09/26/2026
Lassen County currently has 12 recognized Firewise USA communities. You can access the interactive map to see if you live in a Firewise USA community, and if so, how you can help your community meet its goals annually to allow it to renew its Firewise USA status.
https://lfsci.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=e13f6ace7a824bb59cd96fa3a229bb78
Each Firewise USA community has a required minimum equivalent of volunteer hours and monies spent on defensible space clean-up & home hardening to allow it to be renewed & in good standing. Doing all the things you normally do for Fall clean-up will help your community qualify- raking leaves, clearing roofs & gutters, screening vents & under porches from embers, moving firewood away from the house, cutting grasses, cutting lower branches from trees, etc. all count towards meeting the Firewise USA goal. All you need to do is keep track of those hours, complete a form, & turn it in. In our next post, we will show you just how easy this very important task is & how to complete & submit your forms! For those of you who want to get started, below are links to the fillable form & examples of what counts.
https://www.lassenfiresafecouncil.org/files/54439b2c5/Firewise_Volunteer_Hourly_Worksheet_fillable.pdf
https://www.lassenfiresafecouncil.org/files/9d19f3428/Firewise_Time_Expense_Investment_Examples.pdf
Why does it matter? For two critical reasons...
1) Insurance...From the National Fire Protection Association
" NOTICE TO CALIFORNIA RESIDENTS REGARDING FIREWISE
California has enacted “Safer from Wildfires” regulations that require insurance companies to recognize Firewise USA® designated communities by providing discounts to property owners in those communities.
NFPA processes Firewise USA applications and provides information on the communities that have earned that designation to companies that provide data to home insurers doing business in California.
NFPA updates the boundary data for all communities in good standing in the Firewise USA program twice a year, in March and October. This information is then available to insurance companies through the data providers."
2) Wildfire Preparedness & Safety better protects you & your community-
What are the primary threats to homes during a wildfire?
Research around home destruction vs. home survival in wildfires point to embers and small flames as the main way that the majority of homes ignite in wildfires. Embers are burning pieces of airborne wood and/or vegetation that can be carried more than a mile through the wind can cause spot fires and ignite homes, debris and other objects.
There are methods for homeowners to prepare their homes to withstand ember attacks and minimize the likelihood of flames or surface fire touching the home or any attachments. Experiments, models and post-fire studies have shown homes ignite due to the condition of the home and everything around it, up to 200’ from the foundation. This is called the Home Ignition Zone (HIZ).
If each of us do our part, it can make a difference when the next wildfire threat comes.🌲🔥
