The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection reports investments in wildfire resilience are making California communities safer, strengthening emergency response and wildfire suppression capabilities, improving forest health, supporting stewardship activities on tribally owned lands and reducing the risk of catastrophic wildfires.
A new report published by Cal Fire highlights the significant outcomes of the state’s $1.03 billion investment through Senate Bill 901, signed into law in 2018 to advance wildfire prevention and forest health efforts across the state.
“Climate change is no longer a distant threat. Californians can see it in the smoke on the horizon, in the dry forests and in the long fire seasons that test communities year after year,” said Gov. Gavin Newsom. “But we also know what action can do. We can restore our forests. We can reduce the fuels that turn a spark into a disaster. We can give firefighters more time and families a better chance to get out safely.”
“Cal Fire and our partners have delivered measurable results because of SB 901 — protecting watersheds, wildlife habitat and communities, while creating jobs and expanding training opportunities for the next generation of forestry and fire professionals,” said Cal Fire Director and Fire Chief Joe Tyler. “These achievements demonstrate the power of sustained investment and collaboration in wildfire resilience, leading to safer communities and healthier forests.”
Outcomes of these investments include protecting watersheds and wildlife habitat, reducing pollution and creating jobs and economic opportunities statewide.
The report outlines the impacts of these investments, including:
Communities are better protected when wildfire occurs. During the 2024 Park Fire, grant-funded forest health treatments near Cohasset reduced fire intensity where the forest had been thinned, giving firefighters time to protect homes and property and for residents to evacuate safely in a very short amount of time.
Strategic fuel reduction can change the outcome of wildfire. Along Highway 44 in Shasta County, more than 1,000 acres were treated through a partnership between Cal Fire and California Military Department crews. When a fire started in the treated area in 2024, limited available fuel and a quick firefighter response kept it to just 10 by 10 feet.
Californians are better prepared before fire starts. Communities have strengthened wildfire preparedness through fuel reduction, home hardening, defensible space, planning, education and training. Together, these investments are building a stronger culture of preparedness, helping communities reduce risk, protect homes and give residents and firefighters a better chance of success when wildfire strikes.
Expanding hands-on training and continuing education in forestry and wildland fire. The funding has supported the California Conservation Corps to enroll young adults for a year in service, providing them with job skills and work experience to prepare them in wildland firefighting, forestry and fuels management careers. Through 2024, the CCC implemented more than 100 projects from the funding, half of which included training for the corpsmembers.
More examples of positive impacts of these investments can be found in Cal Fire’s fuels treatment effectiveness reports, showing fires that were kept small because of fuels reduction treatments, preparedness and planning. Successful wildfire resilience looks like landscapes where fires are more likely to be contained before they become community-threatening events.
Additional highlights from the report include:
The Forest Health Program awarded $418.9 million to 86 projects, treating more than 233,000 acres. These projects are reforesting severely burned areas and reducing the likelihood of high-severity wildfire across nearly 150,000 acres.
The Wildfire Prevention Program awarded $272.5 million to 424 fuels reduction, planning and public education projects in 51 counties. These and other projects funded by the $1.03 billion investment interacted with wildfire a dozen times over a one-year period, and nearly all of them aided in fire suppression and/or reduced fire behavior.
The Business and Workforce Development Program has awarded $30 million, including 13 grants to expand forestry and wood products infrastructure and eight grants to community colleges, school districts and other organizations to support training and certification of more than 900 forestry and wildland fire professionals.
These investments have helped Cal Fire, local governments and communities make progress toward their wildfire resilience goals, but Cal Fire and its partners cannot do this work alone, said the agency. California residents can take time to prepare their homes and properties by creating defensible space, hardening their homes and building resilience with neighbors by joining or starting a Firewise community.
A video series showcases grant projects in California’s communities.