Who do you contact?
PUBLIC COMMENT NEEDED NOW!
We are encouraging you to email the BOF to ask why homeowners are not being represented during the development of regulations for Zone 0 and why homeowners in High and Very High Fire Severity Zones are not being given accurate information about the impact of the mitigation requirements and their enforcement on homeowners and taxpayers.
Submit Public Comments to: PublicComments@bof.ca.gov
The California State Legislature passed laws controlling the risk mitigation requirements for fire severity zones when Assembly Bill 3074 (AB 3074) was approved by the Governor and Chaptered by the Secretary of State on September 29, 2020.
Website: https://a42.asmdc.org/
CA Board of Forestry and Fire Protection
The California Board of Forestry and Fire Protection is the body responsible for crafting the risk mitigation requirements for Zone 0 (first 5 feet) Very High severity zones (red), and in the case of Ventura County, those standards will also apply in High Severity Fire Zones (orange).
Website: https://calfire-umb05.azurewebsites.net/projects-and-programs/defensible-space-zones-0-1-2/
Submit Public Comments to: PublicComments@bof.ca.gov
Why reach out to Supervisor Gorell’s office? The County Supervisors control the budget of the Ventura County Fire Department. Jeff Gorell has sent zone 0 VC Fire materials to constituents.
Office Address:
2100 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd, Suite E, Thousand Oaks, CA 9136
Phone Number: (805) 241-2510
Email: District2@ventura.org or jeff@jeffgorell.org maybe?
Additionally, you can connect with Supervisor Gorell’s office through our social media channels for updates, news, and community engagement:
Why reach out to Ventura County Fire Department? The County Fire Department is responsible for the Fire Hazard Reduction/mitigation Program for all areas of the Conejo Valley. They made the decision to include the orange map areas - High Risk - in the same enforcement zone as the red map - Very High Risk zone.
For general questions about community wildfire preparedness, you can reach the FHRP Unit at fhrp@ventura.org or 805-389-9759
They have a lot of information on their website.
Suggested questions for decision-makers:
Has the development of Zone 0 mitigation requirements been paused? If yes, will this delay the issuing of Board of Forestry and Fire Prevention’s recommended Zone 0 requirements?
Will there be a Zone 0 distinction between well irrigated plants that are resistant to combustion and dry vegetation?
Will there be a government program aiding homeowners who cannot complete the requirements on their own or afford to pay for them to be done? AB 3074 stated an intention to take “into account property owners’ financial resources and the scope of work necessary to achieve compliance.” What does that mean?
Have the ecological consequences of a 5-foot ember proof zone been studied? Air quality and outdoor temperatures are improved by irrigated vegetation.
What are the data sources showing that a 5-foot “no-plants hard zone” meaningfully prevents structure fires?
It appears that for trees to be allowed in zone 0, they must be taller than the peak of the roof. That means that newer, two-story homes on smaller lots could have to remove all trees from their property. Is this a correct interpretation?
Will BBQ propane tanks be allowed within 10 feet of a home? The current draft appears to restrict LPG tanks to a distance beyond the property line for many homes.
Wouldn’t homeowners’ limited resources be better spent ember proofing attics, a well documented route for high wind event fires to spread home to home?
Will local power providers be required to make updates, such as placing electrical wires underground given the role wires play in starting high wind event fires?
Is it correct that potted and hanging plants cannot be placed in front of windows or glass doors? The rules for the size and spacing of potted plants seem unnecessarily prescriptive and difficult to comprehend. [page 3, lines 12-23]
How will local HOAs and their existing rules be brought into line with the zone 0 requirements? Will these fire hazard regulations supersede HOA bylaws? How much will it cost HOAs to have them rewritten?
Will the adoption and enforcement of these standards be tied to reductions in insurance costs and a pause in cancelation of fire insurance?
Who is capturing the feedback from residents that attend community information meetings regarding Zone 0 requirements? Is that feedback provided to the BOF and then posted for the public?