Topanga leaders urge residents to submit Firewise forms to preserve community insurance discounts

Topanga Town Council leaders used the meeting to press residents to complete an annual Firewise reporting form so the community keeps its insurer‑recognized designation and the associated community‑level discounts. The host told attendees that Topanga’s Firewise community “stands at about 3,200 homes” and that the group needs at least 10% of households to submit data to maintain the designation and insurance benefit.

Officials said the required form is posted at onetopanga.com and was designed to be quick. “It will take 5 minutes or less,” the council host said, urging residents to complete the submission well before the Oct. 31 deadline.

Speakers described the practical benefits and steps: a community level designation makes homeowners eligible for a baseline community discount from the California Fair Plan and other insurers, while additional individual home hardening measures can increase that discount. A community leader noted the Fair Plan covers roughly 87% of the community and that the fair plan’s maximum discount differs by insurer; the meeting emphasized reporting volunteer hours and defensible‑space work so the community meets the required thresholds.

Panelists also said the community is expanding practical supports: the Santa Monica Mountains Fire Safe Council offered free home ignition zone evaluations, the Fire Safe Council coordinated a pilot community work day that cleared 2.5 acres along an evacuation route, and the group is pursuing block grants through Cal Fire and MRCA to support defensible‑space projects that bundle adjacent homes for cost effectiveness.

Council leaders urged residents unsure whether they are inside the Firewise boundary to contact the town council for help and emphasized that maintaining the designation is both a safety and financial priority for the community.