Community Wildfire Protection Plan
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LINCOLN COUNTY, OREGON Community Wildfire Protection Plan 2500 Road Fire, Lincoln County, Oregon 2016 Adopted by the Lincoln County Board of Commissioners Approved August 15, 2018 This plan was developed by the Lincoln County Community Wildfire Protection Plan Committee in cooperation with the Lincoln County Fire Defense Board. 1 Cover Photo – The 2500 Road Fire The 2500 Road Fire east of the City of Depoe Bay was first reported August 22, 2016 at 5:55 pm. At the time, temperatures were in the low 70’s, with 40-50% relative humidity; winds came from the north at speeds of 25-30 mph, with gusts up to 35-40 mph and SL-1 was in level 1. After further investigation, the fire was determined to have started from an industrial forest operation. Because of its close proximity to Depoe Bay and the coast and the high visibility of the 2500 Road Fire from Highway 101, the fire received a lot of media and public interest. Lincoln County Public Information Officer (PIO) Casey Miller and Lincoln County Emergency Manager Jenny Demaris provided public information support until Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) PIOs could relieve. The initial attack was carried out by the ODF Toledo Unit with assistance from the Dallas and Philomath Units. Toledo Wildland Fire Supervisor Charlie Redheffer served as Incident Commander. Recon assistance was provided by Depoe Bay Fire, Assistant Chief, Bill Johnson. Mutual aid was provided by Tillamook ODF (Kevin Hill and 1 type 6 engine) and Western Lane District (1 type 6 engine) for initial attack. Those resources were rolled into the subsequent night shifts. Initial attack included 7 engines, 4 dozers, 1 twenty person crew and numerous overhead. On August 23rd at 6:00 am, a local type 3 incident management team assumed command (Redheffer). This team was comprised mostly of local overhead. At the peak of the fire, multiple 20 person and inmate crews, various pieces of large equipment, and 3 type 2 helicopters, 1 SEAT, air attack, multiple water tenders and fire engines were deployed. These resources rounded out a full day shift and night shift for the duration of the incident. A full functioning fire camp was set up at Fogarty Creek State Park. The fire burned a total of 202 acres, all on one landowner with mop up efforts continuing up to 8 days. The fire was put into a patrol status on August 30, 2016. Due to the cause of the fire, patrol duties were assumed by the landowner. The fire did not result in any vehicle accidents, personal injuries, structure damage or damage within the City of Depoe Bay. ODF costs to combat the fire came to approximately $1.4 million. The 2500 Road fire serves as a reminder that it is not a matter of “if” a wildfire will start, but a matter of “when”. Wildfires can, and do, happen in Lincoln County. Lincoln County Community Wildfire Protection Plan - 2017 Update Page 2 Acknowledgments This Community Wildfire Protection Plan represents the efforts and cooperation of a number of organizations and agencies working together to improve preparedness for wildfire events while reducing factors of risk. Lincoln County Fire Defense Board To obtain copies or view this plan electronically: Lincoln County Department of Planning and Development 210 SW 2nd Street, Newport, Oregon, 97365 Phone: 541-265-4192 www.co.lincoln.or.us/planning Lincoln County Community Wildfire Protection Plan - 2017 Update Page 3 Table of Contents Foreword 7 CHAPTER 1 9 Overview of this Plan and its Development 9 Goals and Guiding Principles 10 CHAPTER 2 18 Documenting the Planning Process 18 The Planning Team 18 Planning Committee Members 20 Planning Committee Timeline of Activities 20 Public Involvement 22 Documented Review Process 24 CHAPTER 3 26 Lincoln County Characteristics 26 Geography and Climate 26 Population and Demographics 27 Employment and Economics 27 Land Ownership and Development 27 Natural Resources 28 Hydrology 29 Air Quality 30 Oregon State Smoke Management Plan 31 CHAPTER 4 32 Risk and Preparedness Assessments 32 Wildland Fire Characteristics 32 Weather 32 Topography 33 Fuels 33 Wildfire Hazards 33 History of Major Fires 34 The Tillamook Burn 34 1987 Fire Season 35 Wildfire Ignition Profile 36 Wildfire Extent Profile 39 Wildfire Hazard Assessment 43 Lincoln County Community Wildfire Protection Plan - 2017 Update Page 4 Lincoln County’s Wildland-Urban Interface 45 Lincoln County Conditions 50 Overall Mitigation Activities 52 Overview of Fire Protection System 54 Statewide Fire Resource Mobilization 55 Central Oregon Coast Fire and Rescue District 56 Depoe Bay Rural Fire Protection District 57 Seal Rock Rural Fire Protection District 58 Siletz Valley Rural Fire Protection District 59 North Lincoln Fire and Rescue District #1 60 Newport Fire Department & Newport Rural Fire District 61 Yachats