Wildfires continue to threaten communities across California, and every year we are reminded just how critical it is to get prevention, infrastructure, and response right. Given the scale of this challenge, and the amount of taxpayer dollars being spent, I wanted to hear directly from our community: are we focusing on the right priorities, and are we getting results?
When asked about the highest priority for wildfire prevention, residents were nearly split between two key solutions: 37% said expanding water infrastructure should be the top priority, while 36.8% pointed to increasing funding for forest management and controlled burns. Another 13.9% emphasized community fire-hardening efforts, showing strong support for a multi-layered approach to prevention.
But just as important as priorities is understanding what’s getting in the way.
Nearly 47% of respondents said inefficient government planning and bureaucracy is the biggest barrier to better wildfire management, followed by 30% who pointed to the misallocation of resources to less impactful programs. Only 11.5% said the issue is a lack of funding, reinforcing the concern that the problem isn’t just how much we spend – but how effectively we spend it.
That concern becomes even more clear when looking at how residents view the state’s current use of taxpayer dollars.
A staggering 79.7% of respondents said California’s current wildfire spending is not effective, including 55.8% who said it is not effective at all. Just 20.3% believe the spending is at least somewhat effective, with only 3.4% expressing strong confidence.
Despite that frustration, there is strong agreement on what should happen next.
More than 86% of respondents support reallocating existing taxpayer funds to prioritize wildfire prevention and water infrastructure, including 68.4% who strongly support it. Only about 6% expressed opposition, showing broad consensus that resources should be redirected toward higher-impact solutions.
When asked where those funds should come from, the top responses focused on major state spending areas. Approximately 35% selected free healthcare for undocumented immigrants, 31% pointed to high-speed rail funding, and 27% identified other state programs, reflecting a clear desire to reprioritize existing budgets toward wildfire prevention.
Finally, confidence in the state’s leadership to address this issue is extremely low.
More than 77.5% of respondents said they are not confident in California’s leadership to make meaningful progress on wildfire prevention, including 55.3% who said they are not confident at all. Just 22.5% expressed any level of confidence, with only 8.4% saying they are very confident.
What stood out most to me is that our community understands the problem, and they’re not asking for more complexity. They’re asking for accountability, smarter spending, and a focus on what actually works.
These results reinforce what I hear across the district: we don’t just need more funding – we need better priorities, better execution, and leadership that is willing to focus on real solutions.
I will continue fighting to ensure your taxpayer dollars are used effectively to protect our communities, strengthen our infrastructure, and prevent these devastating fires before they start.