Wildfire Adapted Sonoma County

The Sonoma County Wildfire Adapted program 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 in pre-determined, high-risk areas understand how to create defensible space and harden homes against the heat and embers of wildfire.

In June 2024, SoCo Adapts Wildfire Adapted program managers held a webinar to update the public about the program. If you missed the live session, you can view the recorded session below.   

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

On this page:

• Wildfire Adapted Project Areas 
• Adapt Your Home - What Does the Wildfire Adapted Program Do?
• Phase One: Assessments
• Phase Two: Implementation
• Contact Information

What Does the Wildfire Adapted Program Do?

The Wildfire Adapted program aims to help property owners learn how to reduce fire-related risks. The program offers defensible space and home wildfire risk assessments, community workshops, and support to help property owners understand, prioritize, and complete risk-reduction projects.

Phase One: Defensible Space and Home Wildfire Risk Assessments

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

• Home Wildfire Risk Assessment
  Home hardening means replacing or modifying parts of buildings that can cause them to catch fire, especially from windblown embers. After each assessment, our trained assessors 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. 
  
  
• Defensible Space Assessments
  Permit Sonoma’s professional fire inspectors go to homes in the program area to provide a free wildfire risk assessment of vegetation within 100 feet of buildings. These assessments provide information on essential vegetation management and risk-reduction techniques that can help reduce home ignition. The goal of the program is to inspire residents toward positive action.

Phase Two: Implementation & Funding

In April 2025, FEMA indicated via press release that the BRIC program will be discontinued. The State of California, administrator of the federal wildfire mitigation grants, has informed the County that Wildfire Resilient Communities (the BRIC grant) implementation funding ($40,090,020) may not be awarded. Additionally, due to capacity changes and restructuring in the federal programs, the County’s HMGP grants (Wildfire Adapted Part 1 and 2, and Hazardous Fuels Reduction Project have experienced significant delays in awarding and releasing implementation funding, which risks the County’s ability to complete implementation of grant activities if awarded. Given this uncertain environment, Permit Sonoma is pausing wildfire-related grant activities at the end of September 2026. The County will monitor changes closely, complete remaining grant obligations, advance wildfire risk planning and partnerships where possible, and notify the public and partners of changes to the grants.

Sonoma County's recent experience with wildfires and increasing concerns about the availability and cost of homeowner’s insurance are significantly increasing pressure on residents to take action to reduce risk. The Wildfire Adapted program aims to provide guidance, identify constraints, and identify options to help you move forward. Remember this is our community, and our shared responsibility.

The Sonoma County Wildfire Adapted program (SoCo Adapts) is a first-of-its-kind pilot program that promotes 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.

Benefits for Eligible Properties

• Help reduce risk from wildfire to your home, property, and community.
• Receive no cost home hardening and defensible space assessments.
• Learn about other community resources aimed at reducing wildfire risk.
• If Phase 2 is restored or if the County receives other funding, participating residents in these areas will be given priority consideration.

This is not a code enforcement program.

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

• The Sonoma County Energy Independence Program (SCEIP) offers PACE financing for permanent energy, water, wildfire safety, and seismic strengthening improvements through the property tax system.   Financing is available for residential, commercial, industrial, agricultural, multifamily and certain non-profit projects. Check out program details here.
• Permit Sonoma Fire Prevention Chipper Program provides free chipper services to residents who are in unincorporated areas of the county. The purpose of the program is to create defensible space, specifically around the home, structures, and access routes to the structures, for properties located in the unincorporated areas of Sonoma County. For unimproved properties, woody debris generated from areas within 30 feet of a structure or 20 feet from a roadway also qualifies for the program. 
• The Vegetation Management Grant Program provides resources and grant funding for vegetation management in areas at high risk of wildfire.  
• Local organizations:
  • UC Agriculture and Natural Resources | Sonoma County
  • California Prescribed Burn Association
  • Fire Safe Sonoma
• State organizations:
  • CalFire Firewise Communities
• National organizations, such as:
  • Firewise USA

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