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Fire Prevention and Hazardous Materials Division

Sonoma County Wildfire Adapted

SoCo Adapts - Our Community, Our Responsibility

The Sonoma County Wildfire Adapted program (SoCo Adapts) is a pilot program that uses community-scale risk-reduction techniques to reduce wildfire’s potential for home destruction.

Dry vegetation and other fuels near structures can increase the risk of fire spreading, and the embers and heat from a wildfire can exploit building vulnerabilities. The Wildfire Adapted program helps residents within pre-determined high-risk areas understand how to create defensible space and harden homes against the heat and embers of wildfire.

To stay up-to-date on the latest information for the SoCo Adapts program, sign up to receive email updates. 

Wildfire Adapted Program Map Viewer

The Wildfire Adapted Program Map depicts the 14 areas that are currently included in the Wildfire Adapted program. These areas were selected based on wildfire hazard severity, population density, potential for home loss, and consultation with local fire authorities. Check to see if your property is included in the program area. 

The Wildfire Adapted program is just one effort to reduce the risk of wildfire. You can learn more about our other Risk Reduction Programs and Planning Efforts.

Adapt Your Home

What Does the Wildfire Adapted Program Do?

The goal of the Wildfire Adapted program is to help property owners learn how to reduce fire-related risks. The program provides defensible space and structure hardening assessments, community workshops, and rebate incentives to help property owners understand, prioritize, and complete risk-reduction projects.

The Wildfire Adapted program has two phases:

Phase 1 (assessments) complete by 2023.

Phase 2 (rebate incentives for defensible space and structure hardening projects) begins
in late 2023 or early 2024, depending on FEMA's release of funding to Sonoma County.


Phase One: Assessments

    If you are in the program area, Permit Sonoma’s professional fire inspectors will come to your home to provide a free Defensible Space Assessment. Also, you will soon be able to sign up for a free Structure Hardening Assessment that focuses on vulnerable building elements. Structure Hardening Assessments are voluntary, and you will need to sign up to receive one.

    Both types of assessments identify risk-reduction strategies on and near your home and are not part of a code enforcement program.

      • Defensible Space Assessments
        Professional fire inspectors will visit each home and unimproved parcel in the program area to provide free Defensible Space Assessments. These assessments provide information about important risk-reduction techniques that can help reduce home ignition. The goal of the program is to inspire residents towards positive action. This is not a code compliance program.

      • Structure Hardening Assessments
        Property owners can now sign up for a free Structure Hardening Assessment. Structure hardening is the process of replacing or modifying parts of buildings that can cause them to catch fire, especially from windblown embers. Permit Sonoma and the Wildfire Adapted program have contracted with Wildfire DefenseWorks and Madronus Wildfire Defense to provide Structure Hardening Assessments to the program areas. After each assessment, our trained assessors will provide a list of potential vulnerabilities and what can be done to reduce risk. Like Defensible Space Assessments, these assessments are not part of a code compliance program.

    Structure Hardening Assessment Sign Up Steps

    1. Click on the Wildfire Adapted Program Map Viewer above.
    2. Enter your parcel address or Assessor’s Parcel Number in the search box. You will be zoomed into your parcel.
    3. If you are in the program areas, you can click on your parcel and a pop-up box will appear.
    4. If you are not in the program areas you will not be able to click on your parcel, as this is a pilot program and is currently available to specific areas at this time.
    5. For parcels in the program areas, within the pop-up box select “Schedule Appointment”.
    6. You will be redirected to the Madronus Wildfire Defense page to schedule your pre-assessment phone call.


    Phase Two: Rebate Incentives to Help Reduce Risk

    To help you reduce risk, the Wildfire Adapted program may provide up to $10,700 in rebate incentives for property owners to complete high-priority defensible space and structure hardening projects in the second phase of the program.

    After completion of the assessments, property owners within the program areas will be able to apply for rebate incentives to help pay for defensible space and home hardening projects. To be eligible for funding, property owners must be able to pass Defensible Space Inspections by the end of the project.

    Rebate incentives may reimburse owners up to 75% of eligible costs, with an anticipated maximum of $7,000 for structure hardening projects and/or $3,700 for defensible space vegetation management. The expected total maximum reimbursement is $10,700.

    Funds will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis. Owners are encouraged to apply immediately once the submittal period opens, which will be in 2023. Projects will be distributed proportionally across the 14 communities within the program.

    More information will be posted about how to apply for rebate incentives as we get closer to that phase.

    Work performed before approval of an application will not be eligible for reimbursement.

    You will need a fully approved application and a completed contract with the County of Sonoma before any reimbursable work can begin.


    How to receive rebate incentives:

      • Sign up for email updates to receive a notification when the application window opens for your area.
      • Sign up now for your free Structure Hardening Assessment! See the sign up instructions above. Limited number of assessments available, be sure to sign up as quickly as possible.
      • Complete your application once the window opens. Select the defensible space and home hardening projects you wish to complete; your selections will be reviewed for compatibility with Assessment recommendations and priorities.
      • Sign contract with the County of Sonoma.
      • Do the work. You will hire a contractor chosen from an approved contractor list and complete the risk-reduction work. Upon completion, we will reinspect to confirm work was completed as proposed, and to confirm your property passes a post-project Defensible Space Inspection.
      • Rebates available up to $10,700 will be made on a first-come, first-served basis. All work must take place after application approval and successful completion of the contract with the County. 

    Program Funding

    Permit Sonoma received funding in 2020 from FEMA's Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) to help Sonoma County Residents perform this important work. Total funding for both phases is $6.7 million.

    Permit Sonoma received a second HMGP grant in November 2021 to expand this critical program to new communities in Sonoma County. Total funding is $2.5 million.

    Upcoming Events

    • No upcoming events

    Contact Information

    For more information and/or questions about the Wildfire Adapted program, email us at WildfireAdapted@sonoma-county.org or call us at (707) 565-8575.