkspur.

Corte Madera, CA, - May 1, 2019: As California expands efforts to prevent devastating wildfires, CAL FIRE announced on April 16 over $43 million in grants awarded to 66 local fire prevention projects across the state.  In Marin county, FIRESafe MARIN was selected to receive $993,500 to help fund a $1.3 million project aimed at improving the safety of evacuation routes in seven central Marin communities.

The grant provides funding to seven hillside neighborhoods along the eastern slopes of Mt. Tamalpais.  In order to improve evacuation routes there, vegetation will be reduced along more than 55 miles of roads, improving access and egress, and strategically dispersing fuel reduction over a 3,000-acre geographic area with a long history of wildfires.  The project locations were selected based on priorities identified in the 2017 Marin Community Wildfire Protection Plan.

The project is a cooperative effort between FIRESafe MARIN and more than a dozen partners, including the Towns of Corte Madera, Ross, San Anselmo, and Fairfax, the City of Larkspur, County of Marin, along with Central Marin Fire Department, Kentfield Fire Protection District, Ross Valley Fire Department, Marin County Fire Department, and Marin County Parks.  

Neighborhoods where work will occur include: Sarah Drive in Mill Valley, Christmas Tree Hill in Corte Madera, Madrone Canyon in Larkspur, Kent Woodlands in Kentfield, Bald Hill in Ross and San Anselmo, Deer Park, Cascade Canyon, and Manor Hill in Fairfax, as well as fire roads on Marin County Parks lands extending more than six miles from Mill Valley to Fairfax.  FIRESafe MARIN anticipates work to begin in late 2019, with completion by the summer of 2020.

Each of the neighborhoods impacted by this project are nationally recognized Firewise USA^© communities, or are in the process of seeking this important recognition. “These sites are ideal locations to pursue a large vegetation management project, due to the high levels of community involvement and support for wildfire preparedness efforts,” says Todd Lando, Executive Coordinator at FIRESafe MARIN. “These are high risk neighborhoods that are already organized and participating in our Firewise program.”

Central Marin Fire Council is pleased to announce the official consolidation of the Corte Madera and Larkspur Fire Departments to the newly formed Central Marin Fire Authority.  The Town of Corte Madera and the City of Larkspur have a long history of working collaboratively on projects and providing enhanced services to their residents. The strong partnership and well-established commitment to public safety has been embraced in Corte Madera and Larkspur dating back to the 1970’s. 

This practice of collaboration is particularly evident in fire protection services, where mutual aid agreements are such that Corte Madera and Larkspur fire crews regularly respond to calls in both communities.  In an effort to maintain quality fire protection and enhance fire prevention, education, and community service, formal discussion began in 2012 to evaluate potential options including consolidation.  After seven years of thoughtful discussions, analysis, and consideration, the process has culminated in a full consolidation of their fire services.

Under the leadership of Fire Chief Scott Shurtz, both the Town of Corte Madera and the City of Larkspur are excited to introduce their newly formed Fire Department.  “We are trying to capitalize on the efficiencies and depth that are created through the formation of an agency that is just the right size" explained Chief Shurtz. He further expressed that, “We are big enough to provide the quality and effectiveness that is expected, yet small enough to maintain the personalized and responsive service that our residents and guests have always enjoyed. I can’t say enough about the creativity, support and patience demonstrated by our staff and elected officials throughout this process.”
 
“It is exciting that the Twin Cities communities are partners in another JPA. This will provide greater economies of scale and a higher level of service for our residents.” - Catherine Way, Larkspur Councilmember and Fire Council Chair.

"This is a huge step forward for both of our communities. It builds on the success and model we have established with the Central Marin Police Authority. It also squarely meets the two objectives I always look for in shared service agreements: Does it improve service? And does it save money? This does both incredibly well, and places both Corte Madera and Larkspur in a much stronger position to deal with the increased fire danger we are experiencing in California." - Bob Ravasio, Corte Madera Mayor and Fire Council Vice Chair

 
Both Corte Madera and Larkspur have always been in good hands when it comes to fire protection and with the completion of this consolidation, that tradition of excellence will continue to thrive. For more information on the development of this consolidation please visit our archive of the work of the Corte Madera and Larkspur Joint Ad Hoc Committee for Shared Fire Services.

Central Marin Fire Authority invites applications for the position of Firefighter-Paramedic!

Salary Depending on Experience is $29.26 - $35.57 per hour
(additional 2% salary increase scheduled for July 2019)
Deadline to Apply: March 4, 2019 before 11:30 PM PST

The Firefighter-Paramedic responds to all types of fires, emergency medical incidents, hazardous materials incidents, rescues, and other calls for assistance in the protection of life, property and environment; operates and maintains vehicles, apparatus, equipment, stations and communication systems; teaches fire safety to the public; participates in physical fitness and career development programs; and performs other duties as required. Performs Advanced Life Support care and transports patients utilizing the Central Marin Fire Department Ambulance or provides early ALS Interventions as an Engine Company Paramedic.

Learn more!

More than 75 Greenbrae residents braved a winter storm February 12 to learn about wildfire preparedness and find resources to help organize neighbors to reduce risk.  Central Marin Fire Department will offer additional workshop and neighborhood "Firewise Walks" in 2019.  Check back in late spring for dates and schedules!

Download the Presentation Slides

WHEN:   

Tuesday, February 12, 6:30pm – 8:00pm

WHERE: 

Aerial map of the Meadowcrest Ridge Firewise USA site.

It is with great pleasure that we welcome Meadowcrest Ridge (Corte Madera) to the growing number of Firewise  USA sites, where residents throughout the nation are working to reduce their wildfire risks.  Marin county leads California in the number of recognized Firewise sites, and leads the nation in growth of this important program.

The 25 acre Meadowcrest Ridge neighborhood in Corte Madera is an incorporated development which includes approximately 17 homes.   Meadowcrest Ridge is comprised of all homes from 1135 Meadowcrest Drive (a private drive) through 1200 Meadowcrest (our home) and includes 40 Fairview Avenue, a 7 acre parcel to the north.  Meadowcrest neighbors created a Firewsie committee in 2018, completed a written risk assessment, help educational events and worked to reduce hazardous vegetation around their homes.

The Firewise USA Program encourages local solutions for safety by involving homeowners in taking individual responsibility for preparing their homes from the risk of wildfire. The program provides resources to help homeowners learn how to adapt to living with wildfire while encouraging and empowering neighbors to work together to take action now to reduce their wildfire risk and prevent losses.  Join the growing network of more than 1,400 recognized Firewise communities taking action and ownership in preparing and protecting their homes against the threat of wildfire.   

Learn more at www.firesafemarin.org/firewise