Monrovia Fire Department Educates Community of Wildfire Dangers in Our Backyards

Chief Brad Dover works the streets of Norumbega Drive to evaluate fire hazards and alert residents of potential vulnerabilities. – Photo by Terry Miller / Beacon Media News

1,400 homes classified as ‘very high-risk’ during wildfires to be inspected

By Terry Miller

The Monrovia Fire Department (MFD) is so much more than a reactive government entity. The men and women of MFD are committed to helping mitigate risks for all in the community with education of the dangers that could affect you and your home in the event of a wildfire.

One of the biggest concerns, according to Monrovia Fire Chief Brad Dover, is embers from fast, wind driven fires that could result in more structure fires if roofs and eaves are full of tinder such as dead leaves.

On Thursday, Chief Dover led a group of local journalists on a tour of high risk areas such as Norumbega Drive where last December an arsonist set a fire that could have been devastating to Monrovia had it not been for the extremely rapid response from Monrovia Fire and other local fire departments, in addition to County fire air support with water-dropping helicopters. Luckily, that arsonist was caught and prosecuted thanks to exhaustive investigations.

The department visited with local residents and inspected several homes, with the consent of the homeowner, and advised each resident of potential dangers in the yard and on their roofs.

Last December, a swarm of 29 wildfires impacted Southern California -including the Thomas Fire and the fire in Monrovia- causing the evacuation of almost a quarter million residents, burning more than 300,000 acres, causing millions in property losses, and prompting the declaration of a State of Emergency. One of the main causes of the severity of these fires was the large amounts of dry vegetation due to the multi-year drought. These conditions persist today. Wildfires once described by “seasons” are now burning earlier and later in the year across the U.S. In addition, more people are living where wildfires are a high risk. It’s not a matter of if it will happen, but when will a community experience a wildfire threat.

To help address this problem, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and State Farm teamed up to make available 150 $500 grants (totaling $75,000) to fund projects that can help prevent or mitigate the next wildfire. One of these grants went to the Monrovia Fire & Rescue department. On Thursday they put the funds to good use with pamphlets and handouts alerting residents to potential fire dangers in and around their homes.

In the coming days and weeks, the department will aim at inspecting some 1,400 Monrovia homes classified as being in a Very High Fire Severity Zone. “We will educate residents on brush clearance/defensible space, but the true cornerstone of the program is teaching the residents how to assess the vulnerabilities of their homes and how they can harden their structures. We have a lot of outreach materials, which include structural assessment guides. The event coincides with the start of our annual brush inspections which began May 15. When our firefighters begin canvassing the neighborhoods they will be able to connect with the residents and be able to further help assess their properties,” says Brad Dover, Fire Chief of Monrovia Fire & Rescue.

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