Hi neighbor! I’m Adam Hensleigh and I’m organizing Mount Hermon to be a FireWise communtiy and be prepared for future fire disasters.
The CZU Lightening Complex Fire was the second time in my life I have been evacuated because of a wildland fire. The first time was in 1988 and the Yellowstone National Park fires. People after the fire asked me why do you live there or why don’t you move. The answer is simple, my family LOVES Mount Hermon and the Santa Cruz Mountains! I also tell people we fully acknowledge the risk of living in fire country but I also tell them there are things I as well as my neighbors can do to mitigate that risk.
Even before the CZU Lightening Complex Fire, I was already looking into home hardening as this is our first and last home. Like everyone else we have to work so hard to be able to afford our mortgage/rent and we want to do everything we can to ensure we are able to pass this house down to our children. This is where Firewise (https://www.nfpa.org/Public-Education/Fire-causes-and-risks/Wildfire/Firewise-USA) comes in. You can do very simple to extravagant things to harden your home. Some things we already do like our chipping program
Take your pick below of why becoming a Firewise Community is a MUST for Mount Hermon:
- Members of Congress wanting wild-land firefighters to become year round jobs. https://ktla.com/news/california/california-members-of-congress-want-wildland-firefighter-jobs-to-become-year-round/
- Govenor Newsom adding 1,400 new CalFire firefighters. https://abc7news.com/firefighters-newsom-winter-dry/10463226/
- This year is the driest SJSU’s Wildfire Research Center has ever recorded. https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/fuel-moisture-content-California-wildfire-16087019.php
The above articles go to show how yearly wildfires are our new normal. If you’re not aware of Firewise, please go checkout their website, you will see why it is important to make a commitment to continually hardening our homes. It does not matter how much home hardening I do, if my neighbors don’t also harden their homes. Let’s all make a commitment to ourselves and neighbors that if the worst happens, firefighters will know we want to save our homes.
I’m looking for volunteers for the steering committee and am hoping you will consider volunteering or letting our more enthusiastic neighbors know there are additional ways to be more involved. Thank you.
Sincerely,
Adam Hensleigh
831-335-8313
[email protected]