The newly formed Round Valley Prescribed Burn Association held its first burn on May 30, scorching 55 acres of grass at the airport just outside town. Since grant funds became available through the county about a year ago, the PBA has been offering trainings and spreading the word about the benefits of controlled fire.

Last fall, neighbors working with the Mendocino County Fire Safe Council pitched in to help a landowner maintain a strategic fuel break that did exactly what it was supposed to do – provide an opportunity to safely stop a wildfire from getting into the larger community.

Upcoming Fire Safety Townhall for Mendocino County residents will be on May 19th from 6 - 8 pm.

The 2025 LA fires served as a stark reminder of how quickly urban-wildland blazes can escalate under extreme weather conditions. One key lesson was the critical importance of early evacuation warnings and clear communication channels between agencies and the public. The fires also underscored the need for long-term investment in vegetation management and resilient infrastructure.

A federal grant for large-scale fuels reduction and home hardening in Brooktrails has been canceled, along with the entire program that funded it, as part of the government’s cost-cutting efforts.

The Mendocino County Fire Safe Council (MCFSC) has teamed up with the University of California Hopland Research and Extension Center (HREC) to teach fire-science and wildfire-safety basics to about 800 students from 16 schools across the county this spring. The program is free to students, parents and schools, with MCFSC covering all the costs of materials and transportation.

Spring is short, and fire season is long, in the highly combustible landscape of rural Mendocino County. Neighborhood Fire Safe Councils are a great way to prevent disaster by sharing information and resources, organizing workdays, and providing many other ways to help homes withstand wildfire. Communities can take their efforts even further - and receive substantial benefits - by becoming designated as Firewise USA® Communities by the National Fire Protection Association.

Reducing fire risk is an everyday activity—and suggestions from assessors can help.

Shane Lamkin  joined CAL FIRE ’s Mendocino Unit as the new Battalion Chief for the Public Information Officer and EMS Coordinator in late December. He’s in charge of CAL FIRE’s local social media and email list, alerting the public to any incidents as well as vegetation management projects. Read more about his background and what he will do.

In just three years, MCFSC’s Micro-Grants have helped dozens of communities become more defensible from wildfire. The window to apply for funding in this fourth year of the program is now just around the corner.

The MCFSC will be accepting applications for Micro-Grants up to $12,500 from March 1–31, 2025. In just three years, the program, which is funded by the PG&E Corporation and Measure P sales tax revenue, has distributed over a quarter-million dollars to initiatives in dozens of communities to improve fire safety and resilience.

Tune in to KMUD’s Monday Morning Magazine Interview between Pat Higgins and the MCFSC Executive Director, Scott Cratty.

The MCFSC crew works year-round on fuel reduction and chipping programs. They have a wealth of experience and undergo ongoing training in stewardship and the logic behind their skills. Learn more about how they spend their time.

Torrey Douglass, of Lemon Fresh Design, explores her process in creating the new website for the Mendocino County Fire Safe Council. Learn how to navigate the new site and her insights.

In the season of 2024-25, the Mendocino County Fire Safe Council is promoting prescribed burns through its new GrizzlyCorps fellow, Emily Lord. Read on to learn more about Emily’s role.

Everyone knows that California, like many other states, is in the midst of an insurance crisis. The pressing questions are: what can property owners do to bring costs down; and is there help on the horizon?

Fire Safe Council Crew Joins Community Volunteers to Maintain Firebreak in Willits

United Disaster Relief calls for help to move into its forever home

This is the second of an exciting new series of podcasts and companion articles we are collaborating on with journalist Sarah Reith.  Read the full story about our Neighborhood Work Day on Blue Rock or listen to the podcast .