General
Resources in this first section provide information on a wide range of topics that are relevant to both community-scale (e.g., municipal and regional) policies and practices, as well as property/building-scale (e.g., land owner, building/home owner, and resident) policies and practices.
- Association for Fire Ecology
An international organization dedicated to improving the knowledge and use of fire in land management. We are scientists, educators, students, managers, practitioners, policymakers, and interested citizens helping to shape the emerging profession and growing field of fire ecology. - Bay Area Prescribed Fire Council
A meeting point for Rx fire professionals, students, teachers, tribal members, researchers, land managers, fire fighters, regulators and the general public from throughout the greater Bay Area. At these intersections, we hope to facilitate dialogue and foster change, so that we might get more "good fire" on the ground. - CAL FIRE’s Fire Hazard Severity Zone
You can use/search this map to find out which buildings or areas are in high fire-risk zones in California. - CAL FIRE’s Mendocino Unit
Follow their Facebook and/or Twitter pages for regular updates and resources. - CAL FIRE’s Sonoma-Lake-Napa Unit
Follow their Facebook and/or Twitter pages for regular updates and resources. - California Fire Safe Council
Helps regional, state, and national organizations in order to help California residents acquire the education, resources, and tools they need to be better prepared for wildfire…through wildfire risk reduction and resiliency. - California Fire Science Consortium (Northern California Region)
Part of the Joint Fire Science Program's Fire Science Exchange network, the California Fire Science Consortium is a network of scientists and managers that strives to accelerate the awareness, understanding, and adoption of wildland fire science information by federal, tribal, state, local, and private stakeholders within ecologically similar regions. Our mission is to be an inclusive, neutral, customer-driven collaborative group that facilitates the flow of fire science information and dialogue. Based at UC Berkeley. - Center for Fire Research and Outreach, UC Berkeley Forests
Our goal is to develop and disseminate science-based solutions to wildfire-related challenges, drawing on the expertise of faculty and researchers. - Coalition of Prescribed Fire Councils
The overarching goal of the Coalition is to create one voice to assist fire practitioners, policymakers, regulators, and citizens with issues surrounding prescribed fire use. - Find other counties’/regions’ CAL FIRE units here
- Fire Adapted Communities Learning Network
We work with communities across the nation to create a more wildfire-resilient future. A “fire adapted community” consists of informed and prepared residents collaboratively planning and taking action to safety co-exist with wildland fire. The Network is a catalyst for spreading best practices and innovations in fire adaptation concepts nationwide. (Staff in California and Colorado) - Fire Ecology Journal
The international scientific journal supported by the Association for Fire Ecology. Fire Ecology publishes peer-reviewed articles on all ecological and management aspects relating to wildland fire. - Fire Learning Network
The Fire Learning Network is supported by Promoting Ecosystem Resilience and Fire Adapted Communities Together (PERFACT), a cooperative agreement between The Nature Conservancy, the USDA Forest Service and several agencies of the U.S. Department of the Interior (Bureau of Indian Affairs, Bureau of Land Management, Fish & Wildlife Service and National Park Service). - Fire Safe Sonoma
Fire Safe Sonoma has been instrumental in helping to educate residents about wildfire prevention and safety, taking on large scale fuels reduction projects, and creating the first chipper program in the county. Fire Safe Sonoma created Sonoma County’s first countywide Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP), in addition to being the creators of several local CWPPs. Fire Safe Sonoma also routinely acts as a liaison between local communities and agencies. - Indigenous People’s Burning Network
The Council facilitates the practice of cultural burning on the Yurok Reservation and Ancestral lands, which will lead to a healthier ecosystem for all plants and animals, long term fire protection for residents, and provide a platform that will in turn support the traditional hunting and gathering activities of Yurok. CFMC has the TREX Cultural Burning Training Exchange, which builds local capacity to return fire to the landscape in a way that is managed, safe, and operates within the current legal framework. (Del Norte and Humboldt Counties, No. Cal.) - Inside the Megafire
PBS NOVA TV program, 2019: The California wildfires of 2018 took a worrisome trend to a new extreme, claiming scores of lives and over a million acres. Scientists investigate how forestry practices, climate change, and drought may contribute to the rise of deadly megafires. - International Association of Wildland Fire
A professional membership association dedicated to uniting the global wildland fire community. We are uniquely positioned as an independent organization whose membership includes experts in all aspects of Wildland fire management. - Joint Fire Science program
A federal inter-agency program that funds scientific research on wildland fires and distributes results to help policymakers, fire managers, and practitioners make sound decisions. Includes the Fire Science Exchange Network. - Living with Fire in California’s Coast Ranges symposium proceedings
