Governor Gavin Newsom signed a 17-bill wildfire package on September 29, 2026, turning his temporary emergency streamlining into permanent law. The measures cover more than 500 fast-tracked prevention projects across nearly 130,000 acres, extend prescribed fire burn boss certifications from one year to three, and create a CAL FIRE Fire Innovation Unit.
Key Takeaways
- SB 1370 creates a consolidated, expedited review process for covered wildfire mitigation projects, which the state says saves a year or more of review on complex work.
- The emergency streamlining being codified has already moved more than 500 projects forward, covering over 310,000 activity acres of treatment across nearly 130,000 footprint acres.
- State-certified prescribed fire burn bosses will now hold certifications for three years instead of one.
- A new low-interest loan program will help homeowners and businesses pay for home hardening and defensible space work.
- SB 1079 establishes the Fire Innovation Unit within CAL FIRE to research, procure and deploy wildfire technology.
- Utilities must now account for active, inactive and abandoned transmission lines in their wildfire mitigation plans under SB 742.
Temporary Emergency Streamlining Becomes Permanent State Law
For the past year and a half, many of California’s fuel reduction and forest restoration projects have moved on an emergency timeline set by executive proclamation rather than by statute. That arrangement worked, according to the state, but it was temporary by design. The new package, anchored by SB 1370 from Senator Henry Stern (D-Los Angeles), replaces it with an ongoing process for faster project reviews while maintaining environmental safeguards.
For fire-prone counties, the change matters most in planning. Land managers, fire safe councils and tribal partners can now design multi-year treatment programs knowing the faster review pathway will not expire. The Governor’s office says projects under the new law will move from planning to implementation faster, saving a year or more of review on more complicated work.
Streamlined Projects Already Span Nearly Every Region Of California
The state pointed to a range of projects already advanced under the emergency approach. Near the Palisades burn area in Los Angeles, the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority is leading a fuels reduction effort covering more than 600 acres. In Siskiyou County, the Scott Valley and Callahan project spans nearly 3,000 acres. In Calaveras County, a 2,171-acre strategic fuel break is designed to protect the community of Arnold.
Other examples show how varied the work has become. In San Diego County, 300 grazing goats are clearing fire hazard across 240 acres to protect the Sycuan Reservation. In San Luis Obispo County, an 8-mile fuel break is intended to protect Heritage Ranch, a community of about 3,800 residents in a Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone. In Tuolumne County, a 302-acre project is helping senior and disabled residents in the wildland-urban interface clear vegetation and create defensible space.
Prescribed And Cultural Burning Gain New Support
Prescribed fire, often called good fire, is one of the tools land managers use to reduce fuel loads under controlled conditions. It depends on a limited pool of certified burn bosses. AB 1699, the Good Fire Act from Assemblymember Chris Rogers (D-Santa Rosa), creates a prescribed fire liability pilot program. The package also extends burn boss certification from one year to three and directs the State Fire Marshal to explore ways to expand the pool of burn boss instructors.
The legislation also codifies a 2025 executive order expanding tools to deploy beneficial fire. In Humboldt County, the 450-acre Prosper Ridge Community Wildfire Resilience Project is already combining cultural burning and prescribed fire for community protection. Longer certification cycles should reduce administrative turnover and help agencies and tribes keep qualified burn leaders active across multiple seasons.
Homeowners Get Financing Help And Clearer Hardening Standards
Much of California’s wildfire risk sits at the level of individual homes, where retrofits and defensible space can be expensive. SB 894 from Senator Benjamin Allen (D-Santa Monica) establishes a low-interest loan program for home hardening and defensible space work for homes and businesses, reducing up-front costs. Assemblymember Steve Bennett (D-Ventura) authored several bills in the package, including measures directing the State Fire Marshal to develop a home hardening certification program implementation plan.
SB 1093, also from Senator Allen, addresses disaster assistance for mobilehome parks, a housing type often exposed to wildfire and slow to recover.
Utilities, Water Systems And Counties Take On New Responsibilities
The package reaches beyond forests and homes. SB 742 from Senator Sasha Renée Pérez (D-Pasadena) requires the California Public Utilities Commission to update its rules to require removal of permanently abandoned transmission lines, and requires utilities to include all transmission infrastructure in their wildfire mitigation plans. SB 1153 from Senator Anna Caballero (D-Merced) requires urban water suppliers serving high and very high fire hazard severity zones to build wildfire preparedness and response into their emergency plans.
At the local level, SB 973 from Senator Josh Becker (D-Menlo Park) creates a Wildfire County Coordinator Program. The state describes the program as supporting county-level coordination and developing guidance for local wildfire-risk modeling, so communities can prioritize where mitigation dollars go.
Fire Innovation Unit Brings New Technology To CAL FIRE
SB 1079 from Senator Stern creates the Fire Innovation Unit, CAL FIRE’s new arm for researching, coordinating, procuring and deploying wildfire technology. AB 1749 from Assemblymember Diane Dixon (R-Newport Beach) addresses drones that interfere with wildfire suppression and emergency response. Governor Newsom said the goal is to leave California “safer, stronger, and better prepared for the generations that follow.”
The bills arrive alongside new funding. Earlier this month, the state allocated $25 million from the climate bond for a statewide community wildfire mitigation program and $117 million in Greenhouse Gas Reduction Funds for prevention and resilience projects. The state reports more than $5 billion invested in wildfire and forest resilience since 2019. CAL FIRE has added an average of 1,800 full-time and 600 seasonal positions annually over the past five years.
FAQs
What Wildfire Bills Did Governor Newsom Sign On September 29, 2026?
Governor Newsom signed 17 bills, including SB 1370 on expedited review for wildfire mitigation projects, AB 1699 on prescribed fire, SB 894 on home hardening loans and SB 1079 creating CAL FIRE’s Fire Innovation Unit.
How Long Is A California Burn Boss Certification Valid Now?
Under the new legislation, state-certified prescribed fire burn boss certifications last three years instead of one.
How Many Wildfire Projects Have Been Fast-Tracked In California?
More than 500 priority wildfire prevention projects have been fast-tracked, covering over 310,000 activity acres of treatment across nearly 130,000 footprint acres.
Is There Financial Help For California Home Hardening?
Yes. SB 894 establishes a low-interest loan program to help homeowners and businesses cover the up-front costs of home hardening and defensible space work.
What Is The CAL FIRE Fire Innovation Unit?
The Fire Innovation Unit, created by SB 1079, is CAL FIRE’s new arm for researching, coordinating, procuring and deploying wildfire prevention and response technology.
