County Fire Safe Council liaison urges Encinitas to form local council to access wildfire grants

Morgan Dioli, liaison for the San Diego County Fire Safe Council, told the Encinitas Public Health & Safety Commission that local Fire Safe Councils can help neighborhoods access grant funding, coordinate defensible-space work and connect residents with fire-agency partners.

"My name is Morgan Dioli. I'm with the Fire Safe Council of San Diego County," Dioli said, explaining that the countywide nonprofit acts as a connector for federal, state and local fire agencies and community volunteers. She noted San Diego County has the most Fire Safe Councils in California and that the countywide group currently counts in the high 50s.

Dioli emphasized the role of embers in causing structure loss: "The leading cause of structure loss is the embers," she said, and recommended residents create an ember-resistant zone—sometimes called "zone 0"—around their homes. She described typical small grants the councils help secure—"somewhere between, like, $5,000 to $25,000 per community"—and gave a retrofit example in which volunteers and modest grants reportedly helped retrofit vents on roughly 160 homes.

Commissioners and staff asked about formation and equity. Dioli said councils need four community volunteers, a logo and a clearly drawn boundary wholly within a single jurisdiction; the countywide board reviews application packets on a bimonthly schedule and can act as fiscal sponsor until a community incorporates. On equitable access, a commissioner asked how to ensure funding does not flow only to wealthier neighborhoods; Dioli suggested subdividing a citywide boundary into neighborhood liaisons, using fire-severity and social-vulnerability maps to prioritize funding, and offering stipends or targeted free retrofits in higher-need areas.

Why it matters: Encinitas lies in part of the wildland-urban interface and commissioners said growing council membership and community workshops can increase resilience ahead of fire season. Commissioner reports later in the meeting noted that Fire Safe Councils around the county have been forming rapidly and that local outreach is ongoing.

Next steps: Commissioners said they will pursue an application for an Encinitas Fire Safe Council covering the three target districts, recruit neighborhood ambassadors, and consider a workshop or recruitment push this summer. Dioli offered follow-up technical assistance and contact information on her presentation slide.