Augusta County Community Wildfire Protec on Plan
2013 Augusta County Community Wildfire Protec on Plan
Acknowledgements
The Augusta County Community Wildfire Plan (CWPP) was adopted by the Augusta County Board of Supervisors on July 24, 2013.
Augusta County Board of Supervisors:
Jeffrey A. Moore, Chairman Larry J. Wills, Vice‐Chairman David R. Beyeler David A. Karaffa Marshall W. Pa e Tracy C. Pyles, Jr. Michael L. Shull
County Administrator:
Patrick J. Coffield
Fire‐Rescue Chief:
Carson Holloway
CWPP Steering Commi ee:
Kenneth Brown, Lieutenant, Augusta County Fire‐Rescue (Chair) Timothy Fitzgerald, Augusta County Director of Community Development Jeff Koenig, Na onal Park Service Thomas Ledbe er, United States Forest Service Glenn Mingo, Ci zen Representa ve Rodger Moyers, Virginia Department of Forestry Louis Murray, Virginia Department of Forestry Pa Nylander, Virginia Department of Forestry Nathan Ramsey, Ba alion Commander, Augusta County Fire‐Rescue Boyd Ritchie, Virginia Department of Forestry
Technical Assistance:
Central Shenandoah Planning District Commission
Acknowledgements
Augusta County Community Wildfire Protec on Plan
Table Of Contents Sec on 1 Introduc on
1.1 CWPP Purpose 1.2 Augusta County’s Need For CWPP 1.3 CWPP Process 1.4 Regulatory Framework 1.5 Augusta County Goals And Objec ves
Sec on 2 Wildland Fire Management Primer
2.1 Wildland Fire Behavior 2.2 Fuels 2.3 Fire Weather 2.4 Prescribed Fire 2.5 Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) 2.6 Hazardous Fuels Mi ga on 2.7 History of Fire
Sec on 3 Augusta County Profile
3.1 County Se ng And Informa on 3.2 Climate 3.3 Topography 3.4 Wildlands, Vegeta on And Fuels Of The Assessment Area 3.5 Water Resources 3.6 Fire Department 3.7 Values at Risk
Sec on 4 Wildfire Hazard and Risk Assessment
4.1 Approach To The Wildfire Hazard/Risk Assessment 4.2 Risks 4.2.1 Wildfire Occurrence 4.3 Hazards 4.3.1 Topography 4.3.2 Fuels 4.3.3 Weather 4.4 Values 4.5 Wildland Urban Interface Delinea on
Table Of Contents Page i Augusta County Community Wildfire Protec on Plan
Table Of Contents (con nued) Sec on 5 Wildfire Mi ga on Plan
5.1 Approach To Mi ga on Planning 5.2 Wildfire Mi ga on Methods Primer 5.3 Augusta County Mi ga on Strategies 5.4 Ac on Plan
Sec on 6 Emergency Opera ons
6.1 Wildfire Response Capability And Recommenda ons 6.2 Emergency Procedures And Evacua on Routes
Sec on 7 CWPP Monitoring And Evalua on
Sec on 8 Glossary
Sec on 9 Appendices
Sec on 10 References
Table Of Contents Page ii Augusta County Community Wildfire Protec on Plan
Introduc on 1.2 Augusta County’s Need For A CWPP
1.1 CWPP Purpose Wildfires are a fairly common occurrence
in Augusta County. Much of Augusta The density and abundance of forested County is located in or adjacent to heavily and wildlands in Augusta County, in wooded areas. These areas can serve as conjunc on with periods of high fire dense sources of fuels for wildfire to occur danger weather, lead to increased risk of and spread. Values at risk in the area wildfire in the area. consist of human lives, property, and
infrastructure that are located The purpose of the Community Wildfire predominantly within the rural areas of Protec on Plan (CWPP) is to provide a the County. strategy for the community to decrease vulnerability to wildfires that may occur in The heavy vegeta on in conjunc on with the region. The plan consists of several the terrain of the Blue Ridge Mountains components including hazardous fuels can facilitate the rapid spread of wildfire, reduc on and fire preven on, vulnerability as evidenced by the 2012 Easter Complex mi ga on, and effec ve response to fires which resulted in excess of 39,000 incidents that occur. The CWPP helps to acres burned, including over 5,000 acres of iden fy issues facing the community and private land. outline priori zed ac ons to mi gate the risks associated with the occurrence of This CWPP aims to provide an assessment wildfires. of the risks of wildland fire in Augusta
County, and to outline specific mi ga on Increased wildfire ac vity and several strategies to help reduce the vulnerability years of extreme wildfire occurrence led to to such occurrences. The process of the Healthy Forests Restora on Act of comple ng the CWPP can also serve as an 2003. This act serves as the star ng point educa onal tool to keep the public for the wildfire planning and risk informed of the dangers and provide assessment at the community level, and poten al resources or ac ons to take to forms the basis for the Community lessen the risk. Wildfire Protec on Plan. The comple on of the CWPP process enables communi es to be more involved with the protec on of the areas and enables access to the wildland fire and fuels mi ga on opportuni es afforded under the HRFA legisla on.
