Wildfire Resilient Communities
Permit Sonoma received FEMA’s Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) grant to fund the Wildfire Resilient Communities project. This effort will build on existing wildfire mitigation work developed through the Sonoma County Wildfire Adapted Program and the Hazardous Fuels Reduction Project and expand the County’s ability to address fire risk in both developed and natural landscapes.
Now Offering Free Comprehensive Home Hardening & Defensible Space Assessments
Did you receive a letter or door hanger inviting you to sign up for a FREE comprehensive wildfire risk reduction assessment from SoCo Adapts?
Complete this sign-up form to schedule an appointment with our wildfire mitigation specialists at no cost to you!
Building Resilient Infrastructure & Communities Grant
The Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program is a federal grant aimed at increasing resilience to extreme weather-related events such as fires and floods. Sonoma County’s Wildfire Resilient Communities grant was one of the first and largest projects awarded to fund community-scale wildfire resiliency projects. Similar to our other SoCo Adapts projects, this grant is administered in two phases.
BRIC Grant Update | 2025
In April 2025, FEMA indicated via press release that the BRIC program will be discontinued. The State of California has informed the County that BRIC phase two funds for implementation will not be awarded. Permit Sonoma will finish phase one before the November 15, 2025 deadline for the end of the County’s phase one BRIC grant. However, under guidance from the state Office of Emergency Services, Permit Sonoma is applying for new Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) grants to implement some of the work discontinued under phase two of the BRIC grant. We're also exploring extensions and other opportunities, so stay connected by signing up for project updates.
Wildfire Resilient Communities Project (WRC)
The WRC project will provide free wildfire risk assessments in pre-identified project areas in Sonoma County. Phase one activities include building community partnerships, evaluating structural vulnerabilities and defensible space, identifying sites for large-scale vegetation management, and offering educational and support to help residents take action.
Project Areas
Initial efforts will focus on three areas identified during the grant application process. These areas were selected based on various factors that will guide the assessments. While the project work concentrates on specific areas, the goal is to apply lessons learned and successful strategies more broadly over time, throughout Sonoma County.
- Penngrove-Rancho Adobe
- Larkfield-Wikiup-Mark West
- Lower Russian River-Guerneville
If you are in one of our project areas and would like a free assessment, please sign up using the WRC Assessment and update sign-up.
Timeline
As we continue to seek and secure funding for Phase two implementation, we’re completing Phase one of the Wildfire Resilient Communities Project, which includes free Structure Hardening and Defensible Space assessments in designated areas.
- June – August 2025: SoCo Adapt's Fire Prevention specialists begin conducting free curbside and comprehensive wildfire risk assessments in designated areas.
- September 30, 2025: End of free wildfire assessments and community engagement for WRC phase one.
- November 15, 2025: Current end date for BRIC grant, phase one.
Why Participate?
The effort to make Sonoma County more wildfire resilient includes a range of activities from the house outward to the landscape inward (often called “house-out, landscape-in”). Participating in the Wildfire Resilient Communities program will help you understand and prioritize actions that protect you, your homes, and your community. Your work will reap benefits that can be seen at both small and large scales, including:
- Protecting homes with structure hardening — Increase your home’s ability to withstand embers, heat, and flame of wildfire.
- Create defensible space starting within five feet of the home and moving out to 100 feet or the property line. Keep your landscape lean, clean, and green. Consider participating in Sonoma County’s free chipper program.
- Get ahead of new regulations – Beginning in early 2026, the California Building Code will require a non-combustible “Zone 0” (typically five feet) around homes in high fire hazard zones. Our assessments will help you meet this standard.
- Meet potential insurance requirements — Insurers often require or reward homes that meet home hardening and defensible-space standards.
- Build Community Resilience — Reducing risk from wildfire is a shared responsibility. Your participation and work to protect your home will help your whole community reduce risk and encourage neighbors to do the same.
When neighbors act together—from the house out to the landscape in—we raise the bar on safety for everyone in Sonoma County.
Next Steps
To find out if your property is eligible through any of our SoCo Adapts wildfire resiliency projects, visit our grant eligibility look-up (coming soon).
If you know you are in one of our Wildfire Resilient project areas and would like a free assessment, please sign up using the WRC assessment and update sign-up.
Or to learn more about what you can do to reduce risk and prepare for wildfires, check out the Community Wildfire Preparedness Plan and other resources on the County of Sonoma, Fire Prevention resource page.
We are proud to partner with our local fire districts:
Project Contact
For questions about the Wildfire Resilient Communities grant (née BRIC grant), please contact Robert Aguero.
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