California Wildfires

Sonoma County, CA

Wildfires in California have become an increasing threat to life, not only for communities in the wildland-urban interface (WUI) but also in densely populated urban settings. In recent years, California has endured devasting losses of life and property as a result of less predictable, more intense and prolonged wildfire seasons. This has prompted local governments to heavily invest in improving early warning systems, vegetation management and most importantly, ensuring that the community understands the level of severity, know what to do and take action when needed.

Emergency Management engagement focused on:

• Planning and development of Evacuation Maps in coordination with state and local government authorities (Sheriff’s Office, Police and Fire Departments, CalFire)
• Testing local wildfire evacuation protocols through the planning and implementation of targeted community evacuation exercises
• Tailoring wildfire preparedness and recovery resources for Spanish-speaking communities
• Within EOC environment:
  • Activate/deploy shelter resources
  • Mobilize mutual aid personnel with other jurisdictions
  • Facilitate post-wildfire recovery operations via local assistance centers