Sec on 1: Introduc on Page 1 Augusta County Community Wildfire Protec on Plan
1.3 CWPP Process with it the County begins its ini al steps in a long term journey to make Augusta The planning process for the Augusta County increasingly wildfire‐resistant. County CWPP is a very collabora ve process involving a Steering Commi ee, public input, and resources from state and 1.4 Regulatory Framework federal government. The Steering Commi ee is made up of County fire This CWPP is not a legal document, but personnel and other staff, staff from rather a planning document. There is no relevant state and federal agencies, and legal requirement to implement the ci zen stakeholders who reside in recommenda ons made in the plan. woodland communi es in Augusta County. Ac ons on public lands will be subject to The role of the Steering Commi ee was to applicable federal, state, and county combine public input with addi onal data policies and procedures. Ac on on private and resources into the CWPP with an land may require compliance with the emphasis on priori zing fuel reduc on and County’s land use codes, building codes, addressing the treatment of structural and local covenants. There are several ignitability. Public input was provided in federal legisla ve acts that set policy and several ways; tow open house events at provide guidance to the development of the Augusta County Government Center, the CWPP: an on‐line survey that was adver sed in mul ple media outlets and on the Healthy Forests Restora on Act (HFRA) County’s website, and a public awareness (2003) – Federal legisla on to promote booth at the Home Depot Store in the City healthy forest and open space of Waynesboro. For results of the survey, management, hazardous fuels please see the survey report that can be reduc on on federal land, community found in the appendices sec on of the wildfire protec on planning, and plan. The delinea on of the Wildland biomass energy produc on. Urban Interface (WUI) provided the priori za on of fuel reduc on in the Na onal Fire Plan and 10‐year County. Residen al areas and Comprehensive Strategy (2001) – communi es in the WUI will be the first Interagency plan that focuses on areas of importance as fuel reduc on and firefigh ng coordina on, firefighter mi ga on strategies move into the safety, post‐fire rehabilita on, implementa on phase. As indicated by hazardous fuels reduc on, community public input, to begin the process to assistance, and accountability. address structural ignitability, public educa on is needed to create awareness Federal Emergency Management of the wildfire risks associated with living Agency (FEMA) Disaster Mi ga on Act in woodland areas as well as the mi ga on (2000) – Provides criteria for state and and landscaping methods that can be used local mul ple‐hazard and mi ga on to reduce the risk. The CWPP is the first planning. plan of its type for Augusta County and
Sec on 1: Introduc on Page 2 Augusta County Community Wildfire Protec on Plan
An addi onal resource for Wildland 1.5 Augusta County Goals And Urban Interface (WUI) communi es is Objec ves the Firewise program. Firewise is a na onal educa onal program that Mission: The mission of the Augusta encourages enhanced fire safety in the County Community Wildfire Protec on WUI by providing resources and Plan (CWPP) is to undertake a proac ve guidance in the principles of planning process which develops preven on, mi ga on, and mi ga on strategies, promotes safety preparedness targeted to local measures that empower the ci zens living communi es and individuals within the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI), (www.firewise.org). and protects the firefighters who suppress wildfires. U lizing an emphasis on communica ons and educa on, the Augusta County CWPP will incorporate collabora on, priori ze fuel reduc on, and recommend reduc on strategies for structural ignitability as part of the planning process.
