Fire Safe Foothills

EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS I 2026

Wildfire Mitigation and Preparedness.

Wildfires have the power to destroy and upend entire communities. Nowhere was this more apparent than in Southern California, where, in early 2025, the Eaton and Palisades Fires destroyed homes, largely in vulnerable foothill communities. Dozens of people lost their lives, and tens of thousands lost their homes.

Today, the threat of another devastating wildfire is still high, as hundreds of thousands of families in Southern California live in foothill communities classified in the highest category of Fire Hazard Severity Zone by Cal Fire.

Consequently, federal, state, and local governments and organizations, including CORE, are investing in programs and resources to build better-prepared, more resilient communities, making the region and the state as a whole better prepared for future wildfires.

How is CORE supporting foothill communities in Southern California?

CORE, with funding from the San Gabriel and Lower Los Angeles Rivers and Mountains Conservancy (RMC), and through a partnership with Day One, aims to create safer, more fire-resilient neighborhoods by building knowledge of wildfire preparedness and increasing community engagement and coordination to proactively mitigate wildfire risks in the San Gabriel Valley and Antelope Valley. This work will also focus on underserved communities within the wildland-urban interface, particularly those in and surrounding the Angeles National Forest.

We envision resilient communities that are informed, prepared, and empowered to reduce wildfire risk through wildfire preparedness education and outreach, support for local leadership, and strong community partnerships.