Welcome to this site! It is great that you are getting a Firewise group going. You are welcome to post questions here and hear from people who have been through the process. Here is information to support your efforts.
And now your question: we are all wrapping our heads around which changes to make first. From the information presented by the Berkeley Fire Department, I’ve concluded that wooden fences are wicks for fire to spread quickly in neighborhoods.
Fences often are screened with shrubbery. When a fence catches fire, the vegetative fuel next to it will go up as well. If there is layered plant material along a property line, all of it can catch easily. If the wildfire starts with Diablo winds, embers start flying. Fences are kindling to spread fire.
If the fence (or gate) is within your Zone 0 (between 0-5’ from your home) it should be removed and replaced with a metal or wire fence (or gate). This action directly protects your home. The bottom line is: nothing should be combustible within Zone 0. See this excellent research paper for the science behind this recommendation/regulation.
If you can live without a fence, you may be able to define your property line another way. For example, using short metal stakes, intermittent rocks or gravel to define the edge, this keeps the space more open, and reduces the cost of a solution.