LIVING WITH WILDFIRE

Living in California has always meant living with fire. However years of population growth, expansion of the built environment into more wild areas (the Wildland Urban Interface), strict fire suppression laws, and rapidly accelerating climate change have led us to where we are today. Communities across the state and country have experienced unprecedented losses due to destructive wildfires. To minimize future catastrophic losses in our area, we must all pay close attention to how we prepare for and learn to live with wildfire.

Not sure where to start? Don’t worry, we are here to help!

Wildland Urban Interface (WUI)

The best place to start learning how to live with wildfire is to check and see if you live in the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI). If you do live in the WUI, where the built environment and wild areas meet, then you will likely need to take extra steps to make sure your homeland family are properly prepared for wildfire. Those who live in more urban or suburban areas may not need to take some of the same steps as those in the WUI, however it is still just as important for proper living in these areas to prepare for wildfire.

After you find out whether or not you live in the WUI, take some time to learn more about how to prepare for wildfire  , and check back throughout the year for updated content and wildfire preparedness workshops.

The link below will take you to an interactive map  maintained by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE). The shaded areas on the map denote the WUI, and the different colors correspond to different levels of hazard posed by wildfire in different areas.

Wildland Urban Interface Fire Hazard Severity Zones

Fire Hazard Severity Zones

Defensible Space is Your Responsibility

Every spring community members living in the WUI receive a letter from us detailing the requirements for removing excess vegetation around homes and buildings. It is important to take a proactive role in making sure your home and property are prepared for a wildfire. To learn more about what this looks like, please visit our Resources page.

Community Wildfire Protection Plan

To learn more about how the county is coming together to prepare for wildfire, be sure to check out the Community Wildfire Protection Plan ( CWPP) updated in 2023.