Skip to contentRossmoor: Firewise USA site
Wildfire risk reduction while sustaining Rossmoor’s quality of life
The National Fire Protection Association’s Firewise USA program teaches people how to adapt to living with wildfire and encourages neighbors to work together and take action.
Firewise USA Site
Rossmoor is an official Firewise USA site, having formed a committee of resident volunteers and collaborating with local wildfire experts to complete a community wildfire risk assessment. This assessment has helped Rossmoor’s Firewise task force to develop a three-year action plan that identifies and prioritizes actions to reduce ignition risk to homes.
Part of being a Firewise USA site also involves spending the equivalent of one volunteer hour per dwelling unit in wildfire risk reduction actions.
Some insurance companies offer a discount on property insurance for homes located in a Firewise USA recognized community. Click the Firewise USA program certificate below to download or save it.
Firewise Resources
Click here to learn more about Firewise.
Click Here for Firewise Presentation
Zone Zero
Firewise does not require or advocate for the removal of all plants around Mutual buildings. It advocates for a Zone Zero ember-resistant area extending 5 feet from buildings and structures. Read more here.
List of Fire Prone Plants
| Species | Common Names |
|---|---|
| Abies spp. | Firs |
| Acacia spp. | Acacia species |
| Adenostoma fasciculatum | Chamise, Greasewood |
| Arctostaphylos spp. | Manzanita (some twiggy) |
| Artemisia californica | Coastal Sagebrush |
| Baccharis spp. | Coyote Brush |
| Bamboo | Bamboo (all tribes) |
| Cedrus spp. | Cedars |
| Chamaecyparis spp. | False Cypress |
| Chrysolepis chrysophylla | Chinquapin, Giant |
| Cortaderia jubata | Jubata Grass |
| Cortaderia selloana | Pampas Grass |
| Cupressus spp. | Cypress |
| Cytisus scoparius | Scotch Broom |
| Erigonum fasciculatum | California Buckwheat |
| Eucalyptus spp. | Eucalyptus |
| Genista monspessulana | French Broom |
| Juniperus spp. | Junipers |
| Larix spp. | Larch |
| Notholithocarpus densiflorus | Tan Oak, Tanbark Oak |
| Palms | Palm (with dry fronds) |
| Pennisetum spp. | Fountain Grass |
| Picea spp. | Spruces |
| Pickeringia montana | Chaparral Pea |
| Pinus spp. | Pines |
| Pseudotsuga menziesii | Douglas-Fir |
| Quercus spp. | Scrub Oak (brushy oaks) |
| Rosmarinus officinalis | Rosemary |
| Salvia mellifera | Black Sage |
| Spartium junceum | Spanish Broom |
| Taxus spp. | Yew |
| Thuja spp. | Arborvitae |
| Tsuga spp. | Hemlock |
| Ulex europaeus | Gorse |
| Umbellularia californica | California Bay |
| Vaccinium ovatum | Evergreen Huckleberry |
Click Here for the full Plant Safety Guide
FIREWISE ZONE CAPTAINS
Zone 1: (SWCM, TWCM)
- Bob Kelso: bobkelso@pacbell.net
- Lyman Shaffer: lhshaffer@comcast.net
Zone 2: (M39, M68, M50)
- George Condon: jllmmm6@comcast.net
- Andy Howard: kidneedok@aol.com
Zone 3: (M50, M55, M59, M61)
- Fran Gibson: frances.fraser.gibson@gmail.com
Zone 4: (SWCM, TWCM, M5, M28, M29, M48, M70)
- Guy Pollak: guyp99@gmail.com
- Loran Shlevin: loriesq18@gmail.com
Zone 5: (FWCM, SWCM, TWCM)
- Ted Bentley: ted.bentley1@gmail.com
- Kathie Rieder: kmrieder37@gmail.com
Zone 6: (FWCM, 4WCM, M8)
- Needed
Zone 7: (FWCM, SWCM, 4WCM)
- Needed
Zone 8: (TWCM, M39, M40)
- Philip Omi: philipomi2@gmail.com
- Dave Jennings: drj24680@gmail.com
