District Overview

Name: Hanukkah
Start: 2023-12-07T08:00+00:00
End: 2023-12-16T07:59+00:00

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Serving Tamalpais Valley, Almonte, Homestead Valley, Alto, Strawberry, Tiburon, City of Sausalito, City of Mill Valley, Fort Baker, Marin Headlands California

Public Protection Classification ISO logo The Southern Marin Fire Protection District is an independent special district established by the Marin County Board of Supervisors in July of 1999. Its statutory authority is provided through the California Fire District Law of 1987, (Health & Safety Code §13800, et seq). The District was formed by the merger of the Alto-Richardson Fire Protection District and the Tamalpais Fire Protection District.

On June 24, 2012, the City of Sausalito Fire Department was annexed into the Fire District. In October of 2010 the District signed a contract with the National Park Service to provide services to the Marin Headlands and Fort Baker areas of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. On July 1, 2023, the City of Mill Valley was annexed into the Fire District.

The District has 90 full time employees including a Fire Chief, 2 Deputy Fire Chiefs, 1 Fire Marshal, 1 Deputy Fire Marshal, 4 Battalion Chiefs, 15 Fire Captains, 17 Engineer Firefighters, 17 Engineer Paramedics, 7 Firefighter Paramedics, 12 Firefighters, 1 HR Manager, 1 Finance Manager, 1 Finance Assistant, 1 Communications Coordinator, 1 IT Coordinator, 1 Administrative Aide, 3 Fire Inspector/Plan Reviewers, 2 Wildfire Mitigation Specialists, and 2 Vegetation Management Specialists, and 1 NRG Coordinator.

The Southern Marin Fire District serves the cities of Sausalito, and Mill Valley, and communities of Tamalpais Valley, Almonte, Homestead Valley, Alto, Strawberry, approximately 1/4 of the town of Tiburon, the City of Mill Valley, Fort Baker and the Marin Headlands. The District covers over 25.3 square miles, a population of approximately 41,576 and over 20,500 homes and commercial properties. Each of our zones is protected by one Type I engine with each of the zones cross-staffing at least one specialty piece of equipment such as a Ladder Truck, Rescue, Fire Boat, Jet Skis, Inflatable Rescue Boat, and Type 3 Engine. The District also provide ALS transport services. The District had 2 ambulances and 1 ALS Medium Rescue.

Southern Marin Fire District Geographical Map 2024 image

Zone 1 (City of Sausalito)

Zone 1 (City of Sausalito) is a small coastal town with most of the residential structures built on the hillsides from just above sea level to the top of Wolfback Ridge which reaches up to about 1,120 feet. The wildland urban interface lays approximately within the 450 foot to 1,120 foot elevation line. It consists of close proximity housing with irrigated landscaping punctuated by small jack pots of Eucalyptus stands with deep duff layers, Oak Woodlands with some Sudden Oak Death fuel loading, deep undeveloped canyon areas filled with Bay trees and then large patches of coastal chaparrals in the higher elevations mostly extending from the 750 foot elevation line to the ridgetop at 1,120 feet. The City of Sausalito is bisected by the U.S. 101 freeway that runs adjacent to the City of Sausalito boundary. The Wolfback Ridge Homeowners development is on the west side of the freeway and is unincorporated. The remainder of zone 1 lies in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area and is structurally protected by contract by our Fire District.

Zone 4 (Tam & Homestead Valley)

Zone 4 (Tam & Homestead Valley) is a rural type of suburb consisting of mostly single family dwellings built in and upon the coastal mountain range. There is a few small portions, about 5%, that resides on the valley floor. It has a very small commercial area on the valley floor in Tamalpais Valley. This zone is split into essentially two parts: Tamalpais Valley and Homestead Valley. The division between the two valleys is the sharp mountain range running from west to east that divides these two communities although the area is still built out with very large single family dwellings and a few schools. The fuels in these areas are mostly Oak woodland, Bay stands in the deep canyons, Eucalyptus stands with heavy downed material, and between most of the home parcels are sporadically planted or volunteer pine trees with thick beds of needle cast some of which is overgrown with black berry patches and annual grasses. On the perimeter of most of zone 4 lays portions of untreated Golden Gate National Recreation Area consisting of coastal chaparrals and numerous stands of Eucalyptus stands that have not been maintained.

