Community Wildfire Protection Plans
What is a Community Wildfire Protection Plan?
Community Wildfire Protection Plans (CWPPs) are an important component of a wildfire resilience strategy. These plans are highly collaborative and are developed by communities in partnership with federal, state, and local agencies, who can help to identify and prioritize projects and priorities. CWPPs are broad in nature, defining a community’s priorities, risks, and ensuring that every plan reflects the unique needs of each community.
Currently there are over 40 approved CWPPs in San Diego County. These documents are signed and approved by the San Diego County CWPP review committee, local fire agency, and the CAL FIRE Unit Chief. All CWPPs drafted in San Diego County must be in the approved countywide template, linked at the bottom of this page.
Why develop a CWPP?
- Improves community safety by working to the unique needs of each community.
- Guides funding priorities for grants and mitigation projects and meets requirements for many state and federal wildfire resilience grant opportunities.
- Encourages collaboration between communities and fire agencies.
- Provides a roadmap for long-term wildfire resilience and forest health.
CWPPs in San Diego County
Across San Diego County, over 40 communities have developed CWPPs tailored to their local landscapes and challenges. Each plan aligns with San Diego’s Regional Cohesive Fire Strategy and has the following strategic objectives to guide the CWPP:
- Community Outreach & Education
- Home Hardening
- Defensible Space
- Fuels Treatment
- Evacuation Planning
Develop or Update Your CWPP
The Fire Safe Council of San Diego County supports local CWPP efforts through templates, technical assistance, and connections to partner agencies. If your community doesn’t have a CWPP yet, or if your plan is outdated, it may be time to create or update one. Contact us today to get started!
We can help with:
- CWPP templates and example plans
- Annual Writer’s Workshop
- Facilitation and planning support
- GIS mapping and data resources
CWPP Resources:
- San Diego County Community Wildfire Protection Plan Writer’s Guide: https://firesafesdcounty.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Digital-CWPP-Guide-2025-Update-1.pdf
- San Diego County CWPP Template: https://firesafesdcounty.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Fire-Safe-Council-CWPP-Template-2025-Update.docx
- California Fire Safe Council has several guides and resources linked on their website at: https://cafiresafecouncil.org/resources/community-wildfire-protection-plans/
- Office of the State Fire Marshal CWPP Guide: https://osfm.fire.ca.gov/what-we-do/community-wildfire-preparedness-and-mitigation/california-cwpp-toolkit
- FEMA has a best practices for creating a CWPP document on their website here: https://www.usfa.fema.gov/downloads/pdf/publications/creating_a_cwpp.pdf