El Dorado County Office of Wildfire Preparedness and Resilience

09/15/2026

🏠🔥 Make sure your home doesn’t invite unwanted guests this fire season... we're talking about embers.

During a wildfire, wind-driven embers can travel miles ahead of the flames, looking for small openings where they can settle. One tiny ember finding its way into your attic or under your eaves can be enough to start a fire.

A few simple upgrades can help keep those unwanted guests outside:

✔️ Install ember-resistant vents or make sure your vent screens have openings 1/8 inch or smaller.
✔️ Enclose open eaves to reduce places where embers can collect and ignite combustible materials.
✔️ Regularly remove leaves, pine needles, and other debris from around vents, under eaves, and along your roofline.

Because when it comes to embers, the best houseguest is the one that never gets invited in. 🔥🏡

09/11/2026

🔥⚡With elevated fire danger in the next few days, take time now to prepare for a possible power outage. PG&E said possible public safety power shutoffs Saturday could affect portions of El Dorado, likely the Twin Bridges and Echo Summit areas.

❓Why: Low humidity and critically dry vegetation could create conditions that warrant deliberate outages to reduce the risk of electrical equipment sparking wildfires.

🔥⚡With elevated fire danger in the next few days, take time now to prepare for a possible power outage. PG&E said possible public safety power shutoffs Saturday could affect portions of El Dorado, likely the Twin Bridges and Echo Summit areas.

❓Why: Low humidity and critically dry vegetation could create conditions that warrant deliberate outages to reduce the risk of electrical equipment sparking wildfires.

09/10/2026

🚗 You know what's less exciting than making an evacuation plan?

Needing one and not having it.

So here's your reminder to dust off your plan, check your go-bag, and make sure everyone in your household knows what to do.

So before fire season gets any busier, take 10 minutes to ask yourself:

✅ Do I know at least two ways out of my neighborhood?

⛽ Is my vehicle fueled up?

🎒 Is my go-bag actually packed... or am I just pretty sure I have one somewhere?

🐾 Do I have a plan for my pets?

📱 Does everyone in my household know what to do if we're separated?

🗺️ Do I know my evacuation zone? (Visit PerimeterMap.com/eldoradocounty)

Hopefully, you'll never need your evacuation plan… but if that day ever comes, you'll never think, "I wish I'd spent less time preparing."

Take a few minutes today so you can spend less time worrying tomorrow.

09/08/2026

🍂 Your gutters have one job... don't let them become kindling.

Leaves, pine needles, and other debris may seem harmless, but they can become fuel when embers from a wildfire land in your gutters.

Installing non-combustible gutter covers can help keep debris out while reducing one place where embers like to settle. They're not a substitute for regular maintenance, but they can make keeping your gutters clean a whole lot easier.

Think of gutter covers as giving flying embers one less place to RSVP. 🔥🚫

Even if you have gutter covers, don't forget to check and clean your gutters periodically—especially before fire season.

Small upgrades like this can make a big difference in improving your home's wildfire resilience.

09/03/2026

🌲 Your wildfire preparedness questions called... they want you to bookmark this website. 😉

Whether you're wondering how to create defensible space, harden your home, find local assistance programs, or just figure out where to start, the Office of Wildfire Preparedness & Resilience (OWPR) website has you covered.

Think of it as your one-stop shop for wildfire preparedness in El Dorado County.

Explore resources like:
🏡 Home hardening tips
🌲 Defensible space guidance
🚨 Emergency preparedness information
🤝 Community programs and assistance
…and much more!

You don't have to become a wildfire expert overnight. Just knowing where to find reliable information is a great first step.

🔗 Visit the OWPR website and explore what's available:
https://eldoradocounty.ca.gov/owpr

Because when it comes to wildfire preparedness, a few minutes of browsing today can save a lot of scrambling tomorrow. 🔥🌲

09/01/2026

🏡🌲 Building a fire-resilient neighborhood is a team effort.

Wildfire preparedness isn't just about what happens on your property… it's about working together as a community.

When neighbors create defensible space, clear hazardous vegetation, share emergency plans, and help one another prepare, the entire neighborhood becomes more resilient. Wildfire doesn't recognize property lines, and neither should preparedness.

A few ways to get started:

🤝 Talk with your neighbors about wildfire preparedness.

🌲 Organize a neighborhood clean-up day.

🏡 Encourage friends and neighbors to schedule a FREE Home Assessment.

📱 Make sure everyone is signed up for emergency alerts and knows their evacuation routes.

Who knows? You might even learn your neighbor's name... instead of just calling them "the guy with the red truck." 🛻😄And let’s be honest… it is a much better reason to meet than during an evacuation!

The more we work together today, the better prepared we'll be tomorrow. Let's build a more fire-resilient El Dorado County—together. ❤️🌲

08/27/2026

Last week, OWPR had the opportunity to attend the Wildland Urban Interface Wildfire Preparedness Conference in Orange County. It was an engaging symposium bringing together leaders and practitioners focused on building stronger, more resilient communities in the WUI.

From successful community mitigation efforts, lessons learned and the critical role of collaboration to preparation, public outreach, and innovation, the panels offered valuable insight into both the challenges we face and the opportunities ahead.

OWPR was proud to share a little about the strong coordination happening across El Dorado County and the work being done alongside our many partners to move wildfire resilience forward.

We came away with new ideas, valuable connections, and a renewed perspective on the path toward community resilience and how the work we do today can help build a safer El Dorado County for generations to come. 🌲🔥

08/26/2026

Emergencies don’t always happen when everyone is together.

During an emergency, your family may not all be in the same place. Kids could be at school, you could be at work, and cell service may not be available.

That’s why it’s important to have a communication plan before you need one.

📞 Choose an out-of-area contact your family can check in with.
📍 Decide where you’ll meet if you can’t get home.
🚗 Know more than one way out of your neighborhood.
📝 Keep important phone numbers written down.

Take a few minutes today to talk through the plan with everyone in your household.

Know who to call. Know where to go. Know how to reconnect.

08/25/2026

📱🏡 How would your family stay in touch during an emergency?



If your emergency plan is, "We'll just text each other," it might be time for a backup plan. 😅



Wildfires can happen quickly, and power outages or disrupted cell service can make it difficult to reach the people you care about when it matters most. That's why it's important to create an Emergency Communication Plan before an emergency happens.



A few things to include:

📞 An out-of-area emergency contact everyone knows to call or text.

📍 A designated meeting place if your family gets separated.

🚗 Your primary and alternate evacuation routes.

🐾 A plan for pets and livestock.

📋 Important phone numbers written down—not just saved in your phone.

📻 Join CERA Neighborhood Radio to receive verified information during emergencies, even when power and cellular networks are down, by emailing [email protected]



The goal isn't to prepare for the worst, but to make sure everyone knows what to do if the unexpected happens.



Take 15 minutes this week to make a plan with your household. It's one of those things you'll hopefully never need, but you'll be glad you have.