Ojai Valley FSC

Overview

The Ojai Valley Fire Safe Council (OVFSC) was founded in 2000 and over the last 20 years has successfully managed 26 federally funded grants totaling over $1.3 Million, and other state and local grants. These grants have funded a wide variety of projects including the preparation of a countywide CWPP in 2010 and extensive, effective, and ongoing fuel reduction and vegetation management projects focusing on high fire hazards in our community, fuel break maintenance, and enhancing defensible space for landowners in the Wildland-Urban-Interface. Education projects have included wildfire safety presentations in schools at the Elementary, Junior High, and High School levels throughout the Ojai Valley area and in-home presentations in cooperation with the Ventura County Fire Department and U.S. Forest Service.

The OVFSC has developed online resources including wildfire preparedness videos for homeowners, farmers and ranchers, landscape professionals, and other landowners. Other online resources include a Home Wildfire Safety Survey, Emergency Supplies Checklist, and Family Safety Plan. The OVFSC has built effective partnerships with key agencies and organizations. The OVFSC has also held its bi-annual Wildfire Safety Fair in collaboration with the Ventura County Fire Department, City of Ojai, and U.S. Forest Service.

In 2020, the OVFSC began the development of a comprehensive wildfire risk mitigation strategy for the greater Ojai Valley area. This strategy is community-focused and community-driven and seeks to build community-level capacity to better prepare for, respond to, and recover from a major wildfire event (or other natural disasters). The first step was to develop a "Road Map" to guide the development of the larger risk mitigation strategy. As part of the Road Map, priority projects and initiatives were identified and are being pursued.

Our mission is to promote wildfire safety in the Ojai Valley through education and action.