Wildfire Community Preparedness Day is this Saturday
San Luis Obispo County Community Emergency Response Team reminds community to take steps to protect their homes
– The 2025 Wildfire Community Preparedness Day will take place Saturday, May 3, focusing on raising awareness of wildfire risks and encouraging actions to reduce them. As peak fire season approaches, the San Luis Obispo County Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) urges residents to take steps to protect their homes and communities.
This year’s wildfire season has already seen an early and unprecedented start, with the fires in Los Angeles this past January. The Eaton and Palisades fires rank as the second and third most destructive wildfires in California’s history. These fires serve as a stark reminder of the year-round threat wildfires pose to communities and highlight the need for early preparation.
The focus of this year’s preparedness efforts is on protecting homes by hardening them against wildfire and creating defensible space around them. Wildfire researchers have determined that installing fine mesh screens in attic and crawl space vents can help protect homes from ignition by wildfire embers. Additionally, removing all vegetation within the first five feet around homes, including decks and other attachments, can minimize the risk of ignition. These two steps have been scientifically proven to be the most effective ways to increase the likelihood of a home surviving a wildfire.
To learn more about wildfire preparedness, residents are encouraged to attend informational events hosted by their local fire department or visit NFPA.org/wildfireprepday.
