New California wildfire laws aim to cut risk and upgrade homes

California homeowners may soon have new ways to protect their properties from devastating wildfires.

Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed a sweeping package of wildfire legislation to make communities safer while lowering some of the costs of home hardening and defensible-space projects.

The new laws include a low-interest loan program designed to help homeowners and businesses pay for fire-resistant upgrades, along with expanded wildfire prevention efforts, prescribed burns, and faster approval of fuel-reduction projects.

State leaders say the measures build on hundreds of wildfire mitigation projects already underway across California. But important questions remain. Who will qualify for financial assistance?