Zone 6 (City of Mill Valley)

Zone 6 (City of Mill Valley) represents the original portions of Mill Valley incorporated in 1901. Zone 6 (located at Mill Valley City Hall) is primarily residential with some light commercial located in Downtown Mill Valley. The zone is located at a confluence of canyons and ridges such as Blithedale, Cascade, Warner, and Middle Ridge. Major roads include servicing the area include Miller Ave, E. Blithedale, W. Blithedale, and Summit. Although a large portion of the zone is located in the Wildland Urban Interface, a substantial portion of the Mill Valley flat areas are located in the flood zone at the confluence of many streams and drainage. Residential occupancies are substantially single-family homes, multifamily homes, and a few mixed-use occupancies. The zone includes several restaurants, a pharmacy, Park Elementary School, Old Mill Elementary School, and government facilities. Zone 6 is bordered by unincorporated Mill Valley, City of Larkspur, Marin County Open Space, and Marin Municipal Water District Lands.

Zone 7 (City of Mill Valley)

Zone 7 (City of Mill Valley) is a primarily residential community with light commercial business throughout the service areas. Bordered by bayfront wetlands, the service area includes portions of the Redwood Highway Frontage Rd and major roads that contain portions of E. Blithedale, Camino Alto, and Miller Ave. Notable commercial occupancies include two grocery stores, one hardware store, among multiple other businesses. Residential occupancies are a mixture of single-family homes, multifamily homes, and a few mixed occupancies. The zone includes Tam Highschool, Mill Valley Middle School, and Edna Maguire Elementary School. The Wildland-Urban Interface represents a significant portion of the landmass within Zone 7, including Seaver, Horse Hill, and Scott Valley. Zone 7 is bordered by Corte Madera, Unincorporated Mill Valley, and Marin County Open Space.

Zone 9 (Strawberry, Alto Sutton & Almonte)

Zone 9 (Strawberry) is a residential community consisting of the Strawberry Area, the Alto Bowl and the newer part of the zone that we call the Black Field area. There is a very large commercial area in this zone that also runs parallel to US Highway 101. The commercial area has a variety of businesses such as Safeway Food Store, Porsche of Marin, Chevron and it also is the home of the Golden Gate Baptist Seminary which is 148 acres. This large chunk of land has many residential and commercial buildings on it but are generally separated by large expanses of open grass lands dotted with large Pine trees of which many of them are maintained. The other part of the zone touches the Ring Mountain Open Space area which is predominantly ungrazed grass lands that directly abut the residential area. The homes in this area are mostly Mediterranean style with stucco siding and tile roofs. A large portion of this area is built on the hillsides as well but the streets are much wider and newer.

Hanukkah

Date: 12/07/2023 - 12/15/2023

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Wishing the residents of Southern Marin a Happy Hanukkah!

Flickering candles on the menorah and crispy latkes are classic elements of Hanukkah celebrations. However, candles and cooking (particularly cooking that includes frying) present potential fire hazards that can quickly turn a fun-filled holiday into a tragic one. The good news is that the likelihood of cooking and candle fires can be minimized by following simple safety precautions and guidelines.

When using a menorah that requires traditional candles, make sure it’s placed on a sturdy surface and in a location that it can’t be easily bumped into or knocked over. Also, keep the menorah at least 1 foot away from anything that can burn and monitor it carefully - all candles must be blown out when leaving the room or going to sleep.

National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)'s candle safety tip sheet offers these and other recommendations to help reduce the risk of home candle fires; religious candle safety tip sheet addresses fire safety tips specifically related to religious holiday activities.

If you use an electrically powered menorah, inspect the wiring carefully to ensure that it’s in good condition and remember to unplug it when leaving the home or going to sleep.

When it comes to cooking during Hanukkah, keep in mind that grease pan frying dominates the home cooking fire problem. According to the latest US home cooking fires report, which reflects annual averages between 2014 and 2018, cooking oil, fat, grease, and related substances were first ignited in half (52 percent) of the home cooking fires that began with cooking materials. Almost three-fifths (58 percent) of the civilian deaths and three-quarters of the civilian injuries (76 percent) and direct property damage (77 percent) associated with cooking material or food ignition resulted from these cooking oil or grease fires.

Follow these safety considerations when cooking with oil:

Monitor what’s frying on the stovetop carefully – never leave frying food unattended.
If you see wisps of smoke or the oil smells, immediately turn off the burner and/or carefully remove the pan from the burner. Smoke is a danger sign that the oil is too hot.
Heat the oil slowly to the temperature you need for frying.
Add food gently to the pan so the oil does not splatter.
Always cook with a lid beside your pan. If you have a fire, slide the lid over the pan and turn off the burner. Do not remove the cover because the fire could start again. Let the pan cool for a long time. Never throw water on the fire.
If the fire does not go out or you don’t feel comfortable sliding a lid over the pan, get everyone out of your home. Call the fire department from outside.

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