The Kern Fire Safe Council is proud to announce we have been awarded a CAL FIRE Wildfire Prevention Grant in the amount of $816,677.12. These funds will support critical wildfire mitigation efforts on the western edge of Kernville, primarily taking place within the Frontier Trail community and surrounding area.

This project will be known as the “Frontier Trail & Kernville Community Protection Plan.” It will be implemented over a 3-year timeframe, and will be done in collaboration with the Kern County Fire Department, the United States Forest Service (Kern River Ranger District), and the Frontier Trail Home Owners Association.

The project aims to reduce wildfire risk and improve safety for the town of Kernville, and the surrounding Sequoia National Forest. Funding from this grant is allocated to conduct hazardous fuels reduction on about 180 acres by means of roadside brush clearance, thinning of overgrown trees and assistance in creating defensible space around homes. These efforts will build on existing firebreaks established by the Kern County Fire Department, and will support fuels management work in the nearby Sequoia National Forest.

This CAL FIRE Wildfire Prevention Grant creates critical defensible space for the Kernville area, protecting approximately 780 homes and 1,549 residents. The project implements three strategic treatment approaches: 2.5 miles of roadside fuel breaks (30 acres) along the only vehicular access route to western Kernville, defensible space assistance for low-income, elderly, and disabled homeowners (40 acres), and thinning of overgrown hillside drainages that act as natural fire pathways (110 acres). These drainage corridors are particularly dangerous during prevailing west winds, which push fire directly toward the community.

The Borel Fire Burn Scar Survey project was conducted through the Kern County Fire Mitigation Coordinator grant to assess post-fire conditions and resident needs in areas affected by the 2024 Borel Fire. This emergency services planning initiative focused on identifying potential hazards such as mudslides and landslides in the burn scar area, enabling the county to develop targeted response strategies and support affected communities in preparing for secondary fire-related disasters.

The Greater Tehachapi Region's Safe Road Plan tackles a critical evacuation challenge: residents could be trapped on roadways during wildfire emergencies due to roadside fuel hazards. This planning project surveys over 200 miles of state highways, county roads, and local jurisdiction routes across multiple Tehachapi-area communities to identify where roadside vegetation creates evacuation risks. The result is a comprehensive roadside fuels management plan that guides future treatment projects, ensuring escape routes stay open and emergency responders can safely access the region during wildfire events.

The Hart Flat Community Protection Project creates a 285-acre defensive fuel break along the southern and eastern perimeter of the Hart Flat community in the Tehachapi Mountains. This project is a partnership between Kern County Fire Department and The Kern Fire Safe Council. Using grading, mastication, hand cutting, and chipping techniques, this project establishes a 100-foot-wide fuel break that protects 314 homes and 585 residents from wildfire threats. The completed fuel break connects Highway 223 to Keene Ranch Road, providing firefighters with strategic access to defend the community.

The Kern County CWPP 2024 Update project aims to revise and enhance the existing Community Wildfire Protection Plan through comprehensive stakeholder engagement and the development of digital tools including a hub site, story map, and project tracking application. This initiative will strengthen wildfire preparedness across Kern County's three focus areas—Lake Isabella, Tehachapi, and Mt. Pinos—while reducing greenhouse gas emissions through strategic wildfire prevention planning.

KFSC was recently awarded funding from CAL FIRE for two projects. One is to create a fuel break bordering the Hart Flat community (grant term ends 3/15/2030), and the other is to update the Kern County Community Wildfire Protection Plan (grant term 12/10/2024 – 3/15/2030).

The KFSC’s Community Wildfire Defense Grant Round 1 brings comprehensive wildfire education to Frazier Mountain communities through hands-on workshops and personalized home ignition zone (HIZ) assessments. This program teaches residents how to create defensible space around their homes, prepare evacuation plans, and understand fire behavior in their local environment. Working to expand the program county-wide, residents who receive an assessment get a personalized interactive report showing actionable steps they can take to make their homes safer. The project combines educational workshops with individual property consultations to empower residents to take proactive steps in protecting their homes and families from wildfire threats.

KFSC received an award from the USDA Community Wildfire Defense Grant Program for a community home ignition zone (HIZ) assessment project for the Mt. Pinos Communities, which will include some fuel reduction for homeowners CWGD Round 1).

Grant term is 10/1/2023 – 9/1/2028; and a second award to create an assessment and planning document for the Greater Tehachapi highways and roads which will be used to apply for future grant funds to implement projects identified that will improve emergency ingress and egress and reduce fire starts along those roadways (CWDG Round 2). The HIZ project is underway, and the roads project is awaiting final agreement paperwork.

In 2023 the CA Fire Safe Council awarded KFSC funding to hire a County Coordinator for Kern County (February 2023 – December 2024). The purpose was to identify and coordinate fire mitigation agencies and entities throughout Kern County. This was a very successful project as mitigators got together and will continue to collaborate on future projects. Through this project, Kern County now has its first Firewise community.

Kern Fire Safe Council was incorporated in March 2020, just as the pandemic restrictions were being put in place. To begin public education, KFSC created a website and hosted live webinars with various disaster preparation and wildfire mitigation experts, which were then posted on the website.

Once pandemic restrictions were lifted, KFSC applied to and received awards from the California Fire Foundation (CFF) and Fire Adapted Communities Learning Network (FACNET) which funded go-bags, evacuation supplies and printed materials for the public. With these in hand, KFSC partnered with Kern County Fire Department and the US Forest Service, to provide a school program to teach 4th & 5th graders disaster preparedness and wildfire prevention. Ready, Set, Go and Wildfire Prevention were taught in six wildland urban interface schools. These students brought home go-bags, emergency radios and information to jump start their family’s preparedness efforts.