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
Vacant
Deputy Chief
(Sacramento) Land Use Planning Program
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 Cell
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
San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Ventura Jose.Quintana@fire.ca.gov
(559) 243-8992 Office
(951) 201-9918 Cell
Kyle Oneil - Fire Captain
Stanislaus, Calaveras, Tuolumne, Merced, Mariposa, Madera, Fresno, Kings, Tulare, Kern, Monterey, San Benito, San Joaquin
Kyle.Oneil@fire.ca.gov
(559) 243-8993 Office
(559) 400-2464 Cell
Brian Olsen - Fire Captain
San Diego, Imperial
Brian.Olsen@fire.ca.gov
(951) 320-6122 Office
(951) 235-1257 Cell
Joe Kennedy -Fire Captain San Bernardino, Inyo, Mono Joseph.Kennedy@fire.ca.gov (951)-233-7426
Kevin Merkh - Fire Captain
Los Angeles Kevin.Merkh@fire.ca.gov (951)-201-1824
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
Fire Hazard Planning: General Plan Technical Advice Series
Governor's Office of Planning and Research
A Handbook for Fire Planning in the General Plan (Coming Soon)
California Board of Forestry
2017 General Plan Guidelines
Governor’s Office of Planning and Research
CAL FIRE Resources
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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