Title
Office of Wildfire Preparedness and Resilience, a division of the Chief Administrative Office, with sponsorship by Supervisor Laine and Supervisor Ferrero, recommending the Board approve and authorize the Chair to sign a Proclamation recognizing the period of May through October 2026 as Wildfire Awareness Season.
FUNDING: N/A
Body
DISCUSSION / BACKGROUND
Recent wildfires in El Dorado County, including the Mosquito, Caldor, King, and Crozier fires, have demonstrated the increasing size and severity of wildfires and their significant impacts on the County’s environment, wildlife, economy, and life safety of residents. Addressing this growing threat requires a collaborative commitment from all agencies, organizations, communities, and residents to become fire-adapted and better prepared for future wildfires.
In April 2024, the Office of Wildfire Preparedness and Resilience (OWPR) received a request for the Board to adopt a proclamation recognizing May through October 2024 as the Lake Tahoe Wildfire Awareness Campaign, an annual multi-agency educational effort in the Tahoe Basin. As this initiative aligned with OWPR’s mission to create a fire adapted and resilient El Dorado County, staff presented the Board with a proclamation recognizing the period of May through October 2024 as Wildfire Awareness Season, expanding these efforts to a countywide level (Legistar file 24-0877). OWPR subsequently launched a coordinated public outreach campaign which emphasized key wildfire preparedness actions, including defensible space, home hardening, evacuation readiness, and community awareness.
On April 1, 2025, the Board approved a proclamation designating April through October 2025 as Wildfire Awareness Season (Legistar file 25-0560), with OWPR conducting a multi-agency campaign under the theme “Hope is not a Strategy - Be Prepared.” This campaign educated residents on the many actions they can take proactively to prepare for and build resilience against wildfires and reinforced the importance of collective action and shared responsibility.
State and local fire agencies, partner organizations, the County, and community members recognize wildfire as the greatest risk to El Dorado County. This recognition is reflected in key planning documents, including the County’s General Plan Safety Element, Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan, Strategic Plan, Wildfire Strategy, and Community Wildfire Protection Plans. These plans underscore the importance of increasing public education and unified messaging to spread awareness of wildfire risks and preparedness measures. Achieving wildfire resilience requires a coordinated approach and strong partnerships across agencies and communities. In addition to large-scale fuels reduction and community protection projects, individual actions such as maintaining proper defensible space, implementing home hardening measures, and preventing human-caused wildfires, are critical in reducing wildfire risk and protecting lives and property in El Dorado County. With that, following this proclamation, OWPR is launching an intensive multi-agency wildfire awareness campaign titled “Partners in Preparedness.” This campaign will reinforce the importance of collaborative efforts in wildfire preparedness, highlight ongoing federal, state, local, and community initiatives, and educate residents on action they can take to strengthen community resilience.
ALTERNATIVES
The Board may choose not to approve this Proclamation.
PRIOR BOARD ACTION
Legistar file 24-0877 - May 21, 2024 - 2024 Wildfire Awareness Season
Legistar file 25-0560 - April 1, 2025 - 2025 Wildfire Awareness Season
OTHER DEPARTMENT / AGENCY INVOLVEMENT
Supervisor Laine and Supervisor Ferrero are sponsoring this Wildfire Awareness Proclamation.
CAO RECOMMENDATION / COMMENTS
Consent
FINANCIAL IMPACT
There is no financial impact associated with this item.
CLERK OF THE BOARD FOLLOW UP ACTIONS
Obtain the Chair’s signature on the Proclamation and forward the signed Proclamation to OWPR, Attention: Tanya Harlow
STRATEGIC PLAN COMPONENT
N/A
CONTACT
Tanya Harlow, Wildfire Resilience Officer
Office of Wildfire Preparedness and Resilience