Wildfires are a growing threat across the United States, impacting communities, ecosystems, and infrastructure. National Wildfire Awareness Month, observed every May, serves as a vital reminder of the importance of wildfire prevention and preparedness.
Fires can spark from natural causes like lightning or human activities such as unattended campfires and discarded cigarettes. With climate change extending fire seasons and intensifying drought conditions, the risk of devastating wildfires continues to grow.
Wildfire awareness is not just about understanding the risks—it’s about taking meaningful steps to protect lives, homes, and natural landscapes. Whether by volunteering, attending workshops, or making fire-safe choices, every action contributes to a safer future.
How Communities Like Ours Can Prepare
Preparation is key to reducing wildfire damage. Here are some meaningful mitigation steps we can take as community members:
- Create Defensible Space: Clear vegetation and debris around our homes to slow fire spread. California defines three categories that can impact and slow the spread of a fire.
- Zone 0 (0-5 feet from your home): Keep this area clear of combustible materials such as mulch, dead plants, debris.
- Zone 1 (5-30 feet from your home): Remove dead leaves, pin needles and branches. Keep trees trimmed and spaced apart to prevent fire spread.
- Zone 2 (30-100 feet from your home): Reduce fuel by cutting grass to a maximum height of 4 inches and maintaining proper spacing between shrubs and trees.
- Learn about Home Hardening: Home hardening makes structures more resilient to ember-driven wildfires, which account for approximately 90% of home ignitions. The Santa Barbara County Fire Safe Council Home Hardening Guide offers a step-by-step approach to protecting homes from wildfires.
- Follow Fire-Safe Landscaping Practices: Use native and fire-resistant plants with proper spacing. Local resources such as UCSB’s Firewise Plant Guide and the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden’s “Living with Fire” Program provide valuable landscaping insights.
- Stay Informed: Sign up for emergency alerts to receive real-time updates on severe weather and wildfire threats. Register for the County’s alerting system, ReadySBC, today.
- Support Fire Prevention Efforts: Participate in community fire safety programs and advocate for responsible land management.
By working together, we can reduce wildfire risks and build more resilient communities. Let’s use National Wildfire Awareness Month as a call to action and ensure we’re prepared for whatever lies ahead.