Del Mar's newly formed Fire Safe Council is looking for residents willing to serve as volunteer block captains, plan community events and spread the word about wildfire preparedness.

The City of Del Mar announced the recruitment drive on Wednesday, Oct. 7, linking to the council's website for details.

The volunteer push comes as wildfire risk in Del Mar has grown sharply. The number of parcels classified in CAL FIRE's Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone more than doubled in 2025, jumping from 383 to 853, according to a Del Mar Fire Department overview presented to the City Council on Sept. 8. A total of 1,504 lots now sit in the high and medium zones combined. That expansion means fire prevention staff must conduct 853 annual defensible space inspections, up from 383 in prior years.

Roughly 81% of Del Mar parcels fall within some level of CAL FIRE's hazard zones, according to the council's website.

The Fire Safe Council describes itself as a citizen-led group that works alongside the Del Mar Fire Department. Its focus areas include home hardening, defensible space, fire-wise landscaping, emergency readiness and fire-resistant materials.

The council has been forming since at least early 2026. In January, Del Mar residents Richard and Dolores Davies told the Planning Commission in written comments that "the creation of a new Fire Safe Council for the City of Del Mar is currently underway." Laura DeMarco, a Del Mar resident and previous wildfire evacuee, identified herself as a council member in separate comments to the commission that same month.

The council is part of the North City West Fire Safe Council collaborative, which includes councils in Carmel Valley, Del Mar Heights, Del Mar Mesa, Sorrento Valley and Torrey Hills, as reported by the San Diego Union-Tribune. That collaborative held a fire safety workshop on June 27 at Del Mar Heights School that drew more than 100 people.

San Diego County has more than 50 fire safe councils, the most of any region in the country, according to the San Diego Regional Fire Foundation, as reported by The Coast News. In June 2026, the foundation awarded $276,000 in Project SAFE grants to 30 local councils.

Residents interested in volunteering can find details on the Del Mar Fire Safe Council's website.