Vision: Those involved in the CWPP planning process envision an Augusta County that consists of ci zens and first responders educated about the Wildland Urban Interface, designated Firewise Communi es county‐wide, and the existence of a healthier forest. As a result of the plan and subsequent implementa on of mi ga on projects, educa on and outreach programs, priori zed fuel reduc on, and reduc on of structural ignitability will be introduced to the area. Comple on of the Community Wildfire Protec on Plan is the ini al step for Augusta County towards disaster‐ resistance in its approach to wildfires.
Goal Statements: The goals of the Augusta County Community Wildfire Protec on Plan and associated implementa on of educa on and mi ga on programs and projects are to:
Increase the safety of the County’s
Sec on 1: Introduc on Page 3 Augusta County Community Wildfire Protec on Plan
Emergency Responders. and elected officials. Develop and improve the safety County ci zens’ recogni on of wildfire implementa on habits of the County’s preven on and mi ga on as a priority. ci zens. The ability of planning and Develop Firewise Communi es county‐ implementa on processes to be wide. communicated externally through the Create a more informed public. media and other sources. Easy access to informa on about the Comple ng these goals will benefit: plan, as well as programs and projects that follow the planning process. Ci zens Availability of the necessary financial First responders support and other resources. The business community Local government Benchmarks that will illustrate that these To reach these goals, tasks may be goals have been met or even exceeded implemented by: include:
Ci zens More incen ves for the public to Elected officials implement mi ga on projects. Those involved with community More Firewise Communi es in the planning and zoning county. Federal, state, and local government Posi ve media coverage. The Augusta County Fire and Rescue Firewise projects taking place Department throughout the County, such as a Augusta County volunteer fire Firewise Day or a Community Clean‐up. companies Mi ga on as a constant ac vity throughout the county, especially in The benefits that will be produced by the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) reaching these goals include: areas. Fewer fires and less property damage. Increased safety and protec on of life and property. Financial incen ves for taxpayers. Reduced demand for county, state, and federal resources and staff. Conserva on of the forest and other valuable natural resources.
In order for the goals to be successful, the following condi ons should exist:
Buy‐in from County government staff
Sec on 1: Introduc on Page 4 Augusta County Community Wildfire Protec on Plan
Wildland Fire Management measures the rate of heat released by the fire. Primer Fire Spread Wildland fire is defined as a non‐structure There are four ways that wildland fires fire that burns wildland fuels. There are spread from one area to another. three dis nct types of wildland fires; Ground Fires ‐ restricted to the layer of wildfire, wildland fire use, and prescribed duff, roots, and buried or par ally buried dead and decaying logs. fire. A wildfire is an unplanned, unwanted wildland fire that includes unauthorized Surface Fires ‐ spread through fuels on human‐caused fires, escaped prescribed the forest surface, such as small trees, fire projects, escaped wildland fire use shrubs, vegeta on, and li er. events, and all other wildland fires where Crown Fires ‐ spread through the aerial the objec ve is to put the fire out. strata of the forest, mostly Wildland fire use is the applica on of the independent of surface fires. appropriate management response to Spo ng ‐ occurs when fire brands (hot naturally‐ignited wildland fires to wood embers) are transported accomplish specific resource management naturally by wind, convec on, or objec ves. A prescribed fire is a planned gravity beyond the main perimeter of fire ignited by land managers to the fire. accomplish resource management objec ves. Fire Growth The growth of a fire follows a similar cycle regardless of fire type, size, or intensity. A 2.1 Wildland Fire Behavior wildland fire will move from igni on
Fire Behavior through an ini a on state, during which Fire behavior describes how a fire burns, rate‐of‐spread accelerates to a steady where it burns, how fast it travels, how state. The ini a on state of a fire is the much heat it releases, and how much fuel period of me a er igni on un l a fire reach it consumes. es a steady rate of spread. Wildland fire generally starts from a single igni on point, such as a lightning strike, match, or Combus on and Heat Transfer Oxygen, heat, and fuel must be present in spark. During the ini a on stage, there is a proper combina on for a fire to ignite a build up of heat and the fuel present at and ini ate combus on. Fire releases heat the point of origin is consumed. The fire through combus on. The change a fire will begin to expand its perimeter goes through is organized into five phases outward. If all fuel condi ons remain of combus on; pre‐igni on, flaming constant, the fire perimeter will expand at combus on, smoldering combus on, an accelera ng rate for 10 to 30 minutes, at which point the rate of spread reaches a glowing combus on, and ex nc on. Convec on, radia on, and conduc on steady state. The flaming zone moves at a transfer the heat produced during nearly constant rate with the same combus on to other fuels. Fire intensity intensity. The steady state rate of spread
Sec on 2: Wildfire Management Primer Page 1 Augusta County Community Wildfire Protec on Plan
