California’s wildfire season is underway, with normal to above-normal fire potential expected through September, particularly in Northern California’s mountainous areas and portions of the upper Sacramento Valley. Above-normal temperatures in Southern California and persistent dry conditions across much of the state will continue drying vegetation and increasing its susceptibility to fire. As the season progresses, the following resources offer information on current conditions, worker and produce safety, preparedness, and recovery. Preparedness is critical, and Western Growers encourages members to investigate beyond this abbreviated list of resources.  

These resources and more are available on Western Growers’ Disaster Resources page. 

 

California Wildfire Resources 

Current Fire and Smoke Conditions 

• CAL FIRE Incidents – Current California wildfire locations, acreage, containment, evacuation information and incident updates. 

• AirNow Fire and Smoke Map – Current wildfire-smoke conditions and air-quality information. 

Contamination Risks and Food Safety 

• Contamination Risks: UC ANR Home Garden Produce and Fruit Tree Safety – Post-fire guidance and 2025 fact sheets in English and Spanish. 

• Soil Contamination: UC ANR Home Garden Soil Safety – Information on assessing and managing potentially affected soil, including a 2026 fact sheet. 

• Food Safety: UC Davis Food Safety After a Disaster – Wildfire-related produce research, contaminant information, testing methods and food-disposition resources. 

• Smoke Contamination: Oregon State: Five Steps to Healthy Produce During Wildfire Smoke – Practical steps for handling produce exposed to wildfire smoke. 

• Food Safety: Effects of Bushfires on Fresh Produce Safety – Australian and New Zealand guidance addressing fresh produce, agricultural water, soil, ash, firefighting chemicals, worker exposure and food-safety-plan considerations. Regulatory requirements and respirator terminology may differ from U.S. requirements. 

Worker Health and Safety 

• Cal/OSHA Worker Safety and Health in Wildfire Regions – Current employer guidance, training materials, respirator information, cleanup precautions and resources in English and Spanish. 

• California Wildfire Smoke Standard—Title 8, Section 5141.1 – Official requirements for monitoring PM2.5, communicating hazards, training employees and providing respiratory protection. 

• Cal/OSHA: Protecting Outdoor Workers Exposed to Wildfire Smoke – Practical information for determining harmful exposure and protecting outdoor workers. 

Farm Preparedness and Recovery 

• CDFA Emergency Resources Portal – Access to California wildfire recovery, animal-response and agricultural emergency resources. 

• Oklahoma State: Preparing the Ranch and Farm for Wildfire – Guidance for preparing farm structures, equipment, vegetation and emergency plans. 

• USDA/NRCS Disaster Recovery – Financial and technical assistance for agricultural producers, including support for erosion control, soil health and damaged infrastructure. 

• USDA Disaster Assistance Discovery Tool – Helps farmers and ranchers identify USDA programs that may apply to disaster-related losses. 

Risk Assessment and Human Health 

• Risk Assessment: Produce Safety After Urban Wildfire (UC ANR, 2019) – Community-science report evaluating leafy greens and soil following the 2017 Northern California fires.  This is a research report, not a peer-reviewed journal article. 

• Assessing Wildfire Impact on Diffusive Flux of Parent and Alkylated PAHs: A Pilot Study of Soil–Air Chemical Movement Before, During, and After Wildfires (2024) – Peer-reviewed study examining wildfire effects on the movement of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons between air and soil in the western United States. 

• Chemical Characteristics of Wildfire Ash Across the Globe and Their Environmental and Socio-Economic Implications (2023) – Peer-reviewed study examining the chemical composition of wildfire ash and its potential effects on water, soil, sediment, ecosystems and human health. 

• Wildfires and Agricultural Worker Injury (2025) – Peer-reviewed study examining the relationship between wildfire-smoke PM2.5 and workplace injuries among California agricultural workers. 

• Air Quality Monitoring and the Safety of Farmworkers in Wildfire Mandatory Evacuation Zones (2024) – Peer-reviewed California study comparing AirNow and localized PurpleAir measurements and evaluating protections for farmworkers in Sonoma County evacuation zones. 

• Exposure to Smoke From Wildfire, Prescribed and Agricultural Burns Among At-Risk Populations Across Washington, Oregon and California (2024) – Peer-reviewed analysis of smoke exposure from different types of fires across three western states. 

FDA Regulatory Action Levels and Policy Resources 

• FDA: Action Levels for Poisonous or Deleterious Substances – Regulatory reference for certain contaminants in human food and animal feed.  

• FDA Compliance Policy Guides: Chapter 5—Food, Colors and Cosmetics – FDA compliance policies relevant to food contamination and regulatory decisions. 

Insurance and Risk Management 

• USDA Risk Management Agency Wildfire FAQs – Information on wildfire and smoke-related crop insurance claims. Coverage depends on the crop, cause of loss and applicable policy. 

• USDA Fire Insurance Protection–Smoke Index – Information about supplemental smoke-related coverage available for eligible grape producers. 
• HUB Agribusiness and Farm Insurance – Current agricultural insurance and risk-management information from Western Growers Insurance Services, part of HUB International.