Fire preparedness starts at the home with home hardening and defensible space. The next steps are ensuring you and your family know an evacuation plan, have a 'go bag' ready and know your crop or livestock needs during an emergency.
UC ANR Fire Network: Evacuation Preparation - Household Pre-Evacuation Order Checklist to prepare your house for when you might be evacuated. Checklist is available in both English and Spanish
Prepare for Wildfire: Ready, Set, GO! by CALFIRE - Great resources for home hardening, evacuations plans, 'go' bag' checklists, and defensible space to do lists. It has an app that can allow you to get alerts and tips throughout the year.
Sign up for Nixel Alerts: Alerts you through text, call or email when your home is within an evacuation zone during an emergency.
Sign up for your Ag Pass: Allows agricultural producers to potentially enter closed areas during a natural disaster event, such as wildfire. Click the link below for your county.
Sonoma County Napa County Marin County -Coming Soon
Home Hardening
Home Hardening: actions taken to make your home or buildings be more fire adapted and give them a better chance at survival. These actions do not make your house or buildings fireproof, but can help withstand radiant heat, direct fire and ember cast during wildfire situations.
Home Hardening Resources
UC ANR Fire Network Preparing your Home
Wildfire Guidance for Home and Business Owners
National Fire Protection Association - Firewise USA
UC ANR Fire Network Home Hardening YouTube Channel
Defensible Space
Defensible Space: the area surrounding a structure where plants and other landscape elements are maintained to decrease fire hazard, and allow fire fighters to make a stand, addressing embers and spot fires before they grow.
Defensible Space Resources
UCCE Fire Network : Preparing your Landscape
UCCE Sonoma Master Gardener's Firewise Landscaping
Sonoma County Resilient Landscape Coalition
Defensible Space Exemption Permits
Flowchart for Determining which CALFIRE Permit to use
Agricultural Landowners
Structure Hardening and Defensible Space can be a little different in agricultural spaces. Check out the resources below to learn more about preparing your property for Wildfire. A good way to prepare and ensure everyone who works with you is on the same page is to prepare an Emergency Plan for your farm, ranch or agricultural business.
Crop and Livestock Owner Resources for Wildfire Preparation
UCCE Fire Network - Prepare Your Farm or Ranch
Printable Wildfire Preparedness for Farms, Ranches and Agricultural Operations Guide - English
Ventura County - Wildfire Preparedness for Farmers, Ranchers and Growers
Texas A&M Extension - Protecting Farms and Ranches from Wildfires
Farming through Wildfire Season - videos featuring UCCE Advisors from on-line courses and networks dedicated to helping farmers and ranchers face a future with fire by farmercampus.com
Extension Disaster Education Network Farm Security Course: your farm or ranch is your life and your livelihood. You want to do everything you can to protect it from crime, natural disasters and other threats. The protection measures are similar and well worth the effort to put in place.
Emergency Plan Templates
UCCE Placer-Nevada-Sutter-Yuba Wildfire Preparation Strategies for Commercial Ranchers
MSU Extension Emergency Planning on the Farm Electronic Template
County Resources for Home Hardening and Defensible Space
County Resources
Sonoma County
1. Permit Sonoma Chipper Program
2. Fire Safe Sonoma Tool Trailer
Napa County
1. Napa Communities Firewise Foundation (NCFF)
Defensible Space Program - if qualified, you can receive up to $3,500 in reimbursement for defensible space projects on your property.
Marin County
1. Marin Wildfire Protection Agency (MWPA)
Resident Grants - if qualified, residents can receive partial reimbursement of their Defensible Space and Home Hardening modifications.
2. Fire Safe Marin Grant Opportunities
Smoke Preparedness
Smoke exposure from wildfires is an increasingly common public health hazard to communities throughout California. Knowing where to find accurate information and being prepared to act when smoke is in the air can help you protect yourself and your family.
Smoke Readiness: Preparing for Wildfire Smoke
Air Quality Resources
- The California Smoke Spotter app - provides the latest information on prescribed fires and wildfires, air quality, and smoke forecasts throughout California.
- The AirNow Fire and Smoke Map - provides current information on PM 2.5, wildfire locations and smoke plumes, and special smoke outlooks when available.
- The California Smoke Blog - provides smoke outlooks for communities affected by wildfire smoke and other resources to protect yourself from smoke.
- The California Air Resources Board (CARB) Smoke Ready California webpage - provides information and resources to protect yourself from smoke, including how to create a Clean Air Space, how to wear N95 masks correctly and how to construct DIY air cleaners.
- The California Clean Air Centers Map - interactive, statewide map where you can find information about permanent and temporary clean air shelters, including their address, operating hours, and contact information.