Firewise
Mt Bache Loma Prieta Plus
Protecting lives, homes, and our forested environment through wildfire resilience
Quick Links
- 🛠 Participant Resources
- 💰 Insurance Discounts
- 📝 Log Time & Investment
- 📅 Upcoming Events
- 📧 Join the Email List
Welcome
The Mt Bache Loma Prieta Plus Firewise Community works together to reduce wildfire risk and improve emergency preparedness.
Our mission is a sustainable and resilient future for our community, protecting lives, homes, and forest ecosystems
We focus on:
- Wildfire readiness and evacuation planning
- Home hardening and Zone 0 ember defense
- Defensible space and vegetation management
Check if Your Property Is in Our Firewise Community
To see if your property is within the Firewise boundary:
Option 1 — County Firewise Map
- Search your address on the Santa Cruz County Firewise Map
Option 2 — Community Interactive Map
- View our Interactive Community Map
- The community boundary is outlined in blue
- Zoom in to confirm your specific address
Community Impact
🔥 Our community logged $225,000 in wildfire resilience work in 2025!
These contributions include:
- Defensible space work
- Home hardening projects
- Community wildfire education
- Volunteer time
Read more highlights in our:
Thank you to everyone helping build a safer community!
Please continue logging your time and investment:
Insurance Discounts
The California FAIR Plan offers insurance discounts for:
- Firewise community participation
- Home hardening improvements
- Defensible space
To apply for the Firewise discount, provide your insurance broker with:
To explore additional discounts, visit the California Department of Insurance website Safer from Wildfires
Recommended Actions
Participation is completely voluntary, and every contribution helps!
Our priorities come from our Community Survey and Risk Assessment
Home Hardening & Defensible Space
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Sign up for a free Home Ignition Zone assessment through the Santa Cruz County Fire Safe Council, https://www.firesafesantacruz.org/HIZ
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Join our email list before March to receive early access to the Resource Conservation District’s
Emergency Services Access
Help firefighters respond safely and efficiently
- Install a reflective address sign (4” retroreflective numbers on a green background)
Available through:
-
Zayante Fire Reflective Sign Program https://zayantefire.com/reflective-sign-program/
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Brimar’s Safety Sign https://www.safetysign.com/products/8348/horizontal-911-address-sign
Additional actions:
- Test private fire hydrants for blockages
- Participate in our Community Map Project, https://map.mtbacheloma.org
This map provides critical resource information to CAL FIRE and other emergency responders.
Evacuation Planning
Install these wildfire and emergency apps:
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📱 Watch Duty https://app.watchduty.org/
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📱 PulsePoint https://www.pulsepoint.org/
Register for Santa Cruz County emergency alerts:
- 🚨 CruzAware https://cruzaware.genasys.com/portal/en
You can also contact us to join the neighborhood WhatsApp group for emergency communication.
If needed, install WhatsApp first: https://www.whatsapp.com/
Practice alternate evacuation routes such as:
- Loma Prieta Ave → Summit Road
- Highland → Eureka Canyon Road
Horse properties may wish to review:
🐎 Equine Evac https://www.equineevac.com/
Wildfire Education and Outreach
We encourage everyone to complete at least one wildfire preparedness activity each year.
See our upcoming events:
📅 Events
Firewise participation typically includes logging at least:
- 1 hour of wildfire resilience work, or
- $31.80 spent on home hardening or defensible space improvements,
- plus 1 hour wildfire education per year
About Our Community
Our Firewise community formed in December 2024 after our steering committee submitted a Community Risk Assessment and Three-Year Action Plan to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)
This effort was made possible by:
- Support from over 30 households who responded to our initial outreach 👏👏👏
- Our Firewise Coordinator Lynn Sestak at the Santa Cruz County Fire Safe Council 🙏
Learn more about Firewise in Santa Cruz County at https://www.firesafesantacruz.org/firewise-usa-recognition-program
Our community now includes 80 properties from the Mount Bache / Highland junction up through parts of Loma Prieta Way.
See our community boundary in our Interactive Map
Mt Bache Loma Prieta Plus Firewise Steering Committee 2026!
From left to right, Alyssa Plicka, Amy Winkler, Marilyn Thelen, Jim Parker
Participation in Firewise within Santa Cruz County is very high and growing every year! Peruse the latest Firewise community maps at:
- NFPA GIS Map of Firewise communities nationwide
- Santa Cruz County GIS Map of Firewise communities within Santa Cruz County
Firewise Communities in Santa Cruz County
Participation in Firewise is growing rapidly across the region!
Explore current Firewise communities:
Contact Us
We would love to hear from you!
Send us questions, feedback, or requests to join the community email list