CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2025–2026 REGULAR SESSION

97

CHAPTER 80

Statutes of 2026

Introduced by Senator Grayson

April 22, 2026

Relative to California Wildfire Preparedness Week.

Fiscal committee: no

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

This measure would designate the week of May 3 to May 9, 2026, inclusive, as California Wildfire Preparedness Week.

WHEREAS, California has long faced a year-round fire season; and

WHEREAS, The January 2025 fires in the County of Los Angeles were two of the five most destructive wildfires to ever hit California. These fires underscore the scale and intensity of the climate impacts we face; and

WHEREAS, It is more important now than ever that every person in the state is prepared for wildfire; and

WHEREAS, The state is taking unprecedented action to make our communities more resilient to wildfire and to improve forest health; and

WHEREAS, Since 2019, the state has made historic investments to step up forest management and other projects that decrease catastrophic wildfire risk, nearly doubled the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection’s budget, and built the largest aerial firefighting fleet in the world, which is supplemented by state-of-the-art firefighting equipment and technology; and

WHEREAS, In 2025 the state took additional steps to modernize and update its nation-leading fire standards, including accelerating the development of “Zone 0” regulations to create ember-resistant zones around structures in the highest fire severity zones in the state; and

WHEREAS, The state has dramatically increased work to prevent wildfires, with, as of May 2025, more than 2,200 fuels reduction projects completed or underway on state land, and in recent years California has treated nearly 2,000,000 acres; and

WHEREAS, This work is vital to slowing and reducing the intensity of wildfires and provides areas that fire personnel can safely and aggressively suppress fires from; and

WHEREAS, Developing and maintaining these vital projects across the state is an ongoing focus to protect our communities; and

WHEREAS, The state manages only 3 percent of California’s forest land, while 57 percent of California’s forests are federally managed; and

WHEREAS, The state is ready to strengthen federal partnerships; and

WHEREAS, California Wildfire Preparedness Week emphasizes the importance of both collaborative efforts and individual responsibility in reducing and managing wildfire risk; and

WHEREAS, Californians can make their neighborhoods safer by creating defensible space around homes, hardening homes, developing wildfire action plans, and teaming up to join fire safe councils and Firewise USA communities that work to regularly assess wildfire risk and prioritize action to address it; and

WHEREAS, All Californians are encouraged to take steps to prepare for wildfire season and to help prevent loss of life and property as together we can create a more fire-resilient California; now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the Senate of the State of California, the Assembly thereof concurring, That the Legislature hereby designates the week of May 3 to May 9, 2026, inclusive, as California Wildfire Preparedness Week; and be it further

Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate transmit copies of this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.