This is a curated page of recommended webpages and videos that will help you learn more about several topics for wildfire preparedness, home hardening, firewise gardening, and more. Let us know if a link is no longer working, so we can fix it. And share with us when you come across a great learning source.
Disaster Preparedness and Evacuation
From the State of California: Listos California: https://www.listoscalifornia.org/
Firesafe Marin—encompasses state-of-the-art resources: https://www.firesafemarin.org/
Oakland Firesafe Council: https://oaklandfiresafecouncil.org
Oakland Community Preparedness & Response: https://www.oaklandcpandr.org/
Fire Hazard Severity Zone maps
Fire Hazard Severity Zone (FHSZ) maps are created by CAL FIRE (also known as California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection) by state mandate. The maps are divided into jurisdictional control: State Responsibility Area (SRA), Local Responsibility Area (LRA) and Federal Responsibility Area (FRA). In 2025 new FHSZ maps for LRA jurisdictions were proposed by CAL FIRE and then adopted by local jurisdictions, such as counties and cities. CAUTION: Insurance companies use DIFFERENT MAPS that evaluate wildfire risk of damages. They are proprietary and not publicly available. “Hazard Severity” is not the same as “Risk. The USDA Forest Service provides a good starter to understanding the difference between Hazard and Risk in the wildfire/Wildland Urban Interface (WUI).
Enter your address to find out your Fire Hazard Severity Zone (Cal Fire’s Arc-Gis; mobile-friendly!)