is maintained as long as fuel, weather, and and buried fuels. Ground fuels lie topographical condi ons remain stable; below the li er layer or within soil and although stable condi ons are unlikely to can ignite and smolder for days to occur in wildland fires. months following flaming front passage. Ground fires produce Extreme Fire Behavior persistent and harmful smoke and can The level of fire behavior that goes beyond re‐ignite surface fuels. human methods of fire control and Surface fuels consist of the li er layer, predic on is known as Extreme Fire downed woody materials, and dead Behavior. Extreme Fire Behavior accounts and live plants up to six feet in height, for the most fire‐related injuries and which are considered understory fatali es. Characteris cs of Extreme Fire plants. The availability of surface fuels Behavior include: very high to extreme is determined by par cle size, rates of spread; prolific crowning and horizontal con nuity, moisture torching; fire whirls; tall, well‐developed content, compactness, and fuel type. convec on columns; long flame lengths; Ladder fuels consist of vine or liana and excessive spo ng. Fire whirls are fuels and draped foliage fuels. Ladder spinning ver cal vor ces of hot air and fuels provide ver cal con nuity gases rising up from a fire carrying embers, between understory, midstory, surface flames, smoke, and debris that can have a fuels, and canopy fuels. Another diameter of less than one foot to more important type of ladder fuel can be than 500 feet and have the intensity of a draped dead foliage, especially pine small tornado. Extreme Fire Behavior needle li er on vines or shrubs. results from topography, abundant Following storms in forests, such as available fuels, low rela ve humidity, hurricanes, tornadoes, or ice storms, drought, atmospheric instability, and/or hanging branches can become strong winds. important ladder fuels. Canopy fuels consist of the crowns of 2.2 Fuels the trees that form the overstory.
Fuel is all plant material (living and dead) Physical Fuel Proper es that can be ignited by a fire. Fires vary Combus on and fire behavior are widely in: the kind of fuels that burn; the influenced by physical fuel proper es such total amount of fuels that burn; and the as size, shape, loading, and arrangement. intensity at which these fuels burn. It is the fuel consump on characteris cs that Par cle size is an important determine peak temperatures reached, characteris c because the larger the dura on of heat, and stra fica on of heat par cle, the more heat that is needed above and below the soil surface. to ignite and combust the par cle. Smaller par cles have low heat Fuel Categories capaci es and require smaller amounts Ground fuels consist of organic soils, of heat energy for igni on and forest floor duff, stumps, dead roots, combus on.
Sec on 2: Wildfire Management Primer Page 2 Augusta County Community Wildfire Protec on Plan
Fuel shape is determined by a surface 2.3 Fire Weather area‐to‐volume ra o. Fuels with high surface area‐to‐volume ra os, such as Weather is defined as the state of the foliage fuels and pine needle li er, atmosphere described in terms of have lower heat capacity and ignite temperature, humidity, stability, pressure, more rapidly that fuels with small wind speed and direc on, clouds, and surface area‐to‐volume ra on fuels like precipita on. Fire behavior can be downed logs. controlled by the interac on of weather Fuel loading, which is expressed in elements. Fire weather consists of weight per unit area, is the amount of examining the atmosphere’s current state live and dead fuel. Site produc vity, between the surface and five to ten miles recent disturbance history, and fire above the surface and seeing how the regime cause fuel loads to vary change in this state will affect and impact considerably. Disturbances can include fires. Knowledge of fire weather in removing or adding fuel such as in fires conjunc on with informa on on fuels and or hurricanes. Higher fuel loads exist topography can allow for the assessments in long‐unburned stands compared to of poten al fire behavior and danger. stands that have been managed with prescribed fire. Air Temperature Fuel arrangement consists of two Air temperature directly influences many aspects: packing ra on and fuel other weather elements including placement. Loosely packed fuels allow moisture, stability, wind speed, and for rapid igni on and combus on direc on. Air movement is caused by compared to densely packed fuels. differences in temperature that create Placement of fuel is also a factor differences in air density and atmospheric because fuels placed within the pressure. flaming zone are the ones that will be combus ble. Atmospheric Moisture (Humidity) Atmospheric moisture directly affects the Fuel Moisture flammability of forest fuels. Indirectly, Fuel moisture can significantly affect fire atmospheric moisture also affects other behavior. More specifically, moisture fire behaviors because of its rela onship determines how much fuel is available for to other weather factors. For example, burning and how much is consumed. moisture is necessary for the development Moisture absorbs heat from combus on of lightning which, par cularly in making it less available for igni on. Fuel mountainous areas, can cause a wildfire. moisture content also affects fire severity and smoke genera on. Atmospheric Stability Atmospheric stability is the resistance of the atmosphere to ver cal mo on and can greatly affect fire behavior. Indicators of stability include wind flow characteris cs, type of cloud, me of day, and the season.
