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Paradise, CA – As California enters peak wildfire season, CAL FIRE is recognizing Wildfire Preparedness Week, May 3–9, 2026, with events across the state to highlight how communities and first responders are working together to reduce wildfire risk. As part of this statewide effort, CAL FIRE hosted a public Wildfire Preparedness Week event on Friday, May 8, 2026, in Paradise to demonstrate effective actions residents can take to strengthen home and community resiliency.
The event featured representatives from CAL FIRE, and several national, federal, state, and local partners, who spotlighted local defensible space accomplishments, home‑hardening progress, and ongoing fuels reduction and fuel‑break projects. The gathering offered residents a firsthand look at wildfire mitigation work happening in their community and showcased practical steps every household can take to reduce risk by hardening their home and creating defensible space.
“California’s wildfire threat continues to evolve, and so does our approach,” said CAL FIRE Director and Fire Chief Joe Tyler. “Events like this demonstrate that community‑wide preparedness—combined with individual action—remains one of our strongest tools for protecting lives and property.”
"Preparedness in Butte County is built over time through sustained commitment, at both the individual and community level," said Taylor Nilsson, Executive Director of the Butte County Fire Safe Council. "In communities throughout Butte County, recovery and restoration are ongoing. Every defensible space project, every home hardened, and every acre treated represents meaningful progress. Together, these efforts are driving a shift from reactive to proactive collaboration, with residents, local partners, communities, and organizations working together to prepare for wildfire."
This year’s Wildfire Preparedness Week emphasizes the shared responsibility of wildfire readiness: creating defensible space, hardening homes, preparing evacuation plans, and staying informed through local alerts.
For wildfire safety and preparedness resources, visit www.ReadyForWildfire.org. For media materials and preparedness resources, visit CAL FIRE’s Wildfire Preparedness Week Media Resource Hub.
The Ready for Wildfire web‑based app provides customized checklists, step‑by‑step guidance, and local notifications. The app is available for free at: plan.readyforwildfire.org/.
Images from today's and CAL FIRE's other Wildfire Preparedness Week events are available on Flickr.
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