About Us

Mission and history

Wildfire Preparedness in Mendocino County

Wildfire has always been a natural and inevitable part of Mendocino County’s landscape. Native American communities once used controlled burns to manage vegetation, improve hunting conditions, and prevent larger, more dangerous fires. Ranchers followed suit in later years, using purposeful burns to reduce fuel loads. These frequent, low-intensity fires helped maintain the balance of the ecosystem and protect communities.

Today, however, decades of fire suppression combined with climate change and increased drought have left our landscapes denser and more fire-prone. Homes now dot these wildlands, and natural fires are rarely allowed to burn much area. The result is an increased risk of catastrophic wildfires that threaten lives, homes, community infrastructure, and natural resources.

Our Mission

Our mission is simple but critical: to inform, empower, and mobilize residents to survive and thrive in a wildfire-prone environment. Through education, preparation, and collaborative action, MCFSC helps residents reduce wildfire risks and protect their lives and property.

Our Work

MCFSC supports wildfire safety and resilience in Mendocino County through a wide array of initiatives:

Education & Awareness: We help residents understand and reduce wildfire risks and be prepared for emergencies through our public outreach, workshops, and resources.
Neighborhood Fire Safe Councils (NFSCs) and Firewise Communities: We assist local communities in organizing their own fire safe councils and Firewise communities by providing education, resources, discounts, guidance, and grant funding to support their efforts.
Fuel-Reduction Projects: We provide free Community Chipper Days, residential defensible-space clearing for low-income seniors and residents with disabilities through our Defensible Space Assistance For Income Eligible (DSAFIE) program, and large-scale fuel-reduction projects to reduce hazards from overgrown vegetation.
Emergency Preparedness: We support knowledge and action for evacuation readiness, mapping of evacuation routes, improving road access and signage, and enhancing water supplies to prepare rural areas for wildfires.
Home Assessments: Our Home Assessor can visit your home and explain how to use basic fire-science principles to your best advantage.
Defensible Space for Income Eligible Seniors: If you need help clearing brush and other vegetation around your home, and if you are low-income and a senior or person with physical limitations that make you unable to do the work yourself, you can sign up for free defensible space help.
Chipper Days: Chipper days allow neighborhood residents to create and maintain defensible space around their homes, and along roadsides necessary for ingress and egress into and out of the neighborhood.
Reflective Address Signs: We make Reflective Address Signs for residents to use to make sure their homes are visible for emergency responders.

Our History

MCFSC was born out of a grassroots effort to improve wildfire safety following the successful campaign to retain CAL FIRE’s aerial firefighting base in Ukiah. Founders Colin Wilson and Julie Rogers, along with local and CAL FIRE chiefs, recognized the need for a countywide approach to wildfire preparedness.

Although MCFSC was largely dormant during the mid-2010s, devastating wildfires in 2017 reignited the urgency of our mission. Thanks to renewed support from local organizations and the leadership of Executive Director Scott Cratty since 2020, MCFSC has seen exponential growth in staffing, funding, program development, and results toward increased wildfire safety in Mendocino County.

Get Involved

The Mendocino County Fire Safe Council invites you to support our vital work. You can make a tax-deductible donation, subscribe to our newsletter, or become a member. Together, we can create a safer, more resilient Mendocino County for all who call it home.