About Us
California Fire Safe Council (CFSC) supports communities across the state in wildfire preparedness and resiliency through grant funding, programmatic support, and technical assistance. Our goal is to provide resources and support for community-led wildfire resiliency efforts. As the statewide fire safe council, CFSC assists a network of over 300 local fire safe councils across the state in their efforts to educate, empower, and mobilize local communities to live safely with wildfire. This is done through outreach and education; landscape, community, and parcel level mitigation activities; and planning and community hardening. We envision a future in which California’s most vulnerable communities not only live safely with wildfire but thrive in the face of climate change. Through community-led preparedness, mitigation, and adaptation efforts, California communities will flourish—empowered to face the challenges of a changing climate with resiliency.
Our Impact
Since inception, CFSC has disbursed over $140 million in grant funding to more than 1,200 unique projects across California, bolstering the state’s fire resilience. Our impact includes:
- Nearly 400 communities reached
- Over 1,600 properties received defensible space work
- Nearly 4,000 Community Wildfire Protection Plans created
- Over 36,000 educational programs, products, and workshops offered
In addition, CFSC’s keystone County Coordinator program, launched in 2021 with funding from CAL Fire. The County Coordinator Program has been instrumental in consolidating and coordinating strategic interventions for fire mitigation across the state. Today, 52 out of the 58 counties in California have active county coordinators placed in county-wide organizations, like Fire Safe Councils, Fire Districts, or Resource Conservation Districts. This program provides a statewide framework to scale-up strategic, high-impact mitigations and to create a unique and efficient two-way channel of communication between the state and local communities for continuous learning, alignment of efforts, and informed decision making.
Since inception, County Coordinators have secured roughly $74.5 million in additional funding to support critical wildfire resilience projects and empower their local community members to take informed action, driving measurable progress towards local and statewide resilience goals.
What We Do
California Fire Safe Council – from its Board of Directors and staff to its extensive network of local, regional, state, and national partners – has amassed exceptional knowledge, dedication, and experience to address the state’s wildfire challenge. This expertise enables us to support community initiatives and enhance communication between federal and state agencies and vulnerable communities. We also provide tools, resources, and expertise at the local level to plan and implement strategic mitigation activities across the state.
Our efforts are crucial given the escalating frequency and intensity of wildfires; their significant impact on life, property, and community; and the high cost of response and recovery after wildfire events. Continuous learning, adaptation, and action are crucial. We remain dedicated to providing essential support to local communities, so that we can create more resilient, wildfire-adapted neighborhoods throughout California. As wildfires become more frequent, intense, and costly—exacting tolls on lives, property, communities, and the environment—our efforts are increasingly vital. With climate change worsening these threats, continuous adaptation and action are critical. We are dedicated to empowering local communities to build resilient, wildfire-adapted neighborhoods, safeguarding both people and natural resources across California.
Our History
The California Fire Safe Council (CFSC), a non-profit organization based in California, was originally established in 1993 as a project within the California Department of Forestry & Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) to address the state’s growing wildfire challenges. Over the years, CFSC evolved into an independent nonprofit organization, focusing on channeling critical funding directly into the hands of community-based organizations dedicated to wildfire mitigation and resilience.
Since our inception, CFSC has rapidly mobilized federal, state, and private funds to support wildfire preparedness, mitigation, and resiliency across California. Through partnerships with key funders, we fund essential activities, including fuels reduction, community hardening, community wildfire planning, local capacity building, and public outreach and education. Beyond funding, CFSC provides technical expertise and administrative support to ensure that community projects have the capacity, tools, and resources to succeed, working closely with Fire Safe Councils, Resource Conservation Districts, local governments, fire agencies, and community-based organizations.
While CFSC began as a Grants Clearinghouse primarily focused on streamlining public funding for community organizations, CFSC has since expanded into a comprehensive resource for wildfire resilience, offering strategic alignment with state goals, programmatic support, technical assistance, and capacity building initiatives. Our programs now focus on county coordination, supporting high-risk communities in building resilience and learning to live safely with wildfire. As we continue to grow, CFSC remains dedicated to empowering California communities with the resources, knowledge, and funding needed to live safely with wildfire.
