WILLITS, CA., 10/3/25 – Residents of inland Mendocino County know that their lives could be impacted by a wildfire at any time.
To better empower residents to be wildfire-ready, the California Conservation Corps Mendocino Center is hosting a free community forum on Thursday.
Yana Valachovic will speak about home hardening, defensible space, fire science, and fire-resistant landscaping. She serves as the county director and forest advisory for the University of California Cooperative Extension in Humboldt and Del Norte counties.
Valachovic will also share lessons learned from the wildfires in Los Angeles, which burned over 57,000 acres and required hundreds of thousands to evacuate. According to Cal Fire, 30 people died and over 18,000 structures were destroyed.
Representatives from the nonprofit United Policyholders will also be on hand to present on the current state of insurance in California. They will provide tips on how residents can respond to rate hikes or cancellations, and how to navigate coverage.
Speakers will take questions from participants. The event will also have info booths, prizes and free pizza from Flying Dog Pizza.
The Wildfire & Insurance Forum takes place Thursday, Oct. 9, from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at the California Conservation Corps Mendocino Center, 600 East Hill Rd., Willits. Admission is free.