Wildfire prevention: neighbors helping neighbors.
There is no doubt that EMBER creates financial costs for residents of the Grizzly Peak Mitigation Area. This is particularly true for seniors on fixed income who make up an estimated 50 percent of the residents of the area. The Ridge Firewise Groups and HelpBerkeley are well aware of this problem. But an ember fire will not avoid your house because you are on fixed income.
So, we did something about it! We knocked on doors to identify 23 properties owned by seniors on fixed income, people with disabilities or or financial problems preventing them from undertaking mitigation work themselves, or community spaces. That is where we sent our 350 volunteers on April 11. The property owners were grateful for the help. Much of the work was funded by a grant from the UC Chancellor’s Community Partnership Fund.
Everything the Firewise groups do for our neighbors is free to the homeowner. We offer free fire risk assessments, help applying for the BFD’s residential assistance program and, of course volunteer cleanup assistance. The owner of the site I worked at asked me incredulously, “you mean this is not going to cost us anything?” I replied, “this is what neighbors do for each other.” (She did bake us a cake!) 30 years ago another couple we helped were neighborhood organizers. They remain beloved neighbors. Now it is our turn to help them!
We hold many events over the year. If you want to join the community effort to make our neighborhood safer, DM me.
Our model is neighbors helping neighbors.