Temecula Earns CA Wildfire Prep Designation As Fire Season Heats Up

TEMECULA, CA — Temecula and eight other cities served by Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire Department have been recognized by the state of California for local wildfire preparedness efforts, the department announced this week.

Being mentioned on California’s Fire Risk Reduction Community List better positions each town to compete for state and federal grants that support wildfire mitigation and resilience projects, according to the department. The recognition also signals that local agencies are taking steps such as land-use planning, public education, and wildfire mitigation to reduce risk before fires start

Each listed community is taking proactive steps to reduce wildfire risk and improve preparedness through local planning, public education and wildfire mitigation efforts, according to the department.

The newly recognized communities are:

Riverside County unincorporated areas, Banning, Beaumont, Eastvale, Jurupa Valley, Lake Elsinore, Moreno Valley, Norco, Temecula and Wildomar.

Communities on the list are better positioned to compete for state and federal grant funding for wildfire mitigation and resilience projects, fire officials said. The designation may also support homeowners through California’s “Safer from Wildfires” framework, which encourages insurance companies to recognize actions taken to reduce wildfire risk.

According to the release, “as California continues to experience longer and more complex fire seasons, CAL FIRE/Riverside County Fire Department encourages residents to take an active role in protecting their homes and neighborhoods by maintaining defensible space, hardening homes against ember intrusion, and developing evacuation plans."

The announcement comes as Riverside County heads into the peak summer fire season, when dry vegetation, wind, heat, and human activity can increase wildfire danger across inland communities.