Sec on 2: Wildfire Management Primer Page 3 Augusta County Community Wildfire Protec on Plan
Wind Speed and Direc on vapor. Clouds are classified by their Wind speed and direc on also affect fire structure, stratus or cumulus; al tude, behavior. General winds, convec ve high, middle, or low; and their ver cal winds, air masses, and fronts are several development. When cloud droplets grow types of winds that are factors. to sizes large enough, precipita on occurs. The beginning, ending, and severity of General Winds, which are also known local fire seasons is controlled by the as winds alo , are caused by broad amount and seasonal distribu on of scale circula on pa erns high above precipita on. the earth. Large‐scale convec ve circula on between the Equator and Thunderstorms, Lightning, and Tornadoes the polar regions and the rota on of Thunderstorms are violent local storms the earth on it’s axis result in these produced by a cumulonimbus cloud and general winds that circulate air are accompanied by thunder and lightning. throughout the atmosphere. They represent extreme convec ve Vegetated areas and forests contribute ac vity in the atmosphere with their to air turbulence. updra s and downdra s reaching high Convec ve Winds originate from local speeds. Mature stage thunderstorms are temperature differences and may be important in fire control because they strengthened, weakened, or start fires by lightning, blow them out of eliminated by general winds. Familiar control with downdra and ou low, or put convec ve winds include: winds them out with rain. associated with convec ve cumulus and thunderstorm clouds; land and sea Condi ons necessary for thunderstorm breezes; whirlwinds; and valley and development: slope winds. Condi onally unstable through a deep An Air Mass is a large body of air with layer of air. only small horizontal varia ons of Some mechanism to release the temperature, pressure, and moisture. instability, such as orographic or The boundaries between two air frontal li ing, low‐level converging masses of different temperatures is flow, or hea ng below. called a front. Day‐to‐day fire weather There are three li ing process which depends on either the character of the can act singly or together: prevailing air mass or the interac on of Convec on is a common process by two or more air masses. which the air is li ed when the atmosphere is unstable. For Clouds and Precipita on example, surface hea ng can make lower levels of the atmosphere Clouds and precipita on are also unstable during the day me. indicators of fire weather. Clouds are Because wildland fires can also be a visible evidence of atmospheric moisture source of heat, they can also and mo on. The forma on of clouds is ini ate convec on, produce clouds, caused by the condensa on of water and even rare showers.
