Fire season is now year-round! Neighborhood cooperation and communication is key to wildfire safety.
Learn what the Santa Cruz Fire Marshall recommends you do to prepare your home:
Find out if you are in a WUI?
Lost your insurance? You’re not alone. Learn about the CA FAIR Plan
Wildfires represent a serious, and thanks to climate change, growing threat to neighborhoods in a Wildland Urban Interface. The homes in the Highland neighborhood of Santa Cruz are located in a WUI that includes Pogonip, Harvey West Park and Evergreen Cemetery ravine.
This site is the home of the Firewise organization for our neighborhood. We have collected useful and actionable resources to help our neighbors:
Protect their homes,
Collectively take practical actions to protect the WUI areas; Pogonip, Harvey West Park and Evergreen Cemetery ravine,
Responsibly restore and regenerate our neighborhood recreation areas so we, and the next generation, can continue to enjoy the outdoors that make our Santa Cruz neighborhood special.
We were recently recognized by the City Council for our contributions to wildfire preparation in the city of Santa Cruz!
“Wildfire season is now considered year-round. The heavy rains from this past winter have led to increased growth of light, flashy fuels that are drying faster due to the recent heat wave, making them more susceptible to ignition and rapid spread under the right conditions. It is imperative that every resident is prepared by creating defensible space around their homes, having an emergency response plan that includes proper supplies, a communication plan, and identifying two potential escape routes for evacuation."
Robert Oatey, S.C. Fire Chief
July 2025