Will your trash cans burn? Watch the video to see if your guess is correct. Trash cans should always be moved at least 5 feet away from the house and any combustible material on: Red Flag days Voluntary Evacuation (Set!) orders are given Mandatory Evacuation (Go!) orders are given Video:Thanks to NIST (National Fire Research […]
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This home received a Wildfire Prepared Home Designation Certificate. When Janet Jackson moved to Oak Park from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1998, she unwittingly began the process of hardening her home against California’s destructive wildfires. Jackson’s father, John Kachuta, a contractor, convinced her to replace the vinyl gate on the side of the house to metal.
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What is Defensible Space? CAL FIRE defines Defensible Space as the buffer between your structure and the surrounding area. Adequate defensible space acts as a barrier to slow or halt the progress of fire that would otherwise engulf your property. It also helps ensure the safety of firefighters defending your home. Defensible Space is the
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One home burned and the other did not In a recent article by LA Times, staff writer Jack Flemming, writes about a home hardening demonstration put on by the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS), and the California Building Industry Association. The demonstration pitted the ignitability of two tiny homes, one built to
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In a landmark decision, judge rules California FAIR Plan’s smoke-damage policy is illegal. A Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge said Tuesday, June 24, 2025, that the California FAIR Plan Assn.’s policy violates the insurance code because it provides less coverage than what is required by the state’s Standard Form Fire Insurance Policy. Since 2017, the plan
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IS YOUR HOME FIRE SAFE? Find out with a FREE assessment. With wildfires seemingly a year-round reality in California, staving off devastation with home hardening strategies has become as common as earthquake preparedness. To help with fire preparedness, FREE, confidential home assessments are available through the Oak Park Fire Council and affiliated regional groups. Russell
Board Updates – Chipper Day, Friday May 30th We hope everyone had a safe and enjoyable Memorial Day weekend. As we finish out National Wildfire Awareness Month, we look ahead to summer with anticipation about what fire issues the large amount of dry vegetation in our surrounding areas may bring to our neighborhoods. If you
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“In both the Eaton and Palisades Fires, I did not see many homesthat survived without evidence of some type of defensive action.” Lessons from the 2025 Los Angeles Wildfires By Yana Valachovic, UC Cooperative Extension advisor, visited Palisades and Eaton Fires The UC ANR fire expert highlights materials, components and actions that saved homes from
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The Resource Conservation District of the Santa Monica Mountains Community Resilience team, with a grant from CAL FIRE, created a series of videos to help communities become more wildfire-resilient. The videos cover wildfire preparedness, fire ecology and how-to’s for home-hardening and defensible space! LINKS TO GREAT EDUCATIONAL VIDEOS: (Click on the links below) Home Hardening
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May is National Wildfire Awareness month!! It’s time to start focusing on the upcoming fire season (it’s always fire season) and ways you can protect your home and our community! Home Hardening Your Oak Park Fire Safe Council has some new and exciting additions to our website that you may find very useful! Under the Resources
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