Sonoma County officials urge residents to prepare for wildfire season

As spring rain showers wind down, the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors is reminding residents that it’s not too early to start getting ready for the threat of wildfires. The supervisors today declared the month of May as Wildfire Awareness Month and stressed that fire prevention measures would be the focus of public education during the month.

Approximately 95 percent of wildfires in California are human-caused and preventable. This, coupled with climate change, has increased the risks of wildfire in Sonoma County.

“This community knows firsthand the destructive power of wildfires,” said David Rabbitt, chair of the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors. “That we have not had a major wildfire since 2020 is in part, due to the collective county work on preparation, mitigation and education that we have done since the historic 2017 fire season.”

Here are some steps residents can take now to be ready for wildfire:

• Unite with your neighbors – form your neighborhood or homeowner’s association into a Firewise Community. To learn more visit www.firesafesonoma.org/sonoma-county-firewise-communities
• Prepare the area around your home by creating defensible space. Visit www.readyforwildfire.org/prepare-for-wildfire/get-ready/defensible-space to learn how to protect your home from wildfire.
• When developing your home landscaping, consider designing a fire resilient landscape to help reduce your risk from wildfire. Learn more at www.resilientlandscapescoalition.org
• Learn about low-cost home hardening improvements at youtu.be/tr-ciY3W9Ck
• Know your evacuation zone and be ready to evacuate socoemergency.org
• Have a plan when it's time to leave - learn more with the Ready-Set-Go Program www.readyforwildfire.org/prepare-for-wildfire/ready-set-go
• Know the outdoor burning rules. Don’t burn outdoors until you know the rules. burnpermit.fire.ca.gov
• Visit the Fire Safe Sonoma website for more information www.firesafesonoma.org

As climate change and wildfires continue to present an ever-growing threat to residents in Sonoma County, more communities are teaming up to collaboratively address them by organizing as Citizens Organized to Prepare for Emergencies, local Fire Safe Councils, and Firewise Communities. With that in mind, this year, the Wildfire Awareness Month focus is to encourage groups and individuals living in wildfire-prone areas to complete projects that can help make their homes and communities safer from wildfire.

Permit Sonoma’s Wildfire Adapted Sonoma County Project is actively helping communities across the county become more resilient to wildfire. Visit the Fire Prevention Grants website to learn more and see if your property is eligible.

Wildfire Awareness Month co-sponsors include Permit Sonoma’s Fire Prevention and Hazardous Materials Division, Cal Fire, the Sonoma County Fire Chiefs Association, and Fire Safe Sonoma. These agencies also partner with the Sonoma County Sheriff's Office and the Sonoma County Department of Emergency Management for alerts, warnings, and evacuations.

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Media Contact:
Matt Brown, Communications Specialist
publicaffairs@sonoma-county.org
(707) 565-3040
575 Administration Drive, Suite 104A
Santa Rosa, CA 95403