While Sonoma has enjoyed a cooler-than-usual summer and lower local wildfire activity, other parts of California have seen significant fire incidents this season. Peak fire season continues through October and disasters can strike at any time – now is the time to prepare so our community can respond, withstand, and recover when it happens here.
You Make the Difference
Your preparedness strengthens our whole community and supports first responders.
Immediate Steps to Take:
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Sign Up for Alerts – Get timely updates through Nixle and SoCo Alerts, and other systems like Watch Duty.
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Know Your Evacuation Zone – Review your zone so you can act quickly if ordered to leave.
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Assemble Emergency Kits (Go Bags) –
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Personal go bag: 72 hours of supplies.
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Home kit: 7 days of essentials for people and pets.
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Vehicle kit: 24 hours of basics.
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Use the “Five P’s” of Evacuation – People & Pets, Prescriptions, Papers, Personal Needs, Priceless Items. Review our evacuation checklist to help you get started planning.
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Attend Training & Volunteer – Join S.C.O.P.E. and register as an emergency volunteer.
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Schedule a Defensible Space & Home Hardening Assessment – The Sonoma Valley Fire District offers free property evaluations with tailored suggestions on how to reduce wildfire risk. This is a popular program, and appointments may not be immediately available, but it’s a great idea to get on the schedule now: DefensibleSpaceReport.org/svfd.
- Prepare for Specific Hazards – In Sonoma, that means wildfires, earthquakes, extreme heat or cold, power outages, and (outside summer) flooding. Preparing for one type of disaster usually prepares you for others.
While we hope our quiet summer leads to an equally uneventful fall season, disasters can happen anytime. Take steps now so that when disaster strikes—whether it’s fire, quake, storm, or heat—you and our community are ready.
Visit our Emergency Preparedness and Resources for Disaster Preparedness pages for more helpful links and information.