Presentations and videos from the symposium, which was a partnership between the California Fire Science Consortium, Pepperwood, SSU, CAL FIRE, the Sonoma County Forest Conservation Working Group and local public and private agencies. The goals of the symposium included the following: To foster a public dialogue about the ecology of fire in the California Central Coast Ranges and its relationship to humans, ecosystems, and natural resources; to discuss patterns and trends in wildfire over time and the factors influencing those trends; and to explore what agencies, communities, and citizens can do moving forward to enhance community resilience to fire - National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy
A collaborative strategy spearheaded by the U.S. Department of Interior and Department of Agriculture to make meaningful progress towards: Resilient Landscapes, Fire Adapted Communities, and Safe and Effective Wildfire Response - National Extension Wildland Fire Initiative
Playing an active role working with landowners and communities on wildland fire issues, including wildfire prevention and management. Extension educators should be willing and able to provide research-based science findings to a wide range of Extension audiences. - National Fire Protection Association’s (NFPA) wildfire resources
Leading information and knowledge resource on fire, electrical, and related hazards - Northern California Prescribed Fire Council
A venue for practitioners, state and federal agencies, academic institutions, tribes, coalitions, and interested individuals to work collaboratively to promote, protect, conserve, and expand the responsible use of prescribed fire in Northern California’s fire-adapted landscapes. - Resilient Design Institute
Committed to advancing sustainability through a focus on resilience in our buildings and communities. Resilient design encompasses a wide range of measures including building design, infrastructure design, land-use planning, farming practices, and forestry. - University of California Cooperative Extension’s Fire Resources
Information on fire ecology, fire as a tool, and wildfire preparedness and restoration. - Wildfire and Fire Ecology list on Twitter
- Wildfire Risk to Communities website
A website with interactive maps, charts, and resources to help communities understand, explore, and reduce wildfire risk. It was created by the USDA Forest Service under the direction of Congress and is designed to help community leaders, such as elected officials, community planners, and fire managers. This is the first time wildfire risk to communities has been mapped nationwide.
Community-scale
State, regional, local, and neighborhood-level land use/management (of public and privately owned lands), e.g., forest management, prescribed fires/controlled burns, greenbelt buffers / Urban Growth Boundaries (for the wildland-urban interface), zoning that restricts building (or re-building) in fire-prone (or flood-prone or other disaster-prone) areas, fire-resilient infrastructure.
- CAL FIRE grants
Grant opportunities in the areas of forest health, urban and community forestry, fire prevention, forest improvement, volunteer fire assistance, etc. - CalFire’s Forest Health and Prescribed Fires
Information on what CAL FIRE is doing to promote forest health and reduce the risk of wildfire; the yearly challenges our forests face, including drought and bark beetles; and how prescribed fires reduce wildfire risk and promote healthy forests. - California’s Wildfire and Forest Resilience Action Plan
A Comprehensive Strategy of the Governor’s Forest Management Task Force, January 2021. The Wildfire and Forest Resilience Action Plan is designed to strategically accelerate efforts to: Restore the health and resilience of California forests, grasslands and natural places; Improve the fire safety of our communities; and Sustain the economic vitality of rural forested areas. - Community Wildfire Protection Plans (CWPP)
Guidance and examples provided by the California Fire Safe Council. - Fire Safe California Grants
Including U.S. Forest Service State Fire Assistance (SFA) grant programs, and other federal and private funding opportunities - Resilient Communities Program grants from NFWF
Program is designed to prepare for future environmental challenges by enhancing community capacity to plan and implement resiliency projects and improve the protections afforded by natural ecosystems by investing in green infrastructure and other measures. One of the specific funding priorities for this program includes: High-impact resiliency adaptations to help communities prepare for fire in the U.S. West. - Sonoma County Ag + Open Space District
A long-range comprehensive plan to prioritize the land conservation activities of Sonoma County Ag + Open Space through 2031. The voters of Sonoma County envisioned a future where scenic open spaces sustain a thriving farm and ranch economy, clean drinking water, viable ecosystems for fish and wildlife, and healthy communities where people can access and enjoy the outdoors. The community also understands the important role working and natural lands play in sequestering carbon and avoiding greenhouse gas emissions while making Sonoma County resilient to extreme events, such as fires, floods, and drought, and the growing impacts of climate change. - Sonoma County Office of Recovery and Resiliency
Sonoma County’s policies, grants, and special projects, managing the county’s natural resources to support community and watershed resiliency and protect public health and safety, and contribute to enhanced recreational opportunities and economic vitality. - Sonoma Valley Wildlands Collaborative
