Megafire prevention package set out in Sacramento
More than a dozen bills were highlighted in Sacramento as part of the 2026 “Joint Megafire Prevention Package”, focused on reducing destructive megafires in California.
Megafire Action highlighted the package alongside FireWERX, the California Fire Safe Council and the Karuk Tribe, with the respective bill authors
The release described the package as covering home hardening, resilience loan financing, expansion of existing fire mitigation programmes, and measures intended to support beneficial fire.
It said the work is a priority for fire mitigation advocates following the 2025 megafires in Los Angeles.
Eric Horne, California Director of Megafire Action, said: “We honor the victims of the Los Angeles wildfires not only by helping communities rebuild, but by making government work better before disaster strikes.
“We honor the victims of the Los Angeles wildfires not only by helping communities rebuild, but by making government work better before disaster strikes,” Horne said.
Bills target home hardening, county capacity and technology adoption
Senator Ben Allen described SB 894 as using financing, planning and technology to reduce fire risk, and linked the bill to insurance availability and premium pressures.
Senator Josh Becker said SB 973 would direct CAL FIRE to develop guidance and recommended standards for local entities assessing wildfire risk and prioritising wildfire mitigation activities.
Becker said SB 973 would also expand the Wildfire County Coordinator Program.
Jacy Hyde, PhD, Executive Director of the California Fire Safe Council, said: “By strengthening county capacity, SB 973 ensures California’s wildfire investments deliver real risk reduction where it matters most—on the ground, in high-risk communities.”
Senator Henry Stern said California should reduce risk through a more efficient, innovative, community scaled approach.
Chris Anthony, Founder and CEO of FireWERX, said Stern’s Fire Innovation Unit Act would create a pathway to identify operational needs, co-develop solutions with firefighters, evaluate them and move tools from pilots to statewide deployment.
The release said SB 1079 would create a Fire Innovation Unit within CAL FIRE to identify firefighter needs, source technologies, prototype solutions and scale successful technologies across three programmes.
Assemblymember Steve Bennett said his six bills aim to reduce risk in the built environment by aligning certification, incentives, insurance transparency, tax policy and community-level preparedness.
Measures include beneficial fire capacity and liability changes
Assemblymember Damon Connolly said AB 1891 would dedicate grant funding to beneficial fire practitioners and was introduced with the Karuk Tribe and the Watershed Research and Training Center.
Connolly said beneficial fire projects help ecosystems foster biodiversity, reduce wildfire risk and preserve natural habitats and forests.
The release said AB 1891 and AB 1699 are intended to expand the pace and scale of beneficial fire in California by investing in local and tribal capacity while removing liability and permitting barriers that have slowed prescribed and cultural burns.
It said both measures recognise the role of California Tribes in fire-adapted areas and are intended to support tribal authority and resourcing.
Assemblymember Chris Rogers said: “Planning for wildfires isn’t a luxury, it’s a necessity.”
Kenneth Brink, Karuk Tribe Vice Chairman, said: “Indigenous people have been burning since Time Immemorial to manage our homelands.
“Fire promotes the cultural and ecological resources we need to thrive, and it protects our communities and landscapes from catastrophic wildfire.
“We appreciate that California legislators are looking at wildfire mitigation in a comprehensive way, recognizing that both landscape resilience and the built environment are critical to address, and humans have a central role in stewarding all of it, with beneficial fire as one of our most essential tools.
“We are excited to sponsor Assemblymember Connolly’s AB 1891 and support Assemblymember Roger’s AB 1699 which both support increasing the pace and scale of beneficial fire in California”
The package listed bills including SB 894, SB 973, SB 911, SB 1079 and SB 1404, plus Assembly measures AB 1699, AB 1891, AB 1934, AB 1960, AB 1964, AB 1971, AB 1986 and AB 2013.