Sec on 2: Wildfire Management Primer Page 4 Augusta County Community Wildfire Protec on Plan
Orographic Li ing is an important reaches its maximum height. The process along the Appalachian visible cloud top fla ens to an “anvil” Mountains where layers of air that shaped top. The mature stage is the flow in response to pressure most intense period of the gradients are li ed up over the thunderstorm. Maximum lightning mountains. In an unstable frequency, heavy rain, and strong atmosphere this process can cause gusty winds at ground level are typical. the flow of air to keep rising to the Dissipa ng Stage ‐ downdra s condensa on level and for clouds con nue to develop but updra s to form. weaken. When the en re Frontal Li ing is similar to thunderstorm cell becomes an area of orographic li ing but instead of downdra s it enters the dissipa ng being li ed by sloped topography it stage. Finally, the downdra then is li ed by the slope of a heavier air weakens and the rainfall lessens and mass. stops. Sufficient moisture in the air. Without this moisture, even if other factors are Types of Thunderstorms: in place, thunderstorm development is Frontal Thunderstorms are caused unlikely. by warm, moist air being forced over a wedge of cold air. Stages of Development for a Air Mass Thunderstorms are Thunderstorm sca ered or isolated and may be Thunderstorms are composed of one or further classified as convec ve or more individual convec on cells. A storm orographic, although these li ing composed of a cluster of cells will contain processes o en act together. cells in various stages of development and High Level Thunderstorms, also decay. The life cycle of each cell can be known as dry thunderstorms, are from 20 minutes to 1 1/2 hours in especially important because of dura on. For clusters of cells, the process their ability to start fires . The may last for 6 hours or more. cloud bases of these storms are so high that precipita on is The three stages of development and mostly or totally evaporated before decay of a cell: it reaches the ground. This results Cumulus Stage ‐ a cumulus cloud in lightning striking the ground and grows into a cumulonimbus and cloud star ng fires in dry fuels. droplets grow to raindrop size. This stage causes very li le effect to surface Lightning occurs in a thunderstorm when a weather, but if an updra passes over strong enough electrical poten al builds a going fire it can cause it to become up to exceed the resistance of the ac ve. atmosphere to a flow of electrons Mature Stage ‐ the beginning of this between the centers of opposite charge. stage is marked by the start of rain. In Some mes lightning can occur in the the mature state, the convec on cell cumulus stage but it reaches its greatest
Sec on 2: Wildfire Management Primer Page 5 Augusta County Community Wildfire Protec on Plan
frequency and height when the cell 2.5 Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) reaches maturity. The start of rain beneath the cloud base, when the cell begins the A Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) is where mature stage, marks the onset of the vegeta ve fuels that are poten ally greatest lightning danger. flammable are adjacent to or overlap with homesites and other infrastructure. A WUI Severe thunderstorms can create the fire is not a singular kind of fire; instead it environment favorable for the is a combina on of both wildland and development of Tornadoes. A tornado is a structural fires. As me has progressed, violently whirling storm whose destruc on there has been an increase in urbaniza on is caused by very strong winds and and popula on densi es leading to an extremely low pressures. Tornadoes have increase of dispersed development the poten al to blow down mber in happening in fire adapted landscapes. forested areas which creates higher Conver ng former rural lands into wildland fire hazards. developed lands has disrupted the landscape and raised wildfire risks, thus 2.4 Prescribed Fire increasing the need for more awareness on WUI fires. Prescribed fire is used to accomplish a number of resource management Special Considera ons objec ves, such as ecosystem Tradi onally, wildland fires and structural maintenance, hazardous fuels reduc on, fires are each treated differently by plant species diversity, noxious and firefigh ng organiza ons. But with invasive weed abatement, and wildlife increased Wildland Urban Interfaces, the habitat improvement. Mul ple resource two types of firefigh ng are merging, and management objec ves are o en both structural and wildland firefighters achieved concurrently. The use of are working side‐by‐side. This teamwork is prescribed fire in the WUI is carefully also present for suppression and planned, enacted only under favorable preven on ac vi es. Firefighters that treat weather condi ons, and must meet air WUI fires have mul ple scenarios that quality requirements. Prescribed fire may need to be taken into considera on; like be broadcast over a defined area or fire‐induced hysteria, toxic fer lizers, concentrated in localized burn piles. pes cides and herbicides, and gas, Broadcast burns are used to simulate propane, and other above ground natural occurring fire but they only occur flammable liquids. WUI fire behavior also under carefully pre‐planned and specified presents a unique case for firefighters, condi ons. Pile burns are the use of fire to seeing as WUI fires consist of fire pa erns dispose of concentra ons of non‐ from both man‐made structures and merchantable, woody fuel that are vegeta on burning. A plant’s collected a er a mechanical treatment. characteris cs and arrangement, such as Pile burning is u lized when cost or issues dry vegeta on on steep slopes with the of access make other methods of disposal addi ve of high wind, can influence the unrealis c. fire behavior through increasing fire
