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COSCA details wildfire safety work: Firewise growth, home hardening pilot, invasive‑species fuel reduction
Summary
COSCA staff updated the board on wildfire safety efforts including mailers and home‑hardening inspections, a pilot to harden low‑income seniors' homes, Firewise community outreach (now 14 communities), invasive species removal along Arroyo Conejo and a partnership that manages ~380 acres of fuels.
COSCA staff gave a verbal update on the agency's wildfire safety and fuels‑management programs, summarizing activities since 2020 including community outreach, home hardening inspections, neighborhood Firewise outreach and invasive species fuel reduction projects.
Staff said a 2020 direct‑mail campaign distributed about 17,000 mailers with home hardening information and COSCA funded 11 free home‑hardening assessments for low‑income seniors as a pilot, which included vent screening and vegetation removal. COSCA has worked with the Ventura Regional Fire Safe Council to support Firewise USA community certifications; staff said Thousand Oaks had one Firewise community when they began and now has 14.
The agency also described on‑the‑ground fuel management: removal of invasive Arundo donax and juvenile Mexican fan palms in Arroyo Conejo, road and drainage repairs in Lang Ranch to improve first‑responder access, and an annual partnership program with the City of Thousand Oaks and Conejo Recreation and Park District that treats roughly 380 acres per year for defensible‑space fuels management. Staff said the work supports water‑quality and habitat goals and that removal of invasive plants has ecological benefits as natives reestablish.
Board members asked about ranger and contractor roles, the relationship to Ventura County Fire requirements for defensible space and regional funding opportunities. Staff said contractors perform most fuels work with COSCA and partner staff providing oversight; COSCA maintains a consistent 100‑foot defensible‑space approach around its perimeter and coordinates with fire and conservancy partners on grants and workforce development.
