Projects
The work behind the eight Firewise sites — what’s underway, who’s paying for it, and what it changes for the people who live here.
Old Butterfield Wash Brush Clearance
What it is
The Old Butterfield Wash is a drainage area that runs from Old Butterfield Road to Santa Rosa Road, immediately east of the school. It sits in the center of Hidden Meadows Estates, and the HOA has kept it clear for water runoff. Over the years, though, the wash had become overgrown with brush. This project hired a contractor to clear it out.
Why it matters to you
Years of brush growth had turned a drainage channel in the middle of the neighborhood into a fire hazard. After Hidden Meadows Estates was recognized as a Firewise community, the HOA board decided to look into removing it and applied to the Ventura Regional Fire Safe Council for help. The wash still carries runoff the way it always has, now without the fuel sitting in the center of the community.
Budget & funding
Two sources paid for the work: the Hidden Meadows Estates HOA budget and a $2,000 grant from the Ventura Regional Fire Safe Council. With the grant approved and additional funds from the HOA, a contractor was brought in and the project was completed successfully.
Timeline
Before and after
Three spots along the Old Butterfield Wash, photographed before and after the May 2026 clearance.
Arroyo Santa Rosa Fuels Reduction
What it is
A fuel-reduction project along the Arroyo Santa Rosa creek corridor, continuing the coalition’s ongoing effort to clear dead wood and overgrown vegetation from the creek and the hillsides above it. Work will start on one hillside, removing dead material and thinning brush, then move down into the creek bed to clear the fallen trees, logs and debris that obstruct the flow of water, and finish by clearing the opposite hillside. Much of the corridor is steep, near-vertical slope covered in dense brush, and safe removal there calls for specialized equipment. The video below shows the creek itself; most of that steeper terrain is out of frame.
Why it matters to you
Like many areas of the valley, this stretch of the arroyo has gone largely untended for more than 40 years, and the fuel that has accumulated there sits directly against the Lexington, Santa Rosa Highlands, Bridlewood and Rancho Santa Rosa neighborhoods. Establishing this fire break is a substantial one-time expense. Once it is in place, maintenance every year or two becomes a far more manageable job.
Budget & funding
Equipment rental companies and labor contractors have been asked for cost estimates, which will be cited in future grant applications. Once those estimates are in hand, we intend to seek and secure grant dollars to fund the work. The Ventura County Fire Department and the Ventura County Watershed Protection District are both involved in the ongoing effort.
See the site
Funding
SRV Firewise is an unincorporated volunteer coalition working toward 501(c)(3) status. Project funding comes from three places.
Grants
State and federal wildfire funding, plus utility and program grants. Most require a current risk assessment and CWPP coverage.
Community donations
Direct contributions from residents and HOAs. These are what fund the things grants won’t cover — chipper rentals, hauling, materials, PPE.
Support this workVolunteer hours
The largest line item, and the one that never shows up on an invoice. Resident hours are also what NFPA counts — logging yours funds the coalition in the currency the program actually measures.
Log your hoursChipper days, a shared water source, a problem slope nobody owns, an evacuation route that worries you. Bring it to us — most of what’s on this page started as somebody’s complaint.