There’s an effort to reinstate a fee for rural Californians to help fund wildfire prevention. The plan would charge up to one hundred fifty dollars a year for homeowners in less populated areas overseen by the state. That’s about a third of California. The money would fund Cal Fire’s prevention work. A similar fee was in place for about six years but ended in 2017 after complaints. Critics say many rural homeowners are on fixed incomes and already pay a lot for insurance and wildfire safety. Lawmakers say they would consider lower fees for some residents as they did in the past.
