COSCA staff and Ventura County Fire Department (VCFD) officials on Thursday outlined how local fuel-management work, neighborhood home-hardening and targeted fuel breaks fit together to reduce wildfire risk in Thousand Oaks, while residents urged the agency to protect native habitat and avoid sweeping vegetation removal beyond the 100-foot defensible-space standard.

COSCA Land Manager Brian Stark described the Conejo Valleys fire history, dominant vegetation and the agencys science-based approach to fuels work. "Fire behaviors and associated management considerations do vary by dominant vegetation type," Stark said, adding that the valleys shrub-dominated chaparral and coastal sage scrub burn differently than forested areas and are adapted to returns of 30 to 150 years. He noted most local ignitions are human-caused and that the areas largest home losses were associated with the Woolsey Fire in 2018.

The agency reiterated adherence to a 100-foot defensible-space standard. "One hundred feet is sufficient to prevent heat and flame ignitions, but is ineffective against ember ignitions," Stark said, and emphasized that home hardening and neighborhood-level efforts matter most for preventing ember-driven structure loss.

Stark reviewed COSCAs current projects and programs: a multi-year Arundo Donax removal in Arroyo Conejo with small-palm removals completed and funding sought for larger palms; mapping and prioritized treatment for tumbleweed (Russian thistle); enhanced fuels-management projects outside the immediate 100-foot zone in targeted locations; and education and outreach that included a mailer campaign, free home inspections through the Fire Safe Council, chipper days, webinars and a small pilot that funded home-hardening work for 10 at-risk seniors. He said COSCA contracts with the Ventura Regional Fire Safe Council for outreach and that the agencys policies require weighing habitat impacts against public-safety benefits.

Assistant Fire Marshal Mike Warford described the countys Fire Hazard Reduction Program (FHRP), which sends annual notices to affected parcels and begins inspections on June 1. "We have a 99% compliance rate," Warford said, noting that parcels the county must clear using a contractor are charged back via property tax when owners do not comply. Warford also described local ordinance and plan-review work for new construction, referencing Ventura Countys local ordinance 32 and state requirements via the Public Resources Code and Government Code for minimum defensible-space requirements.

VCFD wildland staff detailed on-the-ground vegetation treatments, saying no single method fits all conditions. VMP Captain Ryan Mattson listed primary tools: mowing and mastication for roads and strategic fuel breaks; cut-and-pile burning where access is limited; cut-and-chip for sensitive areas; prescribed fire under narrow weather prescriptions; and prescribed grazing (goats and sheep) for targeted fuel reduction. Mattson and colleagues cited county projects including a grant-funded 1,600-acre Adams Canyon effort and strategic work along the Ventura Motorway and in Crummer (Cromer) Canyon and Long Canyon, describing how different treatments are used in mosaics to maintain habitat where possible while reducing continuous fuel.

VCFD fire-behavior staff explained modeling tools used for planning and incident response. "Fire behavior is based on three things: fuel, weather and topography," said a department analyst. The presenters described federal and state modeling platforms (FSPro/WFDSS and Wildfire Analyst/Technosylva), cautioned that model outputs depend on input quality, and said models inform prescribed-fire conditions and operational decision-making during active incidents.

Two members of the public urged restraint and habitat protection. Bonnie Clairefield, a board member of the Conejo Valley Audubon Society, said large-scale vegetation removal would harm nesting bird species such as the coastal cactus wren and the threatened California gnatcatcher. "True safety comes from home hardening and defensible space, not from razing the habitat that defines our landscape," she said. Janet Wall, a resident of nearly 40 years, described past fires on her property and said native vegetation had regenerated after past burns; she warned that clearing beyond the 100-foot maintenance zone is unlikely to prevent ember-driven ignitions in extreme wind events.

Board members questioned how COSCA and VCFD coordinate, whether the 100-foot standard remains appropriate, and whether strategic perimeter fuel breaks around the city might add protection. Director Sullivan asked whether the fire-behavior modeling is used for both prescribed burns and active incidents; VCFD staff said they use modeling for both purposes and that prescribed burns require a narrow prescription window for weather and fuel moisture. Director Newman reiterated that the session was informational and asked whether the presentations proposed immediate policy changes; presenters said they did not.

COSCA staff and VCFD emphasized that treatments are site-specific, subject to environmental review and guided by long-term management considerations. Stark said projects are evaluated for ecological impacts and long-term maintenance requirements and that some historic fuel breaks had not recovered and were difficult to restore. The agencies said they would continue to work together and with Fire Safe Councils on targeted projects, outreach and contractor training.

No formal actions, votes or policy changes were taken at the meeting; the board heard the informational presentations and public comment and discussed follow-up coordination and public education. Chair Heffer closed the meeting and set the next special meeting for Dec. 10.

This meeting provided a detailed look at how COSCA and VCFD balance wildfire safety, habitat protection and community outreach. COSCA staff and VCFD described specific, ongoing treatments and planning tools; public speakers urged caution about large-scale vegetation removal beyond the 100-foot defensible-space program.