West Pasadena meeting spotlights home hardening, goat grazing pilot and early‑detection plans to curb wildfire risk

At the West Pasadena Residents Association’s 64th annual meeting at Marinatha School, city officials, nonprofit partners and landscape professionals urged neighborhood action to reduce wildfire risk and outlined city steps to boost preparedness and early detection.

Mayor Victor Gordo and Chief Chad Augustine joined community presenters to describe a mix of household, neighborhood and city measures intended to shrink ignition risk and speed response. "Our reserves in the city of Pasadena are at an all‑time high," Mayor Gordo said, using the city’s fiscal position to argue it can invest in services that preserve livability as the city prepares for major events.

The most immediate operational updates came from Chief Chad Augustine of the Pasadena Fire Department. "We have a total of 175 sworn personnel and 30 professional staff," Augustine said, noting that recent academy graduations reduced vacancies and that the department has nearly completed an expanded round of brush inspections — a rise from about 3,900 to roughly 4,611 properties after updated high‑hazard maps. He also announced the acquisition of a new Type‑6 engine better suited for narrow, off‑road access in the AOYO and outlined a long‑term proposal to rebuild two fire stations and add a third and more personnel.

Public‑facing programs were highlighted as well. Augustine described "Prepared Pasadena," a condensed disaster‑preparedness course the city will promote with a goal of training 500 residents this year. He also said city staff issued a request for information on early wildfire‑detection systems; "13 different vendors submit[ted] proposals," Augustine said, and staff will review those to determine which products meet insurance and operational requirements.

Nonprofit and community partners described complementary approaches. Daniel Rossman, executive director of the One Aoyo Foundation, summarized a goat‑grazing pilot intended to reduce invasive grasses and steep‑slope fuel near homes. Rossman said the goal was to manage roughly 100 acres where the goats could work on slopes that are difficult for machines or crews; he said the pilot reduced biomass and "was a real community moment," bringing residents out to observe and volunteer.

Cassie Hawyagi, president and co‑founder of Form LA Landscaping, addressed the controversial subject of "zone zero" — the 5‑foot noncombustible area many agencies encourage adjacent to structures. Hawyagi demonstrated how defensible landscaping can be both attractive and effective, and offered low‑cost, high‑impact steps such as moving combustible items ("one trash can equaled three gas cans," she noted from post‑fire reports) and adjusting vents and small fences. Hawyagi estimated a typical zone‑zero retrofit at about $20 per square foot but emphasized maintenance and design choices that lower long‑term cost.

Gabriel Alberian of the National Fire Protection Association’s Firewise USA program urged neighbors to form Firewise communities and use available tools to lower insurance costs. "You can get about a 14.5% discount on the wildfire portion of your policy," he said, describing the program’s assessment, a three‑year improvement plan and immediate certificate that policyholders can take to insurers. Alberian also urged residents to sign up for official alerts (Alert LA and Pasadena’s local emergency system) and pointed to a free home‑hardening assessment available through the Resource Conservation District via a QR code distributed at the meeting.

Panelists used a lengthy audience Q&A to cover specifics: how residents request free city brush inspections (Chief Augustine said inspections are not charged), why the state’s high‑hazard maps changed (the state updates maps and local governments have limited ability to reduce zones), longer‑term vegetation management in the AOYO (a mixture of grazing, hand crews and restoration), and the fire risk posed by encampments (officials asked residents to report encampments so outreach teams can respond). On evacuation, Augustine cautioned that staying to defend property can put lives at risk and tie up resources needed to fight fires.

The meeting closed with a call to volunteer and take modest, concrete steps at home: clear the first five feet around structures, keep gutters and vents protected, move combustible items away from walls, and participate in neighborhood Firewise efforts. City staff and nonprofit partners emphasized available, low‑cost assistance: free home‑ignition assessments from the Resource Conservation District and on‑site walks with fire department staff.

Next steps noted at the meeting include a city staff review of early‑detection vendors and an upcoming council presentation by interim city manager Matt Hawksworth on potential revenue options to fund fire‑safety investments. WP members were asked to submit follow‑up questions on index cards; the association said additional answers would appear on its website and in its newsletter.