Portola Valley Ranch is a unique community on the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) that seeks to combine best practices in fire risk reduction and emergency preparedness with managing for habitat value and ecosystem function. We are a Firewise Community. This designation, awarded by the National Fire Protection Association’s Firewise Communities program, encourages local solutions for wildfire safety by involving homeowners in risk assessment and management. PVR was first recognized in December, 2010 and has maintained this status ever since. It was the first Bay Area community to be so designated.
PVR has a set of Fire Risk Management Guidelines intended to cover best practices in regards to reducing fire risk at the Ranch. Our ecological calendar lists the best times of year to do various landscape and fire risk management tasks with the least risk of damage to local flor and fauna. The National Fire Protection Association has created a video presentation that contains good, basic intructions about how to protect your home--you can watch it here.
If you live at the Ranch and have a contractor doing work here, please review PVR's Rules for Contractors for best fire safety practices as well.