Sec on 2: Wildfire Management Primer Page 6 Augusta County Community Wildfire Protec on Plan
intensity and rate of spread. As for for fuel modifica on. Home traits and structural fires, construc on materials are surrounding environments also play a role heavier with low fuel moisture which helps in the risk of fires and should be subjects flame residence mes last longer. looked into when crea ng assessments; Interagency coopera on and collabora on like knowing the types, arrangement, size, is paramount. Firefigh ng agencies on the and volume of vegeta ve fuels. The most local, state, and federal levels have to be efficient and cost effec ve me to make able to work together effec vely. prepara ons to protect the home and other structures from fire is during ini al Mi ga on development of a wildland property. In One of the main ways to help reduce loss Virginia, the Department of Forestry has of life, property, and resources is to have taken proac ve steps and developed a planners, developers, fire agencies, and Geographic Informa on Systems (GIS) homeowners working together to define, model. This model portrays wildfire risk enforce, and maintain fire safety standards areas in conjunc on with areas of high that are reasonable. But barriers may arise popula ons and forest covers. that disrupt planned fire mi ga on. In Synthesizing this informa on and the most cases these barriers consist of the different spa al rela onships that exist residents’ resistance to future plans allows the Department of Forestry to regarding fire safety. Rather than taking concentrate on the correct resources precau ons residents may prefer to wait needed, provide the right preven on un l the event happens, or some residents educa on, and provide emergency may think that WUI fires are innately response efforts to the places of greatest uncontrollable, thus the damage resulted risk. As with mi ga on, there are deemed random—which in turn lessens resources available to help homeowners investments for firefigh ng. There are assess and rank the risk for their individual mul ple sources available that outline homes and proper es. programs and standards of fire safety, fuel management, and risk assessments for Fuel Management WUI fires in par cular. But in the end, Finding ways to reduce and alter the way actually experiencing a wildfire may be the vegeta ve fuels can be used by fires is also only modifier of risky behavior (Beebe and an important aspect of WUI fires. Fuel Omi 1993). management works to amend the hazard posed by vegeta on and structures. Such Risk Assessments modifica ons include reducing the fuels Many variants are encompassed in risk available—either living or dead plants— assessments. In making risk assessments, through prescribed fire or other methods, locali es and homeowners find areas of crea ng defensible space, and modifying improvement and organiza on for being structural features. prepared for fires, like looking into new ways to guide community development, finding assistance with landscaping and home design, and crea ng treatment plans
Sec on 2: Wildfire Management Primer Page 7 Augusta County Community Wildfire Protec on Plan
Fuel reduc on methods can include: Prescribed burning is the measured applica on of fire to help achieve land management goals. In some instances, it can encourage the growth of na ve plants and enhance habitats. Herbicides tend to have longer las ng effects on the vegeta on. There are also cases in which, up to a few years, they can’t reduce the dead vegeta on accumula ons. Mechanical Fuel Treatments include mowing, disking, roller chopping, and removing vegeta on by hand. Defensible Space can be described as an area of tailored vegeta on situated between wildland fuels and structures. With the presence of defensible space, fire intensi es can be reduced, and it can make figh ng the fire more manageable for firefighters when they arrive to the scene. Structural Features can be modified in ways such as different landscaping and use of fire resistant construc on materials. Different landscaping techniques, such as spacing plants carefully and pruning plants regularly, can help reduce and remove excess vegeta on that would be readily used as fuel if a fire occurred. Using fire resistant construc on materials can also help mi gate the spread of fire upon occurrence—materials like dual or triple pane glass on windows and doors and sprinkler systems.
Sec on 2: Wildfire Management Primer Page 8 Augusta County Community Wildfire Protec on Plan
2.6 Hazardous Fuels Mi ga on health of indigenous species and create openings for invasive species. Some brush Wildfire behavior and severity are dictated species respond to mechanical treatment by fuel type, weather condi ons, and with vigorous resprou ng unless combined terrain. Because fuel is the only variable of with addi onal cu ngs, prescribed fire, or these three that can be prac cally chemical treatment. Thinning forest stands managed it is the focus of many mi ga on in wind prone areas too rapidly can result efforts. The objec ves of fuels in subsequent wind damage to the stand. management may include reducing surface Thinning can also increase the amount of fire intensity, reducing the likelihood of sun and wind exposure on the forest floor, crown fire ini a on, reducing the which can increase surface fire intensity if likelihood of crown fire propaga on, and post treatment debris disposal and improving forest health. These objec ves monitoring are not properly conducted. may be accomplished by reducing surface The overall benefits of properly conducted fuels, limbing branches to raise canopy mi ga ons treatments are, however, well base height, thinning trees to decrease documented. crown density, and/or retaining larger fire resistant trees.
