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Prepare your home for Fire Season!
State law now requires homeowners to clear combustible vegetation 100 feet from structures to help us help you in the event of a wildfire.
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| Statewide Fire Situation |
Marin County Fire Department has numerous resources committed to fires statewide, as well as several local fire agancies from across Marin. Marin County is staffed at normal fire season levels, with reserve apparatus and firefighters working extra shifts as needed to fill-in for out-of-county personnel. Click here to downlaod the Statewide CAL Fire Wildfire Summary for June 29, 2008...
| | Green Waste Days! Free Disposal! | Here is your opportunity for free and safe disposal of green waste yard materials such as: leaves, tree limbs, grass and brush, courtesy of Marin County Fire Department.
Please NO poison oak, building materials, or general debris like dimensioned lumber or concrete.
Last year we received some garbage by accident. Please make sure you separate your household garbage from your green waste items.
NICASIO- Across from the Nicasio Corp Yard.
June 21 & 22, July 5, 6 & 12,13 From 9 am to 4 pm.
OLEMA- Located at B.B. Ranch, at the intersection of HWY 1 and Sir Francis Drake. July 19 & 20, August 2, 3 & 9,10 From 9 am to 4 pm.
FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE CALL: (415) 499-6717
TARP ALL LOADS
| | Captain Ruben Martin Returns Home | Injured Fire Captain Ruben Martin was released from John Muir Medical Center, and is now at home with his family, recovering from severe injuries sustained in an on-duty accident February 11, 2008. MCFD wishes to thank the community and fire service for their outpouring of support.
| | MCFD & MCFDFA Golf Tournament 2008 |
The Ron Thomas Memorial Golf Tournament at the San Geronimo Valley Golf Course in San Geronimo on May 13th, 2008. This fun-filled day is one of the most enjoyed and talked about events. While enjoying good food, drinks, prizes and a little friendly competition, this event is one of the biggest fundraisers for The Associated Airtanker Pilots Memorial Fund, and contributes to an annual donation to the Alisa Ann Ruch Burn Foundation.
Each year money in the AAP Memorial Fund is used to aid the families of fallen air attack who have passed away in the line of duty. Many of these pilots throughout the nation do not receive PSOB (Public Safety Officers Benefits). AAP does what they can to assist when tragedy occurs.
For more information regarding this event, email: MCFDgolf@comcast.net or call Kellie at (415) 507-2731 or Breanna at (415) 302-5568.
| | Captain Martin's Condition Improves |
Fire Captain Ruben Martin's condition has improved, and he is now in serious but stable condition. Doctors at John Muir Medical Center have moved him from the ICU, and expect further improvement in his condition. Marin County Fire Department wishes to express our heartfelt thanks for all of the support Ruben, his family, and MCFD have received from the community and fire-service.
| | Fire Captain Critically Injured |
Marin County Fire Department Fire Captain Ruben Martin was critically injured Monday, February 11 while on duty. He was airlifted to the level 2 trauma center at John Muir Hospital in Walnut Creek, where he is currently listed in critical but stable condition.
Information on blood drives and other ways to help Captain Martin is available at 415-499-6717.
| | James "Skip" Craddock: Condolences | Marin County Fire Department expresses our sincere condolences to the family of "Skip" Craddock. Skip Passed away unexpectedly January 30, 2007. A long-time HFEO with MCFD, Skip retired in 2000. His smile, warmth and generosity will never be forgotten by his extended MCFD family.
| | New Type 3 Engine Delivered |
Marin County Fire Department took delivery of a 2007 International 4x4 Type 3 engine, built by Hi-Tech Emergency Vehicles of Oakdale, California. 
The new engine carries 500 gallons of water in a stainless steel tank, a 500 GPM PTO pump, foam-pro class A foam system and a full complement of wildland firefighting equipment.
The new engine will grace an edition of Grebenikoff Vineyards Fire Engine Red wine label to be released winter 2007.
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Current
Incidents:
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There are no open incidents. |
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Recent
Incidents (closed):
Oil Spill: 11/8/2007-
Environmental Emergency, Marin baylands and coastal areas.
| Valley Fire: 10/20/2007-
Vegetation Fire, San Geronimo Valley between Lagunitas School and the San Geronimo Golf Course
| Volpi: 9/8/2007-
Vehicle Accident with Extrication, 5450 Point Reyes - Petaluma road
| Lucas: 8/28/2007-
Vegetation Fire, Lucas Valley Road between Big Rock and Nicasio.
| Shoreline: 8/10/2007-
Vegetation Fire, Between Bolinas and Dogtown just East of Shoreline Hy.
| Novato Fire: 7/8/2007-
Vegetation Fire, Near Indian Valley Golf Course
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By Fire Marshal Scott Alber and Forester Kent Julin
IT WAS WITH great consternation that we read Niccolo Caldararo's Marin Voice column (Marin Independent Journal, Aug. 22, "The flaws in 'defensible space'") regarding the value of defensible space. We feel compelled to respond.
