Marin wildfire preparation sets good example for all

Marin is a pioneer in adapting to wildfires. Government agencies and officials around the state, the country and the world look to Marin County officials for ideas, encouragement, education, inspiration and role models. Few places even begin to address wildfires as comprehensively and competently as our county. Now, as Marin residents, we must do our part of adapting to inevitable wildfires.

We have the Marin Wildfire Prevention Authority, Fire Safe Marin and a local ecologically sound practices partnership. Marin is second in the country with the most Firewise communities.

We also have the Fire Foundry, a collaboration with College of Marin and the University of California, Berkeley. It is focused on underserved communities and training future firefighters, emergency medical technicians and wildfire mitigation specialists.

Some of the best experts in wildfire prevention live here in Marin. We have multiple environmental organizations keeping watch on activities that might damage the flora and fauna in the county.

When the MWPA was starting four years ago, people were not clear how vegetation management and firebreaks were different from forest management and clear-cutting. The MWPA and the members environmental partnership have done a superb job of demonstrating the distinction. They have thoroughly identified and applied ecological best practices, which provide a model for other wildfire prevention agencies throughout the world.

Fire Safe Marin's website — with its videos, educational material, checklists and more — is used by people and agencies from all over. All owe gratitude to those who accomplish so much for us.

Still, as good as Marin organizations are, residents must learn and do more to protect ourselves and our families; to harden our homes, to clear combustibles, to plan and practice evacuations; and to help and get our neighbors to do the same.