Live music from a second-line marching band fills the air as people follow in a parade, celebrating the work of wildfire prevention in Marin County. The smell of Mediterranean food wafts through the rows of tents as residents are deep in conversation with wildfire prevention experts. Kids learn what to put in a go-bag from a sing-a-long. Step into the world of Ember Stomp– a festival highlighting Marin’s commitment to becoming a wildfire-adaptive community.
For the second year, Fire Safe Marin will bring together the world of wildfire prevention and preparedness to the Marin Civic Center Fairgrounds. Living in California, planning for wildfires can be overwhelming. Ember Stomp hopes to combat these feelings by making resources accessible and fun. Interactive games teach residents lessons about evacuation routes, fire-resistant vents, and hazardous plants. Over 45 community partners and 15 vendors will be present and festival goers can learn directly from the experts.
Wildfire management has come a long way since Smokey Bear advised us to simply “prevent wildfires.” Today, it’s all about adaptation to mitigate risks while promoting a resilient landscape. The “New Frontier” stage will highlight new thinking, technologies, and solutions at the forefront of wildfire management. Steve Quarles, a Firewise leader and Wildfire Scientist, will lead a live burn demonstration to show the impact of home hardening materials. A landscaping expo will feature designs created by Yardzen, a landscape design company that was founded after the owners were affected by the 2017 fires in Sonoma County. These landscapes will demonstrate that fire-smart landscaping can be beautiful and functional.
People lead busy lives and don’t have as much time to think about preparing for wildfire as those of us that live and breathe it. Parents have even less time! Which is why there are plenty of activities for kids. The “Kids Zone” will have a face painter, bubbles, and entertainment all day long. Local entertainment including magic, wildfire sing-alongs, therapy dogs, and story-tellers will guarantee that kids will have a blast and be part of a wildfire adaptive community that includes all generations.
The festival relies on volunteers from the 78 Firewise neighborhoods in Marin, the most in any county in the United States. From spreading the word about the event to helping make the event run smoothly, the Firewise Leaders are crucial to the success of Ember Stomp. The event also encourages people to find out if they live in a Firewise neighborhood and how they can get involved in prevention efforts happening locally.
This festival is truly a community commitment to adapting to wildfire. We are all in this together and everyone part of Ember Stomp realizes this important fact.
This event also wouldn’t be possible without the support of the County of Marin, Silicon Valley Community Foundation, Ember Protection Services, Inc, Fortress Fire Retardant Systems, Fire Aside, and Vulcan Vents.
