Valley Regional Fire Authority offers a no‑fee wildland home assessment program for residents in areas near greenbelts or open spaces, Chief Bridal Thompson said.

Thompson said specially trained VRFA staff will visit properties and give tailored advice — clearing brush, using fire‑resistant materials and improving access for crews — to create defensible space before wildfire season. “We’ll come out to your home with those experts and help you prepare your home to be safer,” Thompson said, adding that the assessment is a several‑hour visit and will include follow‑up resources but will not pay for construction or home modifications.

Thompson also described VRFA’s wildfire operational experience. He noted that VRFA deploys brush rigs, tenders and engines to large wildfires across the U.S. and to Canada and that staff gain skills through deployments (he referenced deployments to California and Canada and a history of mutual aid). He said VRFA maintains a red‑card team and sends resources to major incidents so crews gain experience and are ready if such fires occur locally.

Ending: Thompson urged residents to sign up via vrfa.org for home assessments and to take straightforward vegetation and landscaping steps to reduce risk.