After the devastating fire in Maui this month, residents of West Marin are asking the question that arises after any major wildfire event: Could this happen to us? On Monday, Marin County Fire Chief Jason Weber joined Mark Brown, the executive officer of the Marin Wildfire Prevention Authority, and Todd Lando, a Central Marin Fire Department battalion chief, in a streamed discussion about whether we could face a similar catastrophe. Their discussion highlighted the difference in resources, infrastructure, defensible space and communication capabilities between Marin and Maui. Early in the morning of Aug. 8, a spark from a downed power line in Lahaina lit dry grass like a fuse. Twelve hours later, a firestorm was quickly consuming the town in the country’s deadliest wildfire in over a century. Marin’s fire experts pointed to the overgrown invasive brush that was dried by arid weather in the days leading up to the blaze and the hurricane-force winds. Maui has around 70 firefighters and 10 engines, according to Chief Weber. Conversely, Marin has almost 40 engines and over 400 firefighters. Lahaina, like many of West Marin’s communities, has one road in and out and is flanked by hills of overgrown coastal scrub and a large body of water. Hawaii’s electric company lacks the high-wind shutoff mechanism that PG&E deploys. Swathes of invasive plants grew on the hills above Lahaina. While Marin’s coastal scrub is highly flammable, the M.W.P.A. is tackling some of the deferred maintenance on the flammable brush in West Marin’s communities. The M.W.P.A. focuses on hardening homes and creating defensible spaces as the best ways to help protect homes and structures from wildfire. The authority has averaged over 30,000 home inspections a year, according to Mr. Brown; in Stinson Beach, every household has been inspected. “We’re starting with our most vital asset—our residents,” he said. The authority recommends fire-proof roofs and siding and a 3-to-6-foot buffer of no vegetation around homes. Chief Weber pointed to the viral red-roofed house in Lahaina; the 100-year-old wooden house was one of the only to survive, thanks to its cleared perimeter and heavy-grade metal roof. Chief Weber said the little things residents can do are sometimes the most impactful and least expensive. From signing up to Nixle to owning a NOAA radio, packing a go-bag, and knowing escape routes and other proper response etiquette, being prepared is key. Chief Lando recommended that residents be in contact with their neighbors to ensure that they are making good decisions. Evacuees during a wildfire should not take backroads or abandon vehicles, and they should reduce the number of cars on the road by driving with neighbors. “There are no magical roads or tunnels, and evacuating into open space is dangerous,” Chief Weber said. “If one car drops a tire off, the cars are logjammed. We’ve looked at traffic models and if you start getting at two residents per car, the evacuation speed goes up big time.” NOAA administers warnings to Marin residents via Nixle, an emergency messaging service, when high-risk weather conditions combine to make Marin’s landscape especially vulnerable. Red flag conditions usually consist of wind events lasting at least eight hours in tandem with dry vegetation and humidity and no rain in the last 24 hours.  To sign up for Nixle, go to https://firesafemarin.org/prepare-yourself/get-alerts-safety-updates/.