West Contra Costa Fire Safe Council

03/27/2026

MEETING TONIGHT 7-8pm! Zoom link and agenda:
MEETING OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
of
The West Contra Costa Fire Safe Council

March 26, 2026 @ 7:00 - 8:00 PM

Join Zoom Meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83850625925

AGENDA

ANNOUNCEMENTS
> Officers—Marilyn NEEDS your bios! See her email.
> Seeking help with website content—writing, photos, social media cross-posts (now FB, add YouTube). Contact Marilyn ([email protected]).
> We want someone with builder experience to help us collect resources for home hardening and structural landscape: material sources, developing with vetting (3 refs, CA contractor license check, bonding, certifications) a contractors referral list (like https://www.berkeleyfiresafecouncil.org/firescaping BUT NOT SPREADSHEET! Or https://firesafemarin.org/resources/contractors-2/ Finding trusted and appropriately skilled contractors create barriers for many homeowners.
> Seeking volunteers for Firewise Demo Garden efforts…especially looking for a truck or two to move wood chip from Tilden via Wildcat Canyon Rd to the garden
> FYI: The CCCFPD has moved the webpages for the Measure X funded wildfire programs—programs that support residents to do the important work of home hardening and firescaping. It’s now under Sections > Community Risk Reduction > Fire Prevention Bureau > Wildfire Prevention. Or save this link: https://www.cccfpd.org/199/Measure-X-Funded-Wildfire-Programs

WUI-cast (Soheila)

WUI-planner (Soheila)

Public education about evacuation drill (Soheila)

09/21/2025

Come visit our booth at the El Sobrante Stroll today! San Pablo Dam Road from 11 am - 3 pm!

05/24/2025

California's snowpack is melting a little faster than usual, and climate scientists believe another record-breaking hot summer could be in the cards, ramping up the possibility of an early fire season.

05/13/2025

Richmond Wildfire Preparedness Open House at Fire Station 63 SATURDAY, MAY 17, 2025 • 11 AM - 3 PM! Free pizza until it runs out. Great talks, people who can answer your questions about preparing for wildfire, insurance, home hardening and firewise gardening.

05/08/2025

Wildfire Home Hardening! We are planning several future articles and presentations about home hardening and firewise gardening. I'm asking for help from the community! Do you have photos showing metal gates, beautiful Zone 0 conversions, metal and other noncombustible fencing? Or noncombustible retaining wall on steep slope to reduce flame height? "Before" photos very welcome too. Will you share these photos with us (we'll give credit if you want)? For West Contra Costa FIre Safe Council, the Richmond Firewise Demonstration (launch Sept 2025), and UC Master Gardener Program of Contra Costa. DM us if you have photos to share, and we'll provide directions on how to contribute. Enjoy our friendly neighborhood goats munching fuel for EBMUD!

04/30/2025

Did you receive this postcard in the mail?
​If yes, then you may want to join this Zoom community gathering with Chief Osorio to learn about what it means, its implications for your wildfire safety, insurance rate, etc.

Zoom Community Gathering
TOMORROW NIGHT: Wednesday, April 30, at 7:00 PM
Subject: LRA Map
Speaker: Aaron Osorio, Richmond Fire Chief
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89089855844

Meeting ID: 890 8985 5844

03/25/2025

REMINDER—TONIGHT! West Contra Costa Fire Safe Council Board Meeting
Thursday, March 27, 2025, 7-8pm
Join Zoom Meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86903161361
Meeting ID: 869 0316 1361
One tap mobile +16699006833,,86903161361 #

We are moving to the FOURTH THURSDAYS of each month, 7-8pm. Everyone is welcome to join us, but be aware that we time carefully and end promptly at 8pm. This Thursday we will have Joseph Novelli, Mark Cross and David Casey present on GASinc.ai’s sensors that provide early disaster detection, including of course wildfires. They have already deployed in Hawaii, and they will explain how these sensors work. Note: these detect gases, so are useful for hazardous chemical situations too. Bring your questions!

"At GasInc.ai, we are revolutionizing fire detection with cutting-edge AI technology to save lives, protect communities, and prevent catastrophic wildfires before they spread. Our N5 sensor is a game-changer—an advanced, AI-powered detection system that identifies fire threats at their earliest stages, giving first responders critical time to act.

"In partnership with Homeland Security, we’ve successfully deployed this technology across the Hawaiian Islands, safeguarding communities and natural landscapes from devastating wildfires. By integrating real-time data, predictive analytics, and rapid response capabilities, the N5 sensor is proactively preventing disasters rather than reacting to them. This isn’t just technology—it’s a mission to save lives, protect ecosystems, and build a safer future. GasInc.ai is leading the way in fire prevention, making a massive difference where it matters most. Let’s work together to expand this life-saving innovation—because early detection saves lives."

Also we’ll have updates on the CalFire-issued DRAFT fire hazard severity zone maps, and other news.

If you want to sign up for e-news, send an email request to [email protected].

Photo: Palisades Fire (Jan 2025) seen from the shore. Taken by CalFire_Pro (Flickr). Public Domain.

02/05/2025

CalMatters has published an interesting tool that helps you conceive how a fire the size of the Palisades or the Eaton Fires would impact where you live. Enter your address, and conceive better what the impact of such a fire would be for your neighborhood.

To better understand the size of the LA fires, our tool lets you overlay the fire perimeters on any location in California.

01/30/2025

Early insights on LA Fires by IBHS

01/24/2025

What is a CWPP? It's your Community Wildfire Protection Plan. For those who want to know how to implement your local CWPP, this is useful! For those who are in public review of their CWPP, learn how you can successfully contribute. (Incremental reviews are 2-3 years as needed, complete overhauls are every 10 years. You can see several CWPPs at https://diablofiresafe.org/publications, and Richmond's 2020 CWPP is at https://www.ci.richmond.ca.us/DocumentCenter/View/69044/Richmond-CWPP-Adopted-January-14-2020)

The California Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) Toolkit is now available on the CAL FIRE website! The California CWPP Toolkit provides important guidance and resources for communities to develop and implement CWPPs across the state.

CAL FIRE, FAC Net, and other team members are hosting a webinar to learn more about the Toolkit on Tuesday, February 18, 2025 from 3 p.m. - 4 p.m. Pacific Standard Time.

Register for the webinar on the Toolkit webpage:
https://osfm.fire.ca.gov/what-we-do/community-wildfire-preparedness-and-mitigation/california-cwpp-toolkit

The California CWPP Toolkit was co-developed by CAL FIRE Office of the State Fire Marshal, Community Wildfire Planning Center, FAC Net, and the California Fire Safe Council.

01/24/2025

Cal Fire has been adding great resources to their website. Just came across this up-to-date home hardening guide following best practices (your local fire code does not conform to the latest evidence-based recommendations on home hardening!). Check it out! https://www.fire.ca.gov/home-hardening

01/16/2025

Get a sense of the scope of the devastating Los Angeles fires by entering your address into this mapping tool.