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Carmel-by-the-Sea schedules 'Ready, Set, Defense' wildfire-safety event; resident describes home-hardening steps
Summary
At a June 20 council meeting, CERT co-captain Wanda Fulmer outlined a series of community wildfire-preparedness events beginning June 21 and described personal home-hardening measures including ember-resistant mesh and a 0–5 foot defensible space.
At a June 20 meeting of the Carmel-by-the-Sea City Council, Wanda Fulmer, CERT co-captain, announced a series of community wildfire-preparedness events beginning tomorrow and described steps she has taken to harden her own home against wildfire.
“We're encouraging all members of public to come out and learn. It starts at 10AM, goes to 11AM,” Fulmer said, describing the first event in the series as “Ready, Set, Defense,” with Fire Chief Cooper scheduled to speak on defensible space and home hardening and a fire-extinguisher training demonstration planned.
The event is part of a year-long sequence that Fulmer said will include a September session on disaster kits and first-aid training and a Nov. 8 event on winter-storm tips and hands-only CPR. The council has recently adopted updated wildfire maps; council members and volunteers said the outreach aims to help residents interpret the maps and take incremental steps to reduce risk.
Fulmer described measures she has implemented at her own house: “I installed, ember resistant mesh around my vents and underneath my deck, and I'm starting some defensible space, in a 0 to 5 zone around my home,” she said. She urged residents to “start small” when responding to lengthy defensible-space checklists and to view mitigation as a positive, manageable process.
One council member said they had trimmed limbs on redwood trees near eaves after receiving notice from their insurance company, adding that the trimming was done “very sensitively” and did not materially change the character of the property.
The council and volunteers emphasized education and outreach alongside fuel-load reduction work the village has already undertaken. No formal action or ordinance was proposed during the discussion; the items reported were event announcements and community advice.
Organizers said the June 21 session will include breakfast, a raffle and a Q&A segment for residents. Fire Chief Cooper—who is scheduled to present at the June 21 event—was named as the speaker for the defensible-space and home-hardening portion of the program.
