CNA has contracted with local fire mitigation specialist Krys Nystrom from Wildfire Network to prepare a Fire Assessment of the entire neighborhood and help us become a recognized Firewise USA® community. The goal is to save lives and protect property from wildfire by developing and implementing solutions for wildfire preparedness and emergency management.

At this time of year, especially after a good winter, it’s easy to forget that living in the Santa Fe Canyon means living with the potential of wildfire. The wildfires in California, Washington, Australia and other places, are a reminder that we need to understand our relationship to wildfire, learn from the experiences of others, and do what we can be prepared for a wildfire.

Initially we have been focused on understanding wildfire risks. Towards this end, we have been assessing the risk for properties in the CNA neighborhood, primarily using public information including Google Earth and topographic analysis. In some areas, we have started working with property and homeowners on detailed, on-site assessments and mitigation activities such as tree trimming and thinning.

It’s not surprising that much of the community is at a high or very high risk of wildfire https://wildfirenetwork.org/index.php/projects/2020-canyon-neighborhood-association. The purpose of this project is to help us identify short term and long-term, individual and collective actions needed to be better prepared for a wildfire. There are many ways to become more wildfire resilient without compromising our community’s values, and, for the most part without large expenditures.

As part of the CNA project, Wildfire Network will be available to do an on-site assessment of your property and provide recommendations for reducing wildfire risks. Even better would be to become a catalyst for change in your neighborhood; get several of your neighbors involved so that the on-site assessment can be more comprehensive. To contact Wildfire Netowrk for a risk assessment, fill out the form at right.  To self-assess your property’s fire risk, go to https://wildfirenetwork.org/index.php/pages/resources/self-assessment.

A key preparedness message is to get your family and your pets out early! Evacuate as soon as you are aware of fire danger in the Canyon. Do not think about staying in your house to protect it. If you do stay, the reality is that smoke and heat will probably take your life. The objective of fire mitigation is to make you feel comfortable that you have done everything you can to protect your house so that it might be there after you return from an evacuation. It’s also a good idea to identify a place in town you can stay during a multiday evacuation.

See photos from ongoing projects here