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With wildfire risk and insurance costs weighing heavily on the minds of many Californians, Senator Brian Dahle (R-Bieber) has introduced a bill to provide tax credits for homeowners who are taking necessary precautions to harden their homes by clearing vegetation to make their properties more firesafe.
CalFire strongly recommends a number of steps to improve older homes to increase their odds of surviving a fire, but with building costs on the rise, many vulnerable Californians living in fire-prone areas are unable to afford these life-saving measures. Senate Bill 952 would provide a tax credit to make these improvements feasible, as well as encouraging defensible space.
“Californians are already struggling to afford basic necessities,” Dahle said. “The credits made available by my bill will cut the cost of wildfire mitigation and incentivize proper forest management. Doing this work saves homes and lives, and safer communities are key to solving our wildfire and insurance crises.”
California has experienced some of the most severe wildfires in its history in recent years. The 2018 Camp Fire was the deadliest fire in state history – 85 souls tragically perished and 18,000 structures were destroyed. Additionally, the 2020 wildfire season saw an unprecedented 4 million acres burned.