Title
Office of Wildfire Preparedness and Resilience, a division of the Chief Administrative Office, with sponsorship by Supervisor Turnboo and Supervisor Laine, recommending the Board approve and authorize the Chair to sign a Proclamation recognizing the period of April through October 2025 as Wildfire Awareness Season.
FUNDING: N/A
Body
DISCUSSION / BACKGROUND
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 the proclamation recognizing the period of May through October 2024 as Wildfire Awareness Season, expanding these efforts to a countywide level. The Board adopted this proclamation on May 21, 2024, and OWPR subsequently launched a coordinated public outreach campaign. This effort emphasized key wildfire preparedness actions, including defensible space, home hardening, evacuation readiness, and community awareness, building upon previous efforts alongside the Tahoe Basin’s Lake Tahoe Wildfire Awareness campaign.
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, 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.
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 the Board’s approval of the proposed proclamation designating April through October 2025 as Wildfire Awareness Season, OWPR, through it’s Public Outreach Working Group, will launch an intensive, multi-agency campaign under the theme “Hope is not a Strategy - Be Prepared.” This campaign and enhanced efforts will continue to educate residents on the many actions they can take proactively to prepare for and build resilience against wildfires, reinforcing the importance of collective action and shared responsibility.
ALTERNATIVES
The Board may choose not to approve this Proclamation.
PRIOR BOARD ACTION
The Board has previously approved the following Wildfire Awareness Proclamations
Legistar file 10-0569 - June 29, 2010 - Lake Tahoe Basin Wildfire Awareness Week
Legistar file 11-0429 - May 17, 2011 - Lake Tahoe Basin Wildfire Awareness Week
Legistar file 12-0350 V2 - May 22, 2012- Lake Tahoe Basin Wildfire Awareness Week
Legistar file 12-0350 V3 - April 23, 2013 - Lake Tahoe Basin Wildfire Awareness Week
Legistar file 14-0673 - May 13, 2014 - Lake Tahoe Basin Wildfire Awareness Week
Legistar file 17-0487 - May 9, 2017 - Wildfire Awareness Month
Legistar file 18-0721 - May 15, 2018 - Lake Tahoe Basin Wildfire Awareness Month
Legistar file 19-0666 - May 14, 2019) - Lake Tahoe Basin Wildfire Awareness Month
Legistar file 21-0694 - May 4, 2021 - Lake Tahoe Basin Wildfire Awareness Campaign
Legistar file 21-0726 - May 4, 2021 - Wildfire Awareness Month
Legistar file 22-0698 - April 19, 2022 - Lake Tahoe Basin Wildfire Awareness Campaign
Legistar file 24-0877 - May 21, 2024 - 2024 Wildfire Awareness Season
OTHER DEPARTMENT / AGENCY INVOLVEMENT
Supervisors Turnboo and Laine are sponsoring this Wildfire Awareness Proclamation.
CAO RECOMMENDATION / COMMENTS
Approve as recommended.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
There is no change to Net County Cost 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: Tom Meyer.
STRATEGIC PLAN COMPONENT
N/A
CONTACT
Tom Meyer, Program Manager
Office of Wildfire Preparedness and Resilience