Fire Safe Marin is pleased to welcome Western Oaks Village in Novato as Marin’s newest Firewise USA site.
The homes are interspersed with vegetation including fine fuel, tall grasses, French Broom, all sizes of shrubs, and trees. The site has between 900-1000 trees, and is a classic WUI environment.
Western Oaks Village management worked closely with Lynne Osgood of the Novato Fire Protection District, and Scott Sherman of AvidGreen Landscaping, who manages landscaping and tree maintenance for WOVA.
While WOVA successfully met the standards for Firewise USA recognition in 2018, they don’t plan to stop there. Their Fuel Reduction goals for 2019 are:
- Common area tree care including structural and aesthetic pruning, removing growth under trees, lifting them up to prevent fire ladder, and removal of dead and dying trees and pyrophytic species. (All pine trees scheduled).
- Removing ladder fuels of smaller trees, concentrated packets of tall brush and shrubs.
- Pruning and removing trees near to and above buildings.
- Collaborating with the City of Novato on vegetation management measures for City land adjacent to our property line.
The WOVA Board also recognized that in addition to landscaping fire reduction measures, basic home hadening measures were required to reduce the chances of structures igniting during a nearby wildfire were required to reduce the chances of structures igniting during a nearby wildfire. Brian Smith, of CIDology is their Project/Construction Manager, and will facilitate building upgrades.
WOVA has completed the following building upgrades:
1. WOVA roofs are Class A fire rating Timberline High Definition® Shingles, Slate or Shakewood. The roofs were treated with DeckArmor Premium Breathable Roof Deck Protection as an underlayment.
2. Ember resistant screens were retrofitted to vents.
3. Chimneys and roof gutters were screened.
4. WOVA Siding was upgraded to HardiePanel, HardiePlank, or HardieShingle. HardieSoffit panels, and HardieTrim was installed.
5. Window, Sliding Glass Doors and Exterior Front Doors. All that have been replaced through the WOVA Homeowner Option Program and at the Clubhouse meet the Novato WUI requirements. All future replacements of a similar kind will meet these requirements.”
