Wildfires

DON'T FUEL THE FIRE

What You Need to Know

In the past few years, a growing number of wildfires have affected California, resulting in many homes and businesses lost.

With changes to our local and global climates, experts predict that larger, more destructive fires will hit our community in the near future. Wildfire events have the potential to cause disastrous, long-lasting impacts, including injury, death and loss of homes. They can also force people to leave their homes, and cause potential challenges with not enough insurance coverage for your home or business. Wildfires can create poor air quality due to the smoke, which is linked to health conditions like asthma, heart disease, pneumonia, bronchitis and other infections. Communities outside of the wildfire area can also be affected by the smoke, causing unhealthy air quality.

Know Your Risk

Check the Fire Hazard Severity rating for your home or business area.

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Who's Impacted Most?

Whether you live in the city or rural areas, wildfires can impact you and your family. Wildfires are especially dangerous for:

Older adults living alone
They are more likely to have health conditions, difficulty getting around and lack of access to emergency communication, especially from social media.

People without cars
These households often use public transportation (like the bus), which may not be running during wildfires.

People with heart disease
The impact of wildfire and smoke can worsen these conditions.

Those with no health insurance
People without health insurance are less likely to receive care for injury or illness caused by wildfires.

People dependent on electricity
Wildfires can cause power outages, which can harm people who need electricity for health or medical needs.

Children
Wildfire smoke may impact children’s development or cause breathing issues.

People who are foreign-born or speak limited English
These people may not understand health warnings, evacuation orders or other emergency communication.

What You Can Do

Maintain Your Home.

Remove vegetation debris from your roof, vent openings, screens, louver blades, and under decks. Install non-corrosive metal mesh screens with a maximum opening of 1/8 inch (3.2 mm) at all vent openings. Replace wood shake or shingle roofs with a roof material rated Class A.
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Get wildfire insurance.

The California FAIR Plan may provide new options for wildfire insurance coverage for your home or business.
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Maintain vegetation.

Ask your local fire station or Fire Safe Council for guidelines on properly trimming your vegetation and removing hazardous materials near your home and yard.
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Be prepared.

Use the Ready! Set! Go! brochure from the Fire Department to help create defensible space around your home, retrofit your home with fire-resistant materials, and prepare your family to safely evacuate well ahead of a wildfire.
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Learn more and get involved.

Look into volunteer activities available in LA County.
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Wildfire By Numbers

Most homeowners have less
insurance coverage than it would
take to rebuild their homes.
(Climate Insurance Report, pg. 50)

By the year 2100, the average
area burned by wildfires is
expected to rise by 77%.
(Climate Insurance Report, pg. 5)

9 out of 20 of the largest wildfires in CA have occurred since 2020.