California is the most wildfire-prone state in the United States. According to Statista.com, in 2020 alone, over 10,000 individual wildfires burned in the cstate, causing damage to nearly 4.1 million acres of land. 

Over the last 10 years, California wildfires have burned a total of 12.7 acres. The land  

burned is nearly double the acres burned in the previous decade according to mercurynews.com. 

Nbcnews.com shares that Governor Newsom had approved nearly 1 billion dollars for preventing wildfires. 

One of the focuses on new laws to help prevent fires in California relate State Responsibility Area (SRA) which is defined by bof.fire.ca.gov as “areas where Cal Fire is the primary emergency response agency responsible for fire suppression and prevention.” These areas are not protected by city or county fire departments.

If you live in an SRA, you are responsible to make sure that your property complies with California’s fire codes. Some rules of the SRA is that homeowners must clear out all flammable material in their homes along with homes to be constructed with fire-resistant materials, according to readyforwildfire.org.

People living in more populated areas of California depend on their local city and county fire departments during times of a fire emergency but also can be the “first line of defense” in preventing fires by taking proactive steps to “fire-safe” their homes and surrounding properties. 

According to readyforwildfireorg’s brochure,”Wildfire is Coming: Are You Ready?” the following are simple but effective ways to prevent the spread of wildfires in a community:

• Use horizontal spacing, horizontally placing your grass, shrubs, and trees  This is one way to stop the spread of wildfires because the wider the spacing between plants, the greater the wind velocity must be to spread the fire. Cover and protect all openings in your home such as vents.
• Instal dual paned windows to help in case of blowouts
• Always have a fire extinguisher available in the garage and home.
• Always have a good supply of water and make sure to have multiple garden hoses that can reach all areas of your home.
• Make sure your home compiles with local fire codes or the SRA

California already has plans in motion to prevent wildfires from spreading, including the way houses are built. According to newhomesource.com some ways to build a fire-resistant home are:

• Use Insulated Concrete Forms for your foundation
• Choose sturdy siding
• Protect your windows, use dual-paned tempered glass
• Use metal or fiber-cement for doors

Using these techniques to build homes or add to them will help many people to stay safe from wildfires.