Kincade Fire Rebuilds

The Kincade Fire started October 23, 2019, destroying 374 structures and damaging 60 others. County leadership recognized the need for swift action so property owners could start the rebuilding process as quickly as possible.

“Our goal is to help fire survivors move back into their rebuilt homes as quickly as possible,” said County of Sonoma Board of Supervisor Chairman David Rabbitt. “We are streamlining the permitting process and providing dedicated support to fire survivors at the County’s Resiliency Permit Center.”

November 5, 2019 the Board of Supervisors adopted the Kincade Fire Disaster Recovery Ordinance. The purpose is to modify current policies to expedite recovery and rebuilding as well as to ensure that displaced persons are sheltered in safe, healthy, and habitable housing during the recovery period. Based on this decision, Permit Sonoma has made adjustments to the permitting process for Kincade Fire Survivors. Permit Sonoma has begun to assist Fire Survivors by developing a Rapid Emergency Safety Assessment (RESA) Map which shows the status of properties in the Kincade Fire burn zone including whether the structures were tagged as green, yellow, or red. Property owners have the opportunity to report errors in the rapid safety assessment results through SoCo Connect.

Before permit applications can be submitted residents will go through the two step clean-up process starting with the Removal of Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) from the property followed by debris removal from the property. This process is overseen by the County of Sonoma Health Services. The application and additional information is available online at SoCoEmergency.org. As the first step of the process occurs, the RESA Map will be updated to show the status of the HHW removal on affected properties.

Permit Sonoma has identified several measures to expedite the permitting process for residential, commercial, and agricultural property owners. The measures include assistance with review of proposals from contractors, a pre-permit application screening, reduced fees, and fee waivers for construction of Accessory Dwelling Units in burn areas. An outline of the rebuilding process is included on the Rebuilding Together website.