Climate change will likely increase all the key drivers of wildfires - high temperatures, dry conditions and flammable vegetation. San Diego is projected to experience wildfire risks to be of equal or greater severity than in recent decades. More frequent and larger wildfires can result in greater smoke production, increasing air pollution both locally and regionally. Smoke from wildfires negatively impacts public health, including worsening of respiratory and cardiovascular conditions. Children, pregnant women and the elderly are especially vulnerable to smoke exposure.

• Brush Management Guidelines This webpage provides an overview of brush management and a step by step guide to conducting brush management, including near environmentally sensitive lands.
• Brush Management Regulations and Landscape Standards - This overviews City code requirements for creating and managing defensible spaces/brush management zones between development and wildland-urban interface areas.
• Open Space Parks Brush Management Program - This overviews the Parks and Recreation Department’s brush management of City-owned open space areas.
• Fire Code - This webpage provides the most recent California Fire Code (2022), which includes wildfire prevention and response updates.
• The San Diego Fire Department (SDFD) Community Risk Reduction Division is providing support to Fire Safe Councils in developing Community Wildfire Protection Plans, offering emergency preparedness trainings, offering free community chipping events to support defensible space, and completing roadside vegetation management to support evacuation corridor safety. Learn more about the work of SDFD here.
• The City is required identify very high fire hazard severity zones within their areas of responsibility. Inclusion within these zones is based on vegetation density, slope severity and other relevant factors that contribute to fire severity. The Office of the State Fire Marshal has released the updated 2025 Local Responsibility Area Fire Hazard Severity Zone Map. For detailed information and to view the new map, visit the 2025 LRA FHSZ Map Page.

Fire season in California is year-round. Wildfires are unplanned fires that burn in natural areas like forests, grasslands or canyons. These dangerous fires spread quickly and can devastate open space areas as well as communities. Wildfires can be dangerous, so it is important to be prepared. Children, older adults and people with chronic health conditions are especially vulnerable to the effects of wildfires. Wildfire preparedness is key to protecting yourself, your community and your property from the damages of fire. Check out the resources below so you can be ready and stay fire safe!

• Information on preparing for wildfires:
  • Learn how to create defensible space, how to harden your home, and complete a Wildland Fire Action Plan with Your Personal Wildland Fire Action Guide
  • Consider low cost retrofits  and other retrofit options (Spanish)to harden to your home to wildfires.
  • Ready your home for emergencies with the Printable Emergency Label Checklist and guide for making an emergency plan.
  • Learn how to protect yourself and property with the Wildland Fires Safety Tips
  • Additional preparedness resources are available through: Ready.gov: Wildfire Resources
  • Download the Genasys Protect App for active fire status updates and evacuation order notifications.
  • Learn about creating a Community Wildfire Protection Plan.
  • Request a Real Estate Defensible Space Inspection.
• Information on protecting your health from wildfires:
  • Information on Wildfire Smoke Health Risks
  • Learn more health effects of wildfire smoke
• Tracking fires in California:
  • Current incidents (Cal Fire)
  • Air quality and smore related to wildfires (AirNow)