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It can be said that there is no bad time to learn about wildfire preparedness and resilience. Even with winter and anticipated El Nino storms approaching.
Resilience was the focus of a forum hosted on Nov. 10 at the Community Foundation for San Benito County Epicenter. The forum featured presentations from the San Benito Fire Safe Council, the San Benito Resource Conservation District, CalFire and the Central Coast Prescribed Burn Association.
After introductions from Lauren Moody of the San Benito Fire Safe Council and Cameron Chao of the San Benito Resource Conservation District, Fire Safe Council chair Rick Mazzarella spoke about the role of the council.
“We collaborate very closely with like-minded organizations,” Mazzarella said, noting the council is responsible for obtaining funding and distributing it to communities and organizations.
Moody was hired as the council’s wildfire county coordinator earlier this year and, thanks to a grant, will be in that position until at least October 2027 with a chance of an extension. Mazzarella said Moody is the “point of focus” for the county and its communities with respect to mitigating wildfire risk.
The council currently has vacancies for vice-chair and treasurer. Interested residents can visit the council’s website to learn more.
Brice Muenzer, fuels battalion chief for the San Benito/Monterey division of CalFire, spoke on the importance of burning responsibly, being prepared and properly hardening homes.
He said the largest fire season on record for California was in 1910 with four million acres burned.
California Public Resources Code Section 4291 requires property owners to maintain a 100-foot defensible space around all buildings and structures on their property, he said. CalFire’s website has more information on defensible space.
When owners follow the rules of home hardening and defensible space, “the risk is highly decreased,” Muenzer said.
Owners should ensure there is sufficient access for fire department equipment and parking on the property. “You need a safe spot for first responders,” Muenzer said.
Muenzer spoke about fuel breaks in the community, as well as “beneficial fires” that are meant to reduce the risk of catastrophic fire. One example, he said, is the burning of 26,000 acres in San Benito and Monterey counties, mostly on military bases.
He acknowledged that fires are a natural disturbance and “part of the ecosystem.”
Spencer Klinefelter, project director for the Central Coast Prescribed Burn Association, said the association was formed in 2020 and works mostly with private landowners. There are lots of similar associations across the state, he said.
“We live in a fire-adapted state” with some benefits of fire, Klinefelter said, adding that there are many reasons to do controlled and prescribed burns.
Volunteers and community members are invited to observe prescribed burns. He said it can be powerful for the community to see fire being used in that way.
“We don’t always have to live in fear,” Klinefelter said.
Muenzer said CalFire, too, works with Firewise communities and community members, though it is more difficult to bring members of the public to CalFire burns.
Moody noted there are special training programs where community members can learn about defensible space.
Chao, program coordinator for the San Benito Resource Conservation District, gave information about the district’s Community Wildfire Protection Plan, which was updated in 2024, and the Regional Protection Plan. Both are available to view on the district website.
The Regional Protection Plan, he said, includes 40 projects so far and “is supposed to be a dynamic process.” There will be an opportunity in the future for community members to recommend projects for the plan, Chao said.
Barry Ferrara, secretary for the San Benito Fire Safe Council, spoke about his journey to starting a Firewise community in his town of Aromas. After moving to town in 1996, he said he learned a lot about defensible space and participated in a brush chipping program. Wanting to further educate his community, he started the Rancho Aromitas Firewise Community in 2023.
Ferrara and Mazzarella said the process of starting a Firewise community can be intimidating. Currently, San Benito County has four such communities and Mazzarella said he would like to see that number grow to between 10 and 15.
Benefits of starting a Firewise community include wildfire preparedness, property protection, resilience, and peace of mind, Ferrara said.
The risk of wildfire is changing in California, he said, as fires become more destructive and more communities are impacted. On a personal level, he said he has been impacted by several fires in the area.
According to Ferrara, Firewise USA provides a framework on how to reduce wildfire risk.
He said the first step is to organize, which means to form a committee, define site boundaries and register the site. The second step is to conduct a risk assessment and develop an action plan. The final step is to act by hosting educational outreach and invest in risk reduction.
The mindset of Firewise USA, Ferrara said, is to be “prepared, not scared.”
The BenitoLink Internship Program is a paid, skill-building program that prepares local youth for a professional career. This program is supported by Monterey Peninsula Foundation AT&T Golf Tour and Taylor Farms.
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