The members of the Collaborative are six conservation organization and land management agencies: California State Parks, Sonoma County Ag + Open Space, Sonoma County Regional Parks, Sonoma Land Trust, Audubon Canyon Ranch, and Sonoma Mountain Ranch Preservation Foundation. The Collaborative is working with CAL FIRE to implement strategic fuel reduction and vegetation management measures [across almost 18,000 acres of land] to reduce the impacts of future wildfires, protect communities, and improve ecosystem health in the northern Sonoma Valley area and surrounding hills. - Start at the house and work out: Pathways to fire-adapted communities (video and slides)
A presentation by Caerleon Safford, Sonoma Fire Safe Council, for Pepperwood’s Living with Fire symposium - Wildfire and Greenbelts: Saving Sonoma County webinar (video and Q&A)
A webinar hosted by the Greenbelt Alliance, focused on Urban Growth Boundaries and Sonoma County wildfires
Property / Building-scale
(Site + Structures): Residential and commercial landscaping, vegetation management, defensible space; home/building hardening and protection (design, building, remodeling, retrofitting); smoke protection and remediation, IAQ, air ventilation and filtering
- CAL FIRE’s Ready for Wildfire program
Information on preventing wildfires, preparing for wildfires, and post-wildfire (including rebuilding) tips - DisasterSafety.org’s Prepare for Wildfire information
Information on how to make your home or business Wildfire Ready, from the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety - SAFE (Sustainable and Fire-Resistant) Landscapes project
A project of the University of California Natural Resources program based in Los Angeles and Ventura County Cooperative Extension - Sonoma County’s Fire Prevention Division
A division of the Permit Sonoma department. Provides information on the county’s free chipping service, vegetation management, wildfire clean-up, rebuilding, etc.
Guidelines
- CAL FIRE’s Dead Tree Removal info
- CAL FIRE’s Ready for Wildfire guidelines
Recommendations for defensible space, home hardening, and fire-resistant landscaping. - California Fire Safe Council’s Fire Safety Information for Residents
Includes home hardening and defensible space recommendations - Defensible Space: Controlling ignition potential in the home ignition zone (video and slides)
A presentation by Ben Nicholls of CAL FIRE’s Sonoma-Lake-Napa Unit Vegetation Management, for Pepperwood’s Living with Fire symposium - Fire Resistant Buildings information
Includes a Homeowner’s Wildfire Mitigation Guide and a Builder’s Wildfire Mitigation Guide, from the University of California’s Cooperative Extension’s program - Fire-Smart Landscaping pamphlet, Sonoma Ecology Center
- Fireproofing Our Future through Better Design
PBS NOVA program clip - GreenBuildingAdvisor’s tips on design and building in wildfire-prone areas
- Home Design and Retrofitting Techniques for Wildfire Defense (video and slides)
A presentation by Yana Valachovic of UC Cooperative Extension, for Pepperwood’s Living with Fire symposium - Home Survival in Wildfire-Prone Areas: Building Materials and Design Considerations
A report with specific guidance, from the University of California’s Agriculture and Natural Resources program, by Quarles, et al., 2010 - Wildfires and Indoor Air Quality (IAQ), U.S. EPA
Provides tips on things you can do before, during, and after a wildfire to protect indoor air quality in your home - “Firewise and Beautiful Landscaping,” Fire Safe Sonoma / Sonoma Ecology Center
Information on how to landscape in the defensible space zone - “Fundamentals of Resilient Design: Designing Homes for Wildfire Resilience,” Resilient Design Institute, Oct. 11, 2019
- “Improving Indoor Air Quality During Wildfires,” Berkeley Lab, Oct. 25, 2019
A Q&A with Berkeley Lab indoor air scientists on protecting homes, schools, and other buildings, from air pollution during wildfires. - “Tips for Safe Wildfire Smoke Damage and Ash Cleanup,” from the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning, Restoration and Certification (IICRC), 2018
Advice for home and business owners affected by fire, smoke, char and ash. - “Tips on air quality and staying safe from wildfire pollution,” USGBC, Oct. 16, 2020
Resources for managing the air quality in your home during wildfires
Funding / assistance
- CAL FIRE’s Tree Mortality assistance links
Funding to help landowners remove dead or dying trees, or reforest properties - EPA’s Cleaner Indoor Air During Wildfires Challenge
https://www.epa.gov/air-research/cleaner-indoor-air-during-wildfires-challenge EPA is partnering with 10 federal, state, tribal and local organizations to stimulate the development of new technologies to clean indoor air. The first step in this effort is the development and launch of a competition called a Challenge, which offers a cash prize for the best technology design for cleaning indoor air during wildfire smoke events and high pollution days. Through this challenge, EPA and its partners encourage the development of new approaches, technologies, or technology combinations (termed "solutions") for keeping indoor air as clean as possible during periods when outdoor PM2.5 concentrations are elevated. - Sonoma County’s Free Chipper Program
Permit Sonoma’s Fire Prevention Division is providing free chipper service to residents who are engaged in making their property more wildfire safe. 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.
