As part of the Los Angeles Wildfire Resilience Alliance, MySafe:LA members have been doing a terrific job presenting to various homeowner groups in the County of Los Angeles. The non-profit and LAFD collaboration initially targeted homes in the Hollywood Hills, Brentwood, and Bel Air. With more than 20,000 people engaged, the next step has been to broaden our reach to other areas of the County.
Most recently, MySafe:LA presented to the Oakridge Mobile Home Estates in the Sylmar area of Los Angeles. The 2008 Sayre Fire tore through Oakridge, destroying 485 of the 600 homes in the community. The memory of those fires lingers, and working to create a designated NFPA Firewise USA site is a target for them – established by MySafe:LA.
“Often, initial efforts to mitigate wildfire hazards target high-loss communities, but we believe that lower-income communities deserve our most attentive service,” said MySafe:LA Commander David Barrett. “I was here when Oakridge burned, and I can remember walking down streets where not a single home survived. I don’t want to see that happen again.”
The initial presentation was well attended, and MySafe:LA Wildfire County Coordinator Carl Ginsberg explained how the Wildfire Resilience Alliance could support the community. The next step is for the Oakridge board of directors to take action. Standing by!!!