By breaking up ver cal and horizontal fuel con nuity in a strategic manner, fire suppression resources are afforded be er opportuni es to contain wildfires and community assets will have an increased probability of survival. In addi on to the crea on of defensible space, fuel breaks may be u lized to this end. These are strategically located areas where fuels have been reduced in a prescribed manner, o en along roads. These fuel breaks may be associated with or tapered into larger area treatments. When defensible space, fuel breaks, and area treatments are coordinated, a community and the adjacent natural resources are afforded an enhanced level of protec on from wildfire.
Improperly implemented fuel treatments can have nega ve impacts in terms of ecosystem health and fire behavior. Mowing or prescribed fire improperly applied in grasslands can degrade the
Sec on 2: Wildfire Management Primer Page 9 Augusta County Community Wildfire Protec on Plan
2.7 History of Fire 2000). As me passed, ecosystem management prac ces changed – Overview including the use of fire by Prehistoric Fire holds a number of purposes Na ve Americans – and led to carrying throughout history ranging from economic capaci es and human popula on densi es and poli cal to ecological. As history has increasing in Southern landscapes. progressed, fire frequencies and regimes have been influenced by social, poli cal, Social and environmental changes and economic changes, fluctua ons in occurring during the historical era created human popula on densi es, and changes major modifica ons for fire regimes. While in technology. In the late 19th and early Na ve Americans con nued fire use for 20th century, major transi ons were seen farming and hun ng, the fires increased in regards to fire regimes in part by the and fire regimes changed as more crea on of the US Forest Service and shi s European se lers came into the territories in federal policy from fire suppression to in response to trade establishments, fire management. The current rela onship migra on, and conflicts. More changes to with fire is prac cing fire management; fire regimes came in the form of differing fire is now used to achieve land land management prac ces introduced by management goals. These fire the Western se lers. Burning prac ces management policies were a response to soon evolved to become a mixture of unhealthy environmental condi ons that European burning tradi ons, Na ve were a result from acts of fire suppression. American burning prac ces, and elements of experimenta on in the new Human Use of Fire in Prehistory and environments. The decline in Na ve History American popula on and Indian fires Natural fire regimes, like lightning‐caused during the historic era had a significant fires, existed well before the arrival of impact on vegeta on. As me passed, land Na ve Americans 12,500 years ago. It is management prac ces of European believed that the presence of Na ve se lers varied from those of the Na ve Americans caused an increase in fire Americans. Dras c changes in these fire frequency, as well as expansion of the regimes appeared as se ler popula ons seasonality of natural fires in ecosystems grew in the late 1800s and the beginning that they inhabited. General pa erns can of the Industrial Revolu on. Fires went be seen in the ways that Na ve Americans from low intensity brush fires to industry‐ u lized fire, but varia ons showed up by created high intensity fires. regions due to environmental differences as well as behavioral and demographic The Period of Fire Suppression and Other differences; though overall, the majority of Fire Regimes (1890s‐1980s) inten onal burns were done with low The fire suppression movement was led by intensity surface fires. Fire regimes were the founder of the Forest Service, Gifford molded by environmental condi on Pinchot. Emerging in the late 1800s, this changes, se lement pa erns, and human movement viewed fires as destruc ve for popula on densi es (Guye e and Dey forests – in part through the
Sec on 2: Wildfire Management Primer Page 10 Augusta County Community Wildfire Protec on Plan
environmental damages brought on by prescribed fire is u lized to replenish and industrializa on and the accompanying help preserve healthy ecosystems. The wildfires – and in order to conserve the previous fire exclusion had caused forests fires were prohibited. In 1944, the problema c accumula on levels of campaign for this movement gained an vegeta ve fuels, as well as undesirable effec ve symbol for promo on, Smokey plant species. In 1943, Osceola Na onal Bear. Smokey Bear taught genera ons of Forest was the first federal property that Americans forests were harmed by all saw a prescribed fire since the fire kinds of fire. But there was not full support suppression era. A er World War II, for this movement. Different agencies prescribed fires became increasingly advocated other methods for land common. To determine reasonable fire management like light burning or Indian regimes, scien fic researchers with fires; though the forest service federal, state, and private agencies experimented with some of these ideas, experimented with prescribed burning in a they later ruled them to s ll be a threat. variety of ecosystems. The problems Fire regimes were shi ed as a result of the created by the fire exclusion policies are movement, more specifically there were being addressed by land managers longer fire return intervals – the number through programs that use fire, thinning, of years between two successive fires in a and herbicides to manage fuel levels. specified area. For example, The Great Millions of acres are burned