San Elijo Hills is a recognized Firewise USA® community — and that’s a big deal. Firewise is a national program that encourages neighborhoods to reduce their wildfire risk by taking common-sense steps like clearing flammable vegetation, maintaining defensible space, and making homes more ember-resistant.
Here in California, participation matters even more. Under the state’s Safer from Wildfires regulations, insurance companies are required to offer discounts to homeowners in recognized Firewise communities. That means our collective effort to reduce fire risk can also help you save money on your insurance.
To stay in good standing with the Firewise program, our community must report wildfire risk reduction activities each year — and complete a formal re-certification every three years. Each household is expected to contribute the equivalent of one hour of volunteer time per year (valued at roughly $25). This can include activities like clearing brush, trimming trees, or participating in community cleanup events.
Firewise limits the size of recognized communities, so San Elijo Hills has been divided into three zones for tracking and reporting. Please click the link that corresponds to your zone to report your annual contributions to our wildfire risk reduction efforts:
Examples of actions, activities, and expenses to report can be found at this link.
Our three zones—Old Creek Ranch, San Elijo Hills North, and San Elijo Hills South—have been officially certified by the Firewise USA® program. These certifications qualify homeowners in these zones for potential insurance discounts under California’s Safer from Wildfires regulations.
To view the legend, click the square icon in the top-left corner of the map below.