Wildfires are a real concern for some San Luis Obispo homeowners, including long-time resident Scott Cleere, who says the hills near his home went up in flames when the Lizzie Fire sparked in October 2023.
"It's gonna happen again, and when it happens again, we just hope that, you know, we're going to be in the best position we can," Cleere said.
Cleere and more than a dozen of his neighbors living off Johnson Avenue gathered for a community meeting Monday evening, hosted by the San Luis Obispo City Fire Department.
Emergency Manager Joe Little covered a range of topics, including what it takes to become a Firewise community.
"We need at least eight homes, create a Firewise board, and you've got to create a one-to-three year action plan," Little said.
Before applying for the recognition, Firewise communities must also undergo a wildfire risk assessment and regularly track mitigation efforts.
Mark Monday volunteered his driveway for Monday night's meeting. He says he hopes his neighborhood will become the fourth community in San Luis Obispo to earn the Firewise designation.
"I am hopeful that, with this meeting, that some of the neighbors will see that becoming a Firewise community would be beneficial," Monday said.
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Beyond keeping homeowners as prepared as possible in the event of a wildfire, Little says the Firewise designation can also lead to modest insurance discounts.
"Your insurance companies have to recognize that you are a Firewise neighborhood when they consider keeping you on your plan," Little said.
Cleere says insurance perks are a key motivator for the effort, even though they are not guaranteed.
"The biggest motivation is probably to make sure that we can all stay insured and do our best to make the risks as low as possible," Cleere said.
San Luis Obispo neighbors looking to schedule their own Firewise workshop can reach out to the city's fire department.
