Resources, Education, and Preparedness

Wildfire has become a part of life in Sonoma County. There are important steps you can take to reduce the risks to your home, family, and community. Permit Sonoma works with organizations throughout the county to help individuals prepare for wildfire.

Education

Fire Safe Sonoma is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit whose mission is to increase awareness of wildfire issues in our county. Fire Safe Sonoma acts as a liaison between local communities and agencies, actively seeks grant funding for wildfire-related projects, and manages grant programs.

CAL FIRE’s ReadyforWildfire.org provides critical information about wildfire preparedness, home hardening, defensible space, and how to prepare for evacuation.

Advice and Resources

• Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) Hub Site

  The CWPP Hub Site is a great resource to learn about wildfire risk in Sonoma County. You can see a detailed Wildfire Risk Index (WRI) map, wildfire history maps, and topographic maps that can help you understand risk. In addition, there is a host of other resources that will help you reduce risk and prepare for wildfire, review wildfire risk reduction projects that have been proposed throughout the county, and more.
  
  

• HALTER Project

  HALTER is a grassroots program, which helps individuals, agencies, and organizations to support efforts of communities and agencies to train and prepare for a ready response to, and the care of, animals in everyday emergencies and large-scale disasters.
  
  

• Local Conservation Groups and Resource Conservation Districts

  Both the Sonoma Resource Conservation District and Gold Ridge Resource Conservation District provide assistance to local property owners within their jurisdictions.

  The Sonoma County Forest Working Group works to perpetuate sustainable, healthy, and diverse forests, woodlands, and watersheds across the Sonoma County landscape, and to be a catalyst, source of information, and point of contact for forestland owners.
  
  

• Local Fire Departments and Districts

  Your local fire district is a great resource for fire prevention and response in your area. View a list of local fire districts at SoCoEmergency.org.
  
  

• Teaching Children About Wildfire

  Children are curious about fire, but can also be part of the active solutions to help prevent wildfires in Sonoma County.
  
  

• Sonoma County Wildfire Homeowner's Guide (PDF)

  The Sonoma County Homeowner's Guide is an educational resource for homeowners to better prepare their homes from wildfire risk and ignitability by highlighting some of the key fundamentals in Defensible Space, Fire-Wise Construction, Vegetation Management, and Fire Safe Landscape design.
  
  

• University of California Cooperative Extension (UCCE)

  The University of California Cooperative Extension addresses resiliency or agriculture and natural resources through climate smart strategies. The extension works with landowners to better understand forest management, map and reduce fuels, and sequester carbon.