Wildfire Resources for San Luis Obispo County
San Luis Obispo County has a very high risk of wildfire, higher than 98% of counties in the United States.
To build resilience, residents and communities should 1) understand their hazard and risk of wildfire, 2) take appropriate action to reduce wildfire damages and/or impact for their homes and properties, and 3) develop an emergency response plan in case of wildfire.
Understanding your wildfire risk
The Wildfire Risk to Communities tool is a free, online tool with maps, charts, and resources developed by the USDA Forest Service to help communities better understand, explore, and reduce their wildfire risk.
The SLO FireSafe Council serves the entire county of San Luis Obispo. Visit their website to learn more about their local and regional projects aimed at creating a more fire-safe landscape. The SLO FireSafe Council also supports local Firewise communities, organizes free community chipper days, and provides scholarships to fire students.
CALFIRE's Website: https://www.fire.ca.gov/
San Luis Obispo County Fire Department- Fire Prevention Education, Wildland Hazard and Building Codes, Fire Safety Council, and more local, state, county, and federal informational links-
City of San Luis Obispo Fire Department-
https://www.slocity.org/government/department-directory/fire-department
Local San Luis Obispo Red Cross Chapter - http://www.slo-redcross.org
For information on disaster preparedness tips and tools:
http://www.slo-redcross.org/PreparednessTips&Tools
SLO County Office of Emergency Services
All-hazards emergency management resources for mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery:
To find information on preparing yourself for the next emergency, visit: PrepareSLO.org
To learn more about procedures and resources during an emergency, visit: EmergencySLO.org
Real-time Updates - receive updates on local fires using the free phone app Watch Duty
If you do not know your Evacuation Zone, please visit PrepareSLO to find your address
SLO County's Air Pollution Control District has information about current and forecasted air quality
You can also download and use free apps like IQAir to keep up to date with the air quality wherever you are
To locate resources recovering after an emergency, visit: RecoverSLO.org
AG Pass for SLO County - Eligible agriculturalists who may need access to their farm or ranch for limited emergency response activities during a disaster, visit the Ag Commissioner's website for more information
San Luis Obispo County Ag Pass Information
What is the Ag Pass program?
The purpose of creating a county-based "Ag Pass" program is to provide a uniform way to identify vetted commercial farm and ranch owner-operators and their employees to firefighting personnel, California Highway Patrol officers, Sheriff's deputies and other law enforcement officers, and other emergency personnel. Possession of an Ag Pass during a flood, storm, fire, earthquake, or other disaster, potentially allows the agriculturalist limited emergency access to areas that may otherwise be restricted to the public, in order to:
- Protect or care for agricultural assets (such as irrigating crops or feeding, watering, and transporting livestock) and/or
- Provide support information to emergency personnel (such as identifying access roads and water points)
Training & Renewals
In order to obtain an Ag Pass Card, applicants meeting the eligibility criteria must attend a 4-hour in-person training. Current card holders seeking renewal must attend a 1-hour online renewal training. To register for upcoming trainings or receive emails regarding future trainings, please fill out an Ag Pass Interest Form.
UC Cooperative Extension Fire Links
UC Cooperative Extension's Homeowner's Wildfire Mitigation Guide
UC Berkeley Center for Fire Research and Outreach
To download Home Landscaping for Fire- a free ANR publication to download (PDF 416KB)