Rural Fire Protection District 62 Toledo Fire Department and Toledo Rural Fire Protection District 64 Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians of Oregon 64 Oregon Department of Forestry – West Oregon District 66 Siuslaw National Forest 67 West Oregon Forest Protective Association 68 CHAPTER 5 69 Strategic Planning Areas 69 Strategic Planning Area #1 – Western Lincoln County Coastal Zone 69 Strategic Planning Area #2 – Eastern Lincoln County 73 Fire Protection Issues 77 Urban and Suburban Growth 78 Rural Fire Protection 78 Debris Burning 78 Pre-planning in High Risk Areas 79 Road and Bridge Standards 79 Wildland Fire Specific Building Regulations 80 Ballot Measure 49 80 Fire Resistant Construction Materials 80 Fire Department Funding 80 Volunteer Firefighter Recruitment 81 Public Wildfire Awareness 81 Water Resources 81 Evacuation Route Planning 81 Lincoln County Community Wildfire Protection Plan - 2017 Update Page 5 Homeowner’s Insurance in the WUI 83 Past Land Use 85 Watersheds 85 Current Wildfire Mitigation Activities 86 Oregon Department of Forestry 86 Siuslaw National Forest 87 Lincoln County Fire Defense Board 87 Oregon State University Extension 87 Public Education Programs 88 Chapter 6 89 Mitigation Recommendations 89 Maintenance and Monitoring 89 Prioritization of Mitigation Activities 89 Wildfire Mitigation Recommendations 90 Policy and Planning Efforts 91 Fire Prevention and Education Efforts 93 Infrastructure Enhancements 95 Resource and Capability Enhancements 97 Proposed Project Areas 99 Regional Land Management Recommendations 102 Oregon Department of Forestry – West Oregon District 102 U.S. Forest Service – Siuslaw National Forest 102 Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians 102 CHAPTER 7 103 Supporting Information 103 Figure 5.1. Strategic Planning Area #1 – Western Lincoln County 104 Figure 5.2. Strategic Planning Area #2 – Eastern Lincoln County 104 Signature Pages 105 Lincoln County Community Wildfire Protection Plan - 2017 Update Page 6 Foreword Developing a Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) helps a community clarify and refine its priorities for the protection of life, property, and critical infrastructure in the wildland–urban interface on both public and private land. It also can lead community members through valuable discussions regarding management options and implications for the surrounding land base. Local fire service organizations help define issues that may place the county, communities, and/or individual homes at risk. Through the collaboration process, the CWPP Planning Committee discusses potential solutions, funding opportunities, and regulatory concerns, and then documents their resulting recommendations in the CWPP. The CWPP planning process also incorporates an element for public outreach. Public involvement in the development of the document not only facilitates public input and recommendations, but also provides an educational opportunity through interaction of local wildfire specialists and an interested public. The incentive for communities to engage in comprehensive forest planning and prioritization was given new and unprecedented impetus with the enactment of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act (HFRA) in 2003. This legislation includes the first meaningful statutory incentives for the US Forest Service (USFS) and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to give consideration to the priorities of local communities as they develop and implement forest management and hazardous fuel reduction projects. In order for a community to take full advantage of this new opportunity, it must first prepare a CWPP. A countywide CWPP Planning Committee generally makes project recommendations based on the issue causing the wildfire risk, rather than focusing on individual landowners or organizations. Thus, projects are mapped and evaluated without regard for property boundaries, ownership, or current management. Once the CWPP is approved by the County Board of Commissioners, the Planning Committee will begin further refining proposed project boundaries, feasibility, and public outreach as well as seeking funding opportunities. The original Lincoln County Community Wildfire Protection Plan was developed in 2009-10 by the Lincoln County Fire Defense Board, the Oregon Department of Forestry, the Lincoln County Department of Planning and Development and the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office of Emergency Management. Northwest Management, Inc. was contracted to assist in the development of the 2010 plan. The Community Wildfire Protection Plan is designed to be reviewed annually and updated at least every five years starting from the year of adoption. The 2017 update was a collaborative effort with Oregon Department of Forestry, Lincoln County Planning and Development Department, Lincoln