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Officials warn of elevated wildfire risk; Sonoma County outlines staffing, alerts and preparedness steps
Summary
Emergency Management and CAL FIRE briefed the board on an elevated fire season risk, citing above-normal temperature probabilities and early fuel curing. County staff highlighted alerting improvements, CERT training, and community preparedness; Cal Fire described increased staffing and aviation assets.
County emergency staff and Cal Fire officials told the Board of Supervisors on May 19 that Sonoma County faces an elevated wildfire risk this summer and urged residents to prepare.
Jeff Duvall, Director of the county Department of Emergency Management, said seasonal outlooks show higher-than-normal temperatures in the June–August period and earlier fuel curing, creating conditions favorable to fast-moving fires: "The key factors that are driving this risk include elevated temperatures... there's a 40% to 50% probability of above-normal temperatures throughout the core heat season of June, July and August," Duvall said.
Matt Ryan, Unit Chief of the CAL FIRE Sonoma-Lake-Napa unit, described operational preparations: expanded peak staffing, additional engines and hand crews, increased aviation resources including air tankers and night-capable helicopters, and a new deputy chief focused on community risk reduction. "Cal Fire is prepared," Ryan said, outlining staffing and aircraft increases and the service's transition to more traditional engine staffing models and year-round capabilities.
Staff detailed alert and warning capacities: SoCoAlert (county mass notification), Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA), the Emergency Alert System for radio/TV, NOAA Weather Radio testing, and local platforms such as Nixle. County emergency programs -- including a duty-officer rotation, CERT training with nearly 175 graduates, and a community preparedness expo that drew about 2,900 attendees -- were highlighted as resilience-building steps.
Supervisors asked about remaining gaps and needs. Responses emphasized accelerating fuel-reduction treatments, continued investment in hazard mitigation for county infrastructure, and the ability to sustain mutual-aid and aviation resources. Staff said an operational-area audit and targeted outreach (including bilingual materials and promotoras partnerships) could help close information gaps and improve Ag access programs.
The item was presented as informational only. Officials urged residents to have a go-bag, sign up for SoCoAlert, and know local evacuation routes and zone maps.
