The San Luis Obispo Fire Department invites residents to attend a free Wildfire Preparedness Day on Saturday, June 13, 2026, at the City Corporation Yard, located at 25 Prado Road from 10:00AM to 3:00PM.
The event will bring together local and regional experts to provide practical information on preparing homes, families, and neighborhoods for wildfire. Attendees will learn about home hardening, defensible space, emergency planning, community resilience, vegetation management, and cultural approaches to stewardship of the landscape.
Information booths will be open throughout the day and staffed by organizations involved in wildfire preparedness, emergency response, and community resilience. Residents will have the opportunity to speak directly with subject matter experts, learn about available programs and resources, and ask questions specific to their homes and neighborhoods.
The event will also highlight several ongoing wildfire resilience initiatives taking place throughout San Luis Obispo. Residents can learn about the Firewise USA program, free home wildfire assessments offered by the SLOFD, AlertSLO emergency notifications, and vegetation management efforts occurring in and around City open spaces. Information will be available on how neighborhoods can organize to reduce wildfire risk, improve evacuation readiness, and work together to build safer, more resilient communities.
Event Schedule
10:00 AM – Welcome and Introductions
San Luis Obispo Fire Department
10:15 AM – 11:00 AM
Home Hardening and Defensible Space
Joe Little & Josh Daniel, San Luis Obispo Fire Department
Tony Stafford, American Red Cross
11:05 AM – 11:50 AM
Emergency Preparedness and Evacuation Planning
Anita Konopa, San Luis Obispo County Office of Emergency Services
12:00 PM – 12:45 PM
Building Community Resilience Before Disaster
Jim Kniss, Team Rubicon
1:00 PM – 1:45 PM
Vegetation Management and Wildfire Risk Reduction
Freddy Otte, City of San Luis Obispo
Kristen Anderson, Althouse and Meade, Vegetation Management Specialists
2:00 PM – 2:45 PM
Traditional Ecological Knowledge and Fire Stewardship
Kelsey Shaffer, yak titʸu titʸu yak tiłhini (Northern Chumash Tribe)
The event is free and open to the public. Residents are encouraged to attend individual sessions or stay for the entire program. No registration is required.
For additional information regarding Wildfire Preparedness Day, Firewise USA, home wildfire assessments, or AlertSLO registration, contact Joe Little, Emergency Manager, at jlittle@slocity.org.
Event Information
Wildfire Preparedness Day
Saturday, June 13, 2026
10:00 AM – 3:00 PM
City Corporation Yard
25 Prado Road
San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
The San Luis Obispo Fire Department invites residents to attend a free Wildfire Preparedness Day on Saturday, June 13, 2026, at the City Corporation Yard, located at 25 Prado Road from 10:00AM to 3:00PM.
The event will bring together local and regional experts to provide practical information on preparing homes, families, and neighborhoods for wildfire. Attendees will learn about home hardening, defensible space, emergency planning, community resilience, vegetation management, and cultural approaches to stewardship of the landscape.
Information booths will be open throughout the day and staffed by organizations involved in wildfire preparedness, emergency response, and community resilience. Residents will have the opportunity to speak directly with subject matter experts, learn about available programs and resources, and ask questions specific to their homes and neighborhoods.
The event will also highlight several ongoing wildfire resilience initiatives taking place throughout San Luis Obispo. Residents can learn about the Firewise USA program, free home wildfire assessments offered by the SLOFD, AlertSLO emergency notifications, and vegetation management efforts occurring in and around City open spaces. Information will be available on how neighborhoods can organize to reduce wildfire risk, improve evacuation readiness, and work together to build safer, more resilient communities.
Event Schedule
10:00 AM – Welcome and Introductions
San Luis Obispo Fire Department
10:15 AM – 11:00 AM
Home Hardening and Defensible Space
Joe Little & Josh Daniel, San Luis Obispo Fire Department
Tony Stafford, American Red Cross
11:05 AM – 11:50 AM
Emergency Preparedness and Evacuation Planning
Anita Konopa, San Luis Obispo County Office of Emergency Services
12:00 PM – 12:45 PM
Building Community Resilience Before Disaster
Jim Kniss, Team Rubicon
1:00 PM – 1:45 PM
Vegetation Management and Wildfire Risk Reduction
Freddy Otte, City of San Luis Obispo
Kristen Anderson, Althouse and Meade, Vegetation Management Specialists
2:00 PM – 2:45 PM
Traditional Ecological Knowledge and Fire Stewardship
Kelsey Shaffer, yak titʸu titʸu yak tiłhini (Northern Chumash Tribe)
The event is free and open to the public. Residents are encouraged to attend individual sessions or stay for the entire program. No registration is required.
For additional information regarding Wildfire Preparedness Day, Firewise USA, home wildfire assessments, or AlertSLO registration, contact Joe Little, Emergency Manager, at jlittle@slocity.org.
Event Information
Wildfire Preparedness Day
Saturday, June 13, 2026
10:00 AM – 3:00 PM
City Corporation Yard
25 Prado Road
San Luis Obispo, CA 93401