News Release
Mammoth Community Water District PO Box 597, Mammoth Lakes, CA 93546 760-934-2596
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 8, 2025
CONTACT: Michael Draper, Regulatory Services Division
Planning and Mitigating for Wildfire

MCWD recommends home hardening and defensible space clearing as the core steps to prepare your property for wildfire defense.

Mammoth Lakes, California – The Mammoth Community Water District (MCWD) has teamed up with the Mammoth Lakes Fire Protection District and the Town of Mammoth Lakes to emphasize the importance of prioritizing home hardening and creating defensible space as a first line of defense against wildfires. With the increasing frequency, intensity, and severity of wildfires, there is a growing need for property owners to reduce their risk by implementing meaningful mitigation strategies.

Home hardening consists of replacing and reinforcing vulnerable components like roofs, siding, vents, decks, fences, and windows with materials that are less prone to ignition or can withstand higher temperatures. Create defensible space around all structures by replacing or removing combustible materials and removing flammable vegetation that could act as fire-fuel. Clear roofs, gutters, and yards of pine needles that could catch embers.

At this time, the use of residential external fire sprinkler systems, connected to the domestic water system, is not a permissible remedy for wildland fire suppression. The cumulative effect of running these systems during a fire event could potentially draw significant amounts of water, reducing water availability and pressure required. In order to aid fire fighters and direct resources where needed, MCWD asks that irrigation systems are turned off during any wildland fire event. Please consult with MCWD, the Mammoth Lakes Fire Protection District, and the Town’s Building Division if you have questions about external fire sprinkler systems.

For more tips on hardening your home and creating defensible space, visit CalFire’s website: readyforwildfire.org/prepare-for-wildfire. MCWD is supportive of all public and private efforts to prepare homes for wildfire.If you have any additional questions, please contact the District at 760.934.2596.

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