Guidelines
- CAL FIRE’s Dead Tree Removal info
- CAL FIRE’s Ready for Wildfire guidelines
Recommendations for defensible space, home hardening, and fire-resistant landscaping. - California Fire Safe Council’s Fire Safety Information for Residents
Includes home hardening and defensible space recommendations - Defensible Space: Controlling ignition potential in the home ignition zone (video and slides)
A presentation by Ben Nicholls of CAL FIRE’s Sonoma-Lake-Napa Unit Vegetation Management, for Pepperwood’s Living with Fire symposium - Fire Resistant Buildings information
Includes a Homeowner’s Wildfire Mitigation Guide and a Builder’s Wildfire Mitigation Guide, from the University of California’s Cooperative Extension’s program - Fire-Smart Landscaping pamphlet, Sonoma Ecology Center
- Fireproofing Our Future through Better Design
PBS NOVA program clip - GreenBuildingAdvisor’s tips on design and building in wildfire-prone areas
- Home Design and Retrofitting Techniques for Wildfire Defense (video and slides)
A presentation by Yana Valachovic of UC Cooperative Extension, for Pepperwood’s Living with Fire symposium - Home Survival in Wildfire-Prone Areas: Building Materials and Design Considerations
A report with specific guidance, from the University of California’s Agriculture and Natural Resources program, by Quarles, et al., 2010 - Wildfires and Indoor Air Quality (IAQ), U.S. EPA
Provides tips on things you can do before, during, and after a wildfire to protect indoor air quality in your home - “Firewise and Beautiful Landscaping,” Fire Safe Sonoma / Sonoma Ecology Center
Information on how to landscape in the defensible space zone - “Fundamentals of Resilient Design: Designing Homes for Wildfire Resilience,” Resilient Design Institute, Oct. 11, 2019
- “Improving Indoor Air Quality During Wildfires,” Berkeley Lab, Oct. 25, 2019
A Q&A with Berkeley Lab indoor air scientists on protecting homes, schools, and other buildings, from air pollution during wildfires. - “Tips for Safe Wildfire Smoke Damage and Ash Cleanup,” from the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning, Restoration and Certification (IICRC), 2018
Advice for home and business owners affected by fire, smoke, char and ash. - “Tips on air quality and staying safe from wildfire pollution,” USGBC, Oct. 16, 2020
Resources for managing the air quality in your home during wildfires
Funding / assistance
- CAL FIRE’s Tree Mortality assistance links
Funding to help landowners remove dead or dying trees, or reforest properties - EPA’s Cleaner Indoor Air During Wildfires Challenge
https://www.epa.gov/air-research/cleaner-indoor-air-during-wildfires-challenge EPA is partnering with 10 federal, state, tribal and local organizations to stimulate the development of new technologies to clean indoor air. The first step in this effort is the development and launch of a competition called a Challenge, which offers a cash prize for the best technology design for cleaning indoor air during wildfire smoke events and high pollution days. Through this challenge, EPA and its partners encourage the development of new approaches, technologies, or technology combinations (termed "solutions") for keeping indoor air as clean as possible during periods when outdoor PM2.5 concentrations are elevated. - Sonoma County’s Free Chipper Program
Permit Sonoma’s Fire Prevention Division is providing free chipper service to residents who are engaged in making their property more wildfire safe. 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.