CAL FIRE's Land Use Planning Program Assists local governments (cities and counties) throughout California as they address the unreasonable risk from wildfire by planning for new development in the State Responsibility Areas and Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones.
Mission Statement
The Wildfire Hazard Legislation Safety Element Planning and Zoning Law requires that cities and counties adopt a comprehensive general plan with various elements including a safety element for protection of the community from unreasonable risks associated with various hazards, including wildfires (CGC 65302.5) CAL FIRE has a long history of knowing the importance of planning and its importance to wildland fire safety and risk mitigation. Land use planning incorporates safety element requirements for State Responsibility Areas (SRA) and Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones (VHFHS Zones); requires local general plan safety elements, upon the next revision of the housing element on or after January 1, 2014, to be reviewed and updated as necessary to address the risk of fire in the SRA and VHFHS Zones; requires each safety element update to take into account the most recent version of the Office of Planning and Research's "Fire Hazard Planning" document; and requires the Office of Planning and Research (OPR) to include a reference to the provisions of SB 1241 (Kehoe, 2012), as well as any other materials related to fire hazards or fire safety deemed appropriate for reference.
Statewide Program Administrator
Carmel Barnhart - Deputy Chief Carmel.Barnhart@fire.ca.gov
Sacramento Contacts
Rudy Baltazar- Assistant Chief
Rudy.Baltazar@fire.ca.gov
Shelley Redden- Battalion Chief Shelley.Redden@fire.ca.gov
Gene Potkey- Battalion Chief
Gene.Potkey@fire.ca.gov
Steven Barkley - Battalion Chief Steven.Barkley@fire.ca.gov
Kevin Lindo - Battalion Chief Kevin.Lindo@fire.ca.gov
Shane Galvez - Battalion Chief Shane.Galvez@fire.ca.gov
Bryan Carter - Battalion Chief Bryan.Carter@fire.ca.gov
Anthony Massucco - Battalion Chief Anthony.Massucco@fire.ca.gov
Northern Region Contacts
Shane Vargas - Battalion Chief
Shane.Vargas@fire.ca.gov
(530) 410-4225
James Ausboe - Fire Captain
James.Ausboe@fire.ca.gov
(530)-410-5592
Del Norte, Humboldt, Mendocino, Siskiyou, Shasta, Trinity, Tehama, Glenn, Colusa, Lake, Butte, Modoc, Lassen, & Plumas
Donnie Privett - Fire Captain
Donnie.Privett@fire.ca.gov
(530)-410-5142
Sonoma, Marin, Napa, Yolo, Solano, Sutter, Yuba, Sierra, Nevada, Placer, El Dorado, Sacramento, Amador, Alpine, & San Joaquin
Malcolm Kennedy - Fire Captain Malcolm.Kennedy@fire.ca.gov(530)-360-5291
San Francisco, San Mateo, Contra Costa, Alameda, Santa Cruz, & Santa Clara
Southern Region Contacts
Jose Quintana - Battalion Chief Jose.Quintana@fire.ca.gov
(559) 243-8992 Office
(951) 201-9918 Cell
Kyle O'Neil - Fire Captain
Kyle.Oneil@fire.ca.gov
(559) 243-8993 Office
(559) 400-2464 Cell
Stanislaus, Calaveras, Tuolumne, Merced, Mariposa, Madera, Fresno, Kings, Tulare, Kern, Monterey, San Benito, San Joaquin
Brian Olsen- Fire Captain Brian.Olsen@fire.ca.gov
(951) 320-6122 Office
(951) 235-1257 Cell
San Diego, Imperial
Joe Kennedy-Fire Captain Joseph.Kennedy@fire.ca.gov
(951)-233-7426
San Bernardino, Inyo, Mono
Kevin Merkh - Fire Captain Kevin.Merkh@fire.ca.gov
(951)-201-1824
Los Angeles
Shawn Arnold - Fire Captain Shawn.Arnold@fire.ca.gov (909)-677-3408 San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Ventura
California Law
Senate Bill No. 1241. (2012)
Bill text. Legislative Counsel’s Digest
Senate Bill No. 379. (2015)
Bill text. Land Use: General Plan: Safety Element
California Government Code 65302
Planning and Land Use – Local Planning – Authority for and Scope of General Plans
California Government Code 66474
Planning and Land Use – Subdivisions
Technical Guidance
Governor's Office of Planning and Research
Fire Hazard Planning Technical Advisory - 2022 Update
CAL FIRE Resources
California Communities at Risk List
Public Resource Code 4290 (Road/Water/Fuel)
Public Resource Code 4291 (Vegetation Clearance)
Fire Resource and Assessment Program (FRAP)
FRAP Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones (Recommended)
CAL FIRE Resource Management (Forestry)
Fire Safety Education - Defensible Space & Wildfire Preparedness
Wildfire-Related Information
Firewise USA - Residents reducing wildfire risk
California is prone to the threat of wildfires, there are things you can do to protect your neighborhood, home, and family. Visit the links below to learn how.
Interactive Map of Firewise Communities in Good Standing
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