Firewise Certification
The firewise certification may provide some insurance discounts to you – download a PDF copy of the certificate from the link below and ask your insurance agent about it:
The community of Buckingham has one of the most successful wildfire resiliency programs in the area. As a certified "Firewise Community," Buckingham has built a solid plan for making our area even more fire resilient going forward. In addition, the community has implemented a weed abatement program that boasts a compliance rate of some 95%.
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Every year, Buckingham sends the national Firewise program a report on our fire prevention efforts in order to renew our certification. Once the community is certified, residents may obtain documentation which can be used to obtain discounts on their insurance from participating providers. These certificates can be downloaded from the BHA website annually, once the renewal of the community's status is confirmed. Confirmation usually takes place at the end of each calendar year and is valid for the following year.
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A critical part of maintaining our status as a Firewise Community is property owner participation in our weed abatement program. Properties are expected to be in compliance with the program's standards by June 1st. At a minimum, grass must be trimmed to less than 3 inches over a property owner’s entire lot, the lot must be clear of flammable brush and debris and dead trees, and live trees must be trimmed to at least 6 feet above the ground. Flammable material must also be removed from under decks and outdoor stairways. See our Weed Abatement/Fire Protection Compliance requirements.
Beyond our weed abatement program and our certified Firewise Community, the Buckingham community is also a member of the Konocti Firesafe Council (KFSC) which helps to coordinate wildfire resiliency efforts across the four local homeowners associations and independent communities. The KFSC has been instrumental in securing grant funding for fuel mitigation along Soda Bay Road and for chipping programs in our communities. Since funding for chipping programs varies from year to year, we suggest that you monitor the BHA newsletter to learn when funds are available and chipping dates.
Resources:
National Fire Protection Association (Firewise USA)
Konocti Fire Safe Council
Clearlake Environmental Research Center