The Villages of Sendero and Esencia at Rancho Mission Viejo recently received the Firewise USA Designation in recognition of the community’s fire protection planning and proactive approach to reducing wildfire risk, according to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). Rancho Mission Viejo is one of the first master-planned communities to receive this designation.

“When planning began on Rancho Mission Viejo, wildfires were considered in every major decision we made and that continues with our present-day planning,” said Mike Balsamo, senior vice president of governmental affairs for Rancho Mission Viejo LLC. “This recognition is the result of years of collaboration with Orange County Fire Authority to ensure the villages on The Ranch were designed and built with state-of-the-art fire protection technology in order to adapt safely within the natural environment.”

Rancho Mission Viejo exceeds state requirements for wildfire severity zones through the implementation of a science-based fire protection plan and a three-party agreement between Rancho Mission Viejo, OCFA and Orange County. The Ranch Plan Fire Protection Program is based on sophisticated research and fire behavior modeling, and addresses methods of home construction, community design, landscape materials and maintenance.

Firewise USA is a nationwide program which aims to educate communities about fire preparedness and how citizens can work together to limit the impacts of wildfires. As the frequency and intensity of wildfire increases, programs such as Firewise USA inform people about an area’s unique fire vulnerability and ways to be prepared.