Wildfire Education Academy Video Series Available Online

MONO COUNTY, Calif. (JULY 5, 2023) – Last year, Mono County joined the Eastern Sierra Council of Governments (ESCOG) in the launch of the Citizen’s Wildfire Education Academy (Academy), a series of seven free virtual sessions educating the public on wildfire, and how to prepare for it.  The goal of the Academy was to reduce the anxiety associated with wildfire, and to address and respond to the multitude of questions that residents and visitors had about the topic.

“Wildfires are becoming more devastating each year, threatening our communities, and decimating our forests and watersheds,” said Supervisor Bob Gardner, Mono County Board of Supervisors (District 3).  “We encourage residents to take the time to view this important series as we address how to prepare for wildfire season, and how to respond to the destructive impacts.”

The ESCOG Academy sessions give insight into reasons for the decline of our forest’s health, the coordination of agencies that protect them, and the current mitigation taking place for ecological restoration.  Our communities in the Eastern Sierra reside in the Wildland-Urban Interface, meaning that our homes share borders with undeveloped land where high potential for wildland fire exists.  It is important that we are informed and proactive, using strategies that can dramatically increase the survivability of our homes.  This series aims to help create Fire-Adapted Communities that recognize the need to take action to safely co-exist with wildland fire.

The ESCOG Academy sessions included the following topics:

• Session 1: The History of Wildfire in the Eastern Sierra
• Session 2: Fire Ecology
• Session 3: Current U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, and California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection 2022 Wildfire Management Plans and Policies
• Session 4: Current Eastern Sierra Fuels Reduction Treatment and Other Projects
• Session 5: Home Hardening and Defensible Space Projects
• Session 6: Smoke, Evacuation, and Other Preparation Procedures.
• Session 7: Insurance Concerns, Local Fire Departments, and Fire Safe Councils.

Details on each of the 2022 sessions, including the recordings, can be accessed here.

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