NOVATO, Calif. — The Novato Fire District has been named to the California Board of Forestry and Fire Protection's 2026 Fire Risk Reduction Community List, recognizing the District's leadership in wildfire planning and community risk reduction. Effective July 1, 2026, the designation remains in place for two years.

The 2026 list includes 119 recognized entities statewide: 42 cities, 12 counties, 64 special districts, and one Tribal Nation. Communities selected for the list have demonstrated California's best practices in wildfire planning, prevention, and risk reduction. The designation also strengthens eligibility for future CAL FIRE Wildfire Prevention Grant funding and is one of the community-level wildfire mitigation factors recognized under California's insurance framework.

For the Novato Fire District, this recognition reflects years of collaboration among District personnel, residents, Firewise communities, homeowners’ associations, Marin Wildfire, Fire Safe Marin, Marin County, and other regional partners. While the District has long prioritized wildfire risk reduction, the passage of Measure C and the creation of Marin Wildfire in 2020 significantly expanded the District's ability to deliver community risk reduction programs and services.

Since 2020, those expanded efforts have included more than 28,000 home assessments, including an initial assessment of every single-family dwelling in Novato, support for 16 Firewise communities, six weeks of the Community Chipper Days program in partnership with Marin Wildfire, and projects including the 60-mile Greater Novato Shaded Fuel Break, the Novato Evacuation Route Clearance Project, and the Novato Open Space Fuel Reduction Project. Together with ongoing defensible space inspections, home hardening education, and community outreach, these efforts have helped build a more wildfire-resilient Novato.

"This designation reflects years of work by our Fire Prevention Division, our Wildfire Mitigation Team, community partners, and residents," said Fire Chief Dan Peters. "It's a recognition of what can be accomplished when we work together to reduce wildfire risk throughout our community."

While this designation recognizes years of progress, community risk reduction is an ongoing effort. The Novato Fire District will continue working alongside residents and regional partners to reduce wildfire risk and strengthen community resilience throughout Novato.