The Valley Chronicle - CAL FIRE, The County of Los Angeles Fire Department and Partners Drive Home the Importance of Community Action During Wildfire Preparedness

Calabasas, CA – As California observes Wildfire Preparedness Week, May 3–9, 2026, CAL FIRE and partner agencies across the state are engaging communities to highlight the importance of readiness, resilience, and coordinated wildfire response ahead of heightened wildfire activity. As part of this effort, CAL FIRE and County of Los Angeles Fire Department today hosted a regional news conference in Southern California in Calabasas to spotlight the region’s unique preparedness needs and showcase the partnerships that support wildfire response and mitigation both locally and statewide.

The event brought together leaders from CAL FIRE, the USDA Forest Service, California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, California Military Department, California Conservation Corps, and other local, state, and federal fire and emergency officials. Agency representatives spoke about wildfire preparedness, interagency collaboration, and the mission-ready resources staged across Southern California.

“Southern California’s wildfire challenges require year-round readiness and strong partnerships,” said CAL FIRE Director and Fire Chief Joe Tyler. “This event highlights the dedicated people, equipment, and planning already in place to protect our communities.”

“Wildfire preparedness starts with all of us,” said County of Los Angeles Fire Chief Anthony C. Marrone. “Taking a community approach to reducing risks from wildfires is most effectively accomplished through collaboration to help protect our residents and support first responders on the front lines.”

This year’s Wildfire Preparedness Week encourages Californians to take proactive steps to protect their families, homes, and neighborhoods—creating defensible space, hardening structures, staying informed, and preparing evacuation plans in advance.

For additional preparedness resources, visit ReadyForWildfire.org. For additional Wildfire Preparedness Week Resources, check out the Media Toolkit.

Residents are also encouraged to use CAL FIRE’s Ready for Wildfire web-based app, which provides customized checklists, local alerts, evacuation planning tools, and more. The free app is available at: plan.readyforwildfire.org.

Images from today’s and CAL FIRE’s other Wildfire Preparedness Week events are available on Flickr.