Firewise

Our Firewise package was approved and we are now an officially Recognized Firewise Community. If you're on the FAIR Plan for fire insurance, you'll receive a 4% discount on your bill (let your insurance agent know). As part of recognition we submitted a 3-year Action Plan; the 2026 highlights are below. If you have ideas to make our community more fire-resilient, email us at osvfc@outlook.com.

Overall action plan

Our community sits in the wildland-urban interface and intermix in the Lassen National Park area, roughly the CA-44/89 corridor from the park entrance north to the Susanville turnoff on CA-44. This plan was developed from the Spring 2025 Firewise Assessment and an after-action review of the Dixie and Park Fires. As a community we understand a wildfire in our area is not a matter of "if" but "when" — it is our responsibility to be prepared for that day.

Education & outreach

1. The Firewise Committee meets regularly and coordinates with the OSVFC Board on continued outreach and education.
2. Provide Ready-Set-Go bags to community members with home hardening, fuel reduction, evacuation, pet preparedness, and Firewise materials.
3. Free home hardening inspections with recommendations for each Fire Zone.
4. Host at least three community work days helping elderly homeowners clean up their homes and yards at no cost.
5. Maintain this website (www.osvfc.com) with home hardening and fire awareness tools (Watch Duty, etc.).
6. Establish a Firewise–Old Station site with a self-service section for insurance agents.

Home hardening

1. Make sure homeowners understand the risk from blowing embers and work to enclose eaves, porches, and decks.
2. Provide a list of vendors that help with cleanup and hardening.
3. Free reflective address signs for every home to speed emergency response.
4. Educational materials on fire-resistant plants and landscaping.
5. Raise awareness of the risk reduction from metal roofing, concrete siding, metal fencing, and Zone 0 maintenance.

Defensible space & fuel reduction

1. Sponsor free Green Waste Days so the community can dump trees, brush, and pine needles for composting.
2. Bring educational speakers to annual community meetings — build enthusiasm rather than resignation.
3. Free inspections to explain home hardening options and Fire Zone guidelines.
4. Use the Shasta Fire Safe Council's Chipper Program to remove limbs and trunks.

Evacuation planning & wildfire preparedness

1. Ready-Set-Go bags include evacuation routes and collection points.
2. Give cabin owners and renters guidance on personal evacuation plans while visiting Old Station.
3. Ensure at least two clearly marked evacuation routes from every neighborhood.
4. Raise awareness of logging and unpaved roads that could serve as backup routes if CA-44/89 is blocked.