May is wildfire preparedness month!
2026 Weed Abatement Deadlines
East County – May 15, 2026: Antioch, Bay Point, Bethel Island, Brentwood, Byron, the Township of Discovery Bay, Knightsen, Marsh Creek, Morgan Territory, Oakley, Pittsburg
Central County – June 1, 2026: Clayton, Clyde, Concord, Lafayette, Martinez, Pacheco, Pleasant Hill, Rossmoor, and Walnut Creek
West County – June 1, 2026: East Richmond Heights, El Sobrante, Hercules, North Richmond, Rodeo, San Pablo, unincorporated Pinole, Tara Hills, and Montalvin Manor
May is wildfire preparedness month. Every year fires threaten homes. The time to prepare is now, before the threat of fires are here. This is the time to remove weeds and any other combustible materials and create a defensible space around your home.
Defensible space is an area around a building in which vegetation, debris and other types of combustible fuels have been treated, cleared, or reduced to slow the spread of fire to and from the building. Helpful guidelines may be found at Contra Costa County Fire Protection District here.
“Wildfire mitigation isn’t a one-time project—it’s a constant, ongoing effort.”
Fire Chief Keith Buckmiller, April 2026,
Some things to consider now, in case you need to evacuate
Are you registered with the Contra Costa Community Warning System? CWS Do you know the evacuation zone for your home and other locations you and your family frequent? Can you open your garage door if your home is without power? Is your car pre-loaded with a Go Bag, first aid kit, and drinking water? Please include supplies for your pets too! Always know where your keys are and be ready to leave before a mandatory evacuation order is issued.
We offer FREE preparedness information and instruction periodically throughout year. Tell us you are interested here, and we’ll reserve a space for you at our next Basic Training session.
LAMORINDA CERT has water storage container sales twice a year. Check their website at LAMORINDA CERT enter Martinez Area CERT as your local CERT group. Link
Stay informed. GET ALERTS
MARTINEZ ALERTS Get alerted about emergencies and other important community news by signing up for Martinez Alerts. This system enables The City of Martinez to provide you with critical information quickly in a variety of situations, such as severe weather, unexpected road closures, police activity, missing persons and evacuations of buildings or neighborhoods. You may specify your home, mobile or business phones, email address, text messages and more.
THE CONTRA COSTA COUNTY COMMUNITY WARNING SYSYEM The Contra Costa County Community Warning System (CWS) is one of the nation’s most modern and effective all-hazard public warning systems. CWS is an all-hazards system designed to alert the community of an emergency through multiple communication tools. CWS is generally not used for traffic alerts. Sign up to receive important alerts from CWS here.
KNOW YOUR ZONE Be prepared for wildfires that may affect your home. Know when to act and what action to take. These notices are issued for a Zone with an evacuation status. Find out your home’s zone at CWS Know Your Zone . Zone Aware is now called Genasys Protect. Learn more here.
CALIFORNIA OFFICE OF EMERGENCY SERVICES California EOS provides alerts and messaging with critical information. Don’t let earthquakes catch you off guard! Seconds of advance warning can provide opportunity to take life-saving actions. Register for California Earthquake Early Warning. Wireless Emergency Services (WEA) is a nation-wide system providing lifesaving information for the State of California sent by state and local public officials. Register for these free services at Cal OES Alerts.
SHAKE ALERT – MyShake Earthquake Early Warning Seconds count! Download MyShake iOS/Android. Available in California, Oregon, and Washington.
Leave a Reply