by Chris Gralapp

Interview with David Poe, Summit View Ranch

David Poe recalls that clenching nightmare feeling of witnessing an uncontained firestorm as it crested the Annandel State Park ridge in October of 2017.

 “We were warned by a neighbor on the ranch just returning from Glen Ellen at about 1 AM that a firestorm was descending upon us and that we should evacuate.  We launched our emergency calling number program to alert all 21 homeowners, and all either evacuated or went to safe places.  Some neighbors helped infirmed and elderly neighbors evaluate as well.”

None of the homes in Summit View Ranch on the flank of Sonoma Mountain was lost, thankfully, but the wake-up call had sounded loud and clear for the owners of the 20+ properties in the HOA. In hindsight, the cattle grazing program that was already in place had helped resist stray embers that were floating in from three separate directions. But the group wanted to double down on improving their fire resistance, and decided to pursue their collective Firewise Certification.

Firewise Certification, led by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), offers a structured approach for communities to enhance their wildfire resilience in California. This initiative promotes collaborative efforts among residents, local fire departments, and other key stakeholders to bolster the fire resistance of homes and surroundings. Integral to California’s wildfire preparedness strategy, the program is supported by CAL FIRE’s Community Wildfire Preparedness & Mitigation Division, aiding communities in achieving Firewise designation.

After the fires, David, like many other Bennett Valley residents, experienced cancellation of his fire insurance. He transitioned to a ‘non-admitted carrier’, which got him covered again, but also carried a hefty increase in his insurance premium.

David and a group of homeowners banded together to research and implement the Firewise Certification process. The “fire crew’ as they call themselves, sought and received participation by the entire community at Summit View. The first step is to fill out a self-assessment questionnaire, which is submitted through a portal hosted by the Firewise Sonoma group, and reviewed by both the Firewise Sonoma group and the Sonoma County Fire district. David praised the Firewise Sonoma group's executive, Marika Ramsden, for her assistance throughout the process. The fire crew achieved 100% participation from homeowners in submitting their self-assessments.

After this, risk assessment and action planning is performed on site, with the Sonoma County Fire Department advising. The action plan includes individual homeowner responsibilities for home hardening, such as proper gutters, non-flammable materials, and vegetation management. The plan also includes managing dead trees and vegetation around major roadways and common structures.

Certification involves submitting a Risk Assessment and 3-year Action plan, which is reviewed and critiqued by Firewise Sonoma Group's executive before being submitted to the Firewise Certification group. The group either rejects or accepts the plan, with the latter leading to certification. David also mentioned the need to demonstrate financial commitment and to update the plan annually to maintain certification.

This was a true cooperation among the homeowners and definitely fosters a sense of community. The process is rigorous and not without bumps along the way as there would be with any communal project, but the Summit View group passed their certification, and are now poised to continue. Besides individual structure hardening, they have egress agreements with surrounding neighbors, so that they have more than one road out, and they have an evacuation plan in place. Additionally, they have improved their water storage, and have developed a solid relationship with the BV Fire department, who now use Summit View Ranch for training maneuvers.

I asked the question on everyone’s mind—will this certification open the door to lowered insurance premiums?

David’s insurance rates had quadrupled after he was able to find a carrier.  He mentioned that this certification could potentially decrease insurance costs and increase resale value. For now, with the insurance industry in flux, it is too early to determine the impact of their wildfire certification on insurance rates. Some homeowners in his area have seen reduced insurance rates. And this may very well become a trend. However, the benefit of reducing fire risk is paramount and certainly makes the effort to become FireWise Certified worthwhile.

This sort of program works well for communities within a Homeowner’s Association, but can also work for individual homeowners who wish to create a program along with their neighbors.  Visit Firewise California here