Central Marin Fire details Measure C-funded projects and shaded fuel break progress

Central Marin Fire Chief Ruben Martin briefed the Larkspur City Council on Feb. 19 about wildfire-hazard mitigation programs funded through the Marin Wildfire Prevention Authority (Measure C), defensible-space inspections and the Greater Ross Valley shaded fuel break.

“Measure C, which was passed by our voters in 2020, created the Marin Wildfire Prevention Authority, which generates about $21,000,000 annually,” Chief Martin said, summarizing the funding structure that supports fuels management, evacuation-route improvements, home-evaluation grants and other prevention activities. He explained that roughly 80% of MWPA funding supports core regional projects, with the rest split between defensible-space/home-evaluation programs and local mitigation projects.

Central Marin Fire uses MWPA funds for local mitigation work, a defensible-space alliance of agencies that provides inspections and homeowner evaluations, and contributions to region-wide projects. For Larkspur specifically, Martin reported roughly 1,500 defensible-space inspections in the last cycle and several hundred reinspections; the chipper program picked up residential brush from driveways and coordinated with inspections to provide direct assistance to homeowners.

Martin described the Greater Ross Valley shaded fuel break — a planned network of treated areas intended to reduce fire intensity by removing understory and highly flammable invasive materials across ridgelines — as “approximately 70% complete.” He said the fuel-break work reduces projected flame lengths, rate of spread and the probability of crown fire at modeled locations and increases chances for effective suppression. For Larkspur he cited model reductions in flame length (roughly 62%), rate of spread (about 42%) and crown-fire potential (about 76%) in treated areas, and said suppression potential increases by roughly 60% in those locations.

The chief described enforcement challenges: Martin said staff can inspect properties with owner permission and issue prioritized reports; voluntary abatements are faster and less costly than court-ordered abatement, which can take six to 10 months and cost significantly more. He told the council home-owner engagement is uneven — roughly 70% of inspected homeowners open their inspection reports — and that many properties still require follow-up work. Staff urged residents to sign up for county alert systems, know evacuation routes, maintain defensible space and consider home hardening.

Martin noted state and local developments that could affect policy: the board of forestry’s wildfire maps and an upcoming “Zone 0” defensible-space requirement that would mandate non-combustible clearance immediately adjacent to structures (a five-foot zone was discussed) and would likely be implemented first for properties in very-high fire-hazard severity areas. He said county fire agencies are coordinating potential uniform local code changes to ease enforcement and create consistent standards across jurisdictions.

No formal council action was taken during the presentation; Chief Martin answered council questions about funding allocations, maintenance needs for shaded fuel breaks and coordination with county and regional programs.