Mariposa Fire Safe Council

10/14/2026

10/12/2026

Ponderosa Basin Community — Join Us TODAY!

Mariposa Fire Safe Council (MFSC) invites property owners within the proposed Ponderosa Basin – Sierra National Forest Interface Planning Project area to join us this evening to learn more about this important wildfire mitigation effort!

MFSC is applying to the Sierra Nevada Conservancy (SNC) for grant funding to complete the planning and environmental work necessary for a future landscape-scale fuel reduction project around Ponderosa Basin, the County Line area, and the Sierra National Forest interface.

What does “planning” mean?

Before crews and equipment can begin fuel reduction work, a project of this size must complete environmental review and project development. This includes biological and cultural surveys, forestry assessments, mapping, treatment design, and other required environmental compliance.

Our goal is to get this project shovel ready, allowing us to pursue future implementation funding to get meaningful wildfire mitigation work on the ground.

This is a grant-funded effort!

We are NOT asking private landowners to fund this project. If awarded, the SNC planning grant would fund the planning work. Once the project is shovel ready, MFSC intends to pursue additional grant funding for implementation.

We need private landowner participation NOW!

To submit a competitive grant application to SNC, we must demonstrate strong participation and commitment from private property owners within the proposed project boundaries.

Without sufficient private landowner participation, we cannot include the state lands within the Ponderosa Basin community in our proposed project scope. This is why obtaining signed Right of Entry (ROE) forms and demonstrating landowner support is so important right now.

Our goal is to develop a landscape-scale project that connects private properties with surrounding public lands, rather than treating these areas separately. Your participation directly impacts the size, connectivity, and competitiveness of this proposed project.

Letters and ROE forms have been mailed to property owners within the proposed project area. We encourage everyone who received a letter to participate and help us move this opportunity forward.

JOIN US TODAY — MONDAY, OCTOBER 12!

Time: 5:30–7:30 PM

Location: 3931A Bootjack Lane, Mariposa

If you received a letter from MFSC, please join us to ask questions, learn about the proposed project, and discuss how your property may be involved.

Our path forward:

Secure planning funding → Complete environmental review and project development → Become shovel ready → Pursue implementation funding → Get wildfire mitigation work on the ground!

We look forward to seeing our Ponderosa Basin community this evening and working together to strengthen wildfire resilience across our landscape!

Mariposa Fire Safe Council

10/07/2026

Ponderosa Basin Community — Join Us Today!

We want to clear up any confusion about the Ponderosa Basin – Sierra National Forest Interface Planning Project and what we are currently seeking funding for.

MFSC is applying to the Sierra Nevada Conservancy (SNC) for grant funding to complete the planning and environmental work needed for a future landscape-scale fuel reduction project around Ponderosa Basin, the County Line area, and the Sierra National Forest interface.

So what does “planning” actually mean?

Before we can put equipment or crews on the ground, a project of this size has to go through environmental review and project development. This planning grant would allow us to complete the necessary environmental assessments, biological and cultural surveys, forestry assessments, mapping, treatment design, and other required environmental compliance and planning work.

The goal is to get this project shovel ready. Once the planning and environmental requirements are completed, we can then pursue implementation grant funding to actually perform the fuel reduction work.

We are NOT asking private landowners to fund this work. If SNC awards the planning grant, the planning work would be grant funded. Our goal is also to pursue grant funding for the future implementation work once the project is ready.

What we need from private landowners right now is participation. We need to demonstrate to SNC that property owners within the proposed project area support moving this project through the planning process. That is why letters and Right of Entry forms have been sent to properties within the potential project boundaries.

If you received a letter from us, please join us TODAY, Wednesday, October 7, from 3:30–5:30 p.m. at 3931A Bootjack Lane in Mariposa.

We will also hold the same Town Hall Monday, October 12, from 5:30–7:30 p.m. There is no need to attend both.

This is the first step: secure planning funding → complete environmental review and project development → become shovel ready → pursue implementation funding → get meaningful wildfire mitigation work on the ground.

10/06/2026

Over the next couple of months, Mariposa Fire Safe Council and Mariposa Resource Conservation District will be teaming up to share simple ways residents can prepare for a potentially strong El Niño season and learn about local programs that can help.

We’re kicking things off with Mariposa RCD’s Home Hardening Program:
Free Home Hardening Help from Mariposa RCD

Want to know how your home would hold up in a wildfire and what to do about it? The Mariposa Resource Conservation District (RCD) offers a free Home Hardening program for Mariposa County homeowners.

One of our CAL FIRE-trained assessors will visit your property and recommend practical, effective upgrades tailored to your home. You'll receive a custom Assessment Report, and team members can often help on the spot with small jobs: installing ember-resistant vent screens, clearing gutters, digging small trenches, or trimming back vegetation. For senior homeowners, they can often add ember-resistant skirting to porches and sheds as well.

Mariposa RCD assessors are trained in winter storm preparation as well as wildfire safety, so one visit can help you protect your home and property from both.

The RCD is a local, grant-funded organization and a close partner of MFSC in helping residents prepare for wildfire.

Sign up for this free program at www.mcrcd.net or call (559) 580-0944

Home Page Our FREE Home Hardening Program helps Mariposa County residents strengthen their home to withstand wildfire. Homeowners receive a professional assessment and assistance with practical upgrades that reduce the likelihood of home ignition during a wildfire, including vent screen upgrades. Gu...

10/01/2026

SB 973 has officially been signed into law, formally establishing California’s Wildfire County Coordinator Program and strengthening county-level capacity for wildfire prevention, preparedness, mitigation, planning, home hardening, defensible space, fuels reduction, public education, and recovery. Here in Mariposa County, we have already seen the value of having this position in place. Our County Coordinator, John Patton has helped strengthen the Mariposa County Fire Advisory Committee, improve communication between local, state, federal, Tribal, and community partners, support project prioritization and grant readiness, and keep wildfire planning moving forward at a countywide level. Our local coordinator also helps communities work toward Firewise recognition, so take a look at your neighborhood, talk with your neighbors, and think about what you can do together to make that happen. Having dedicated coordination matters because it helps turn good ideas and available funding into organized, collaborative projects on the ground, and SB 973 provides a stronger long-term framework for communities across California to continue that work.

John, we appreciate you and all the hard work you do.

09/23/2026

Fall is here, but that doesn't mean wildfire season is over.

Some of California's largest and most destructive wildfires have happened during the fall months. Cooler temperatures can give us a false sense of security, but dry vegetation, low humidity and strong winds can still create dangerous fire conditions.

The Mariposa Fire Safe Council is actively working on fuel reduction projects throughout the county. While this work is important for reducing wildfire risk, we also recognize the importance of preventing accidental ignitions during project implementation. We follow strict safety protocols with our contractors, including requiring water and fire suppression tools to be readily available within 10–25 feet of active operations.

We encourage our community to take similar precautions when working on their own properties.

A few reminders as we head into fall:

Be mindful when operating equipment. Mowers, chainsaws, vehicles and other equipment can create sparks. Keep water and fire tools nearby, and avoid operating equipment in dry vegetation during hot, dry or windy conditions.

Maintain your defensible space. Remove dead vegetation, clean your gutters, clear debris around structures and maintain vegetation along your driveway.

Pay attention to weather conditions. Just because temperatures are dropping doesn't mean vegetation is no longer dry enough to ignite. Know when to stop working and wait for safer conditions.

Follow burn restrictions. Always check current burn permits, restrictions and weather conditions before conducting any outdoor burning.

Keep evacuation routes clear. Make sure emergency vehicles can access your property and that your family knows more than one way out of your neighborhood when possible.

Have an evacuation plan for your family and animals. Keep go-bags ready, sign up for local emergency alerts and make arrangements for livestock and pets before an emergency occurs. Wildfire prevention starts with the work we do every day.

Whether you're clearing brush on your property, operating equipment, maintaining your driveway or working on a larger fuel reduction project, taking the proper precautions can prevent an accidental ignition.

Our contractors are expected to follow strict fire prevention protocols because the last thing we want is for work intended to reduce wildfire risk to become the cause of a wildfire.

We ask our community to take that same responsibility seriously. Keep your equipment maintained, have water and fire tools available, monitor weather conditions and know when it's time to stop working.

One spark can change everything. Let's continue working together to protect our homes, our firefighters and our communities.

Don’t fall for it.

Fall is here, but California’s wildfire threat doesn’t fall away with the temperatures. In fact, some of California’s most destructive wildfires have occurred during the fall months.

Wildfire doesn’t follow a calendar. It can happen any time of year, which is why wildfire preparedness needs to be a year-round priority.

Take time now to:
➡ Create and maintain defensible space around your home
➡ Know multiple evacuation routes from your home and community
➡ Build go-bags for you and your family
➡ Sign up for local emergency alerts

Don’t wait for the next wildfire to think about preparedness. Make wildfire readiness a year-round priority.

09/03/2026

09/01/2026

🔥 TODAY IS WHY WE DO THIS WORK.

Today, the Kemble Fire broke out in Mariposa County near the William Sell Bridge area, very close to the Ponderosa Basin Emergency Egress Project (PBEEP) that MFSC just completed.

Thankfully, this fire did not become the scenario we prepare for. But its location is an important reminder of exactly why projects like PBEEP matter.

Had this fire grown and pushed into the Chowchilla River drainage toward Ponderosa Basin, it would have been moving toward an area where MFSC recently completed nearly 20 acres of strategic fuel reduction along Harris Road, private parcels, and critical PG&E access routes.

Fuel reduction does not mean a wildfire cannot burn through an area. It means we are changing the conditions firefighters may face when it gets there.

By reducing brush, ladder fuels, dead material, and vegetation along important access and evacuation corridors, we can help reduce fire intensity, improve access for firefighters and equipment, and create a more defensible area for suppression operations.

That is the purpose of this work.

Sometimes these projects are completed and years go by before we truly understand their value. Today, just weeks after completing PBEEP, a fire started close enough to remind us how quickly that value can become very real.

Our goal isn’t to wait until smoke is in the air to prepare.

It is to do the work BEFORE the fire starts.

MFSC will continue working with our partners, landowners, contractors, utilities, and fire agencies to build and maintain projects that strengthen wildfire resilience throughout Mariposa County.

Today was a reminder: every acre matters.

If you have not taken a drive to check out Harris Rd, we highly recommend it.

08/20/2026

MFSC is officially a little more mobile!

We recently added a Can-Am Defender and trailer to our equipment lineup, giving our team a safer and more efficient way to access project sites throughout Mariposa County.

A lot of the work we do takes us well beyond the pavement. This equipment will help our staff navigate large and remote project areas, conduct site assessments, monitor work, and provide project tours for our funders, regional managers, partners, and collaborators so they can see firsthand what is happening on the ground.

Investing in the right equipment means spending less time figuring out how to get there and more time getting the work done.

A big thank you to California Customs in Merced for making the purchase process smooth, easy, and enjoyable. We appreciate the great service and are excited to put this new setup to work!

07/17/2026

We’re very thankful for movement on the horizon as collaborative groups continue to expand.