Resilient Cloverdale outlines preparedness push after Kincaid fire, CAL FIRE map change

Becky Ennis, facilitator for Resilient Cloverdale, told the Cloverdale City Council on April 9, 2025, that the volunteer-led network is expanding preparedness work after the Kincaid Fire and a recent recalculation of wildfire risk by CAL FIRE.

The presentation summarized Resilient Cloverdale’s history, partnerships and upcoming priorities, and asked the council to expect a future budget request to help distribute bilingual preparedness materials and support neighborhood outreach. Ennis said Cloverdale “has moved into the very high severe zone range,” and that change affects defensible-space requirements and local preparedness planning.

Resilient Cloverdale formed after the 2019 Kincaid Fire and operates as a cross-sector cohort of nonprofits, faith groups, businesses and local agencies that activate during emergencies. Ennis cited collaborations with the Citrus Fairgrounds, San Francisco State University (which published a 2024 social-cohesion study of Cloverdale), and the U.S. Geological Survey’s Haywired scenario work as background to the group’s planning.

Why it matters: the CAL FIRE map change moves parts of Cloverdale into “very high” hazard designations, Ennis said, which alters defensible-space rules (she described the first 5 feet around structures as needing to be essentially free of vegetation) and increases emphasis on home hardening, evacuation planning and support for people with limited mobility.

Key points from the presentation and public comments: - Outreach and materials: Ennis said the group aims to distribute preparedness and evacuation information in English and Spanish and to use youth volunteers to help older residents with apps and evacuation planning. The Cloverdale Chamber of Commerce has previously mailed evacuation maps to every address and maintains the CloverReady website with local preparedness instructions, Chamber director Nina Hanchat told the council. - Vulnerable populations: Resilient Cloverdale plans targeted outreach to seniors, residents who cannot shelter in place, households with limited English, families with young children, and economically disadvantaged households that may lack resources to evacuate. - Neighborhood-level tactics: the group promoted “block parties” and neighborhood captains to build social cohesion and local response capacity; Ennis said the city has agreed to waive permit fees for that purpose. - Logistics and assets: Ennis said staff and volunteers are working to place trailers and resources around town and that Jeff Peters and county public-infrastructure staff are assisting; she noted a possible site offer from Todd Brown of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for a parking area to host supplies. - Exercises and planning: Resilient Cloverdale has run tabletop exercises, an earthquake simulation at the fairgrounds and has urged local organizations to create both emergency operations plans and continuity-of-operations plans.

Public commenters echoed support for Resilient Cloverdale’s work. Nina Hanchat, executive director of the Cloverdale Chamber of Commerce, said the chamber serves as the group’s fiscal sponsor and has already mailed preparedness packets to every address in the city. “If you haven't been on that website, you can easily learn what you need to do in order to prepare,” Hanchat said, urging residents to refresh preparedness plans regularly. Kirsten Taylor, an instructor at Alta and Radi Healthcare, said her organization values Resilient Cloverdale and participates regularly in meetings.

Ennis said she will follow up with the council with a formal budget request and continuing coordination with city staff and county partners. No formal council action was taken on the presentation during the meeting.

The council and attendees agreed to continue the group’s exercises and outreach; Resilient Cloverdale will return with specific funding requests and implementation details in a future meeting.