Do Not Disturb Ash: The County of Sonoma and City of Santa Rosa placed signs on each fire-damaged/destroyed property to caution property owners not to dig, dispose, or remove debris or ash from these properties. Hazardous debris after a wildfire can expose residents to toxic materials, and improper transport and disposal of fire debris can create dangerous health impacts throughout the community. Additionally, digging, piling materials up, or moving large pieces on or off the ash footprint could jeopardize government financial and debris removal assistance. Small scale sifting through ashes to locate remaining personal items will not impact your ability to get financial assistance but is not recommended for health reasons. The signs should be left in place on the property until proper authorization has been given by the County/City (depending on jurisdiction) for debris removal activities to begin.
Damage Status: Color-coded signs were installed to all structures/properties within the burn areas that were inspected by the County of Sonoma or City of Santa Rosa (depending on jurisdiction). The signs indicate the habitability of a structure. Yellow, red, or orange signs may only be removed by a County or City building official once work repairs have been completed. The structure habitability/safety evaluation status map may be viewed on the County/City structure safety maps online:
City of Santa Rosa property map  |  County of Sonoma property map