Mr. Caldararo confuses wildfire and its relation to fires in the wildland-urban interface with wildfire issues as they relate to forest management practices. It is confusing and counterproductive to combine all these valid problems with the problem of interface fire home loss. They should be dealt with separately.
Study after study has shown that the solution to disastrous home loss during wildfires is to prevent buildings from igniting while the wildfire burns surrounding vegetation. This can be accomplished by focusing on two hazard mitigation measures:
- Reduce the wildfire's intensity and its exposure time to the structure by vegetation management immediately surrounding the structure.
- Reduce the ignitability of the structure, particularly from wind-blown embers and small flames.
The wildland-urban interface fire home-loss problem can be dealt with independently from other problems associated with wildfires. The historic role of forest fire suppression, past and present forest management practices and prescribed burning are usually not directly related to the extent of building destruction on interface fires. This was clearly demonstrated by the East Bay hills conflagrations (the 1923 Berkeley fire, the 1970 Oakland Hills fire, 1980 Wildcat Canyon Fire in Berkeley and the 1991 Oakland Hills fire), where small vegetation fires quickly spread to so many readily ignitable homes that the fire suppression capabilities of the local fire departments were temporarily overwhelmed.
As mentioned above, what is always directly related to house survival during interface fires is the ignitability of the building and/or the vegetation management immediately surrounding the home. Despite Mr. Caldararo's opinion, no scientifically based study has ever been published concluding or suggesting that burning vegetation (or related "fire intensity") around a home is not related to interface fire building survival.
The Black Tiger Fire Report cited in his column is an excellent study. The report states (in part): "Homes in the wildlands that are at special risk usually share several dangerous traits." The first of these dangerous traits was "Combustible vegetation - an approaching fire will ignite surrounding vegetation in a step-by-step attack on a home. A safety zone of low fuel density all around the home offers important protection."
We can reduce a wildfire's intensity and its exposure time to homes by creating landscapes with healthy well-spaced fire-resistant plants and nonflammable physical barriers such as paths and rock walls. We can also reduce the ignitability of homes, particularly from wind-blown embers and small flames, by using fire-resistant siding with screened openings and Class A roofing (watch "Marin on Fire," available at www.firesafemarin.org).
Firefighters who battle urban wildfires, such as the Angora Fire this summer in South Lake Tahoe, are often forced to choose which houses can be safely and effectively defended from fire. By reducing the amount of fuel on your property, you increase the likelihood that a fire engine could be safely parked in your driveway and that firefighters could work there to protect your home.
No amount of preparation will guarantee survival of a home in a wildfire. Some firestorms, such as the 2003 Cedar Fire in San Diego County, are so intense that many fire prevention measures become ineffective. But for the vast majority of our fires, landscaping with fire resistive plants and materials increases the chance your house will survive the next wildfire in Marin.
Scott Alber is a Battalion Chief and Fire Marshal for Marin County Fire Department. Kent Julin is the Forester for Marin County Fire Department.
TO LEARN MORE
Information on creating defensible space around homes and planting fire-resistant landscaping is available at www.firesafemarin.org. The Web site also contains information on many fire-related topics, including how to make children more fire smart. Call 446-4420.
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To
provide the highest level of life and property protection
through aggressive fire control, integrated pre-hospital
care, fire prevention, public education and emergency
management. |
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Ken
Massucco,
Fire Chief
(415) 499-6717
Rich Lopez,
Deputy Chief
(415) 499-6717
Battalion Chiefs
(415) 499-6717
Fax (415) 507-2969
Brian Meuser,
Training
(415) 499-3742
Mike Giannini, EMS
(415) 507-2595
Scott Alber,
Fire Marshal
(415) 499-6566
Fax (415) 499-4246
Kent Julin,
Forester
(415) 499-3759
Fax (415) 499-4246
Tim Walsh,
Fire Crew
(415) 717-1521
Phoenicia Thomas, Finance
(415) 507-2631
Kellie Moore, Finance
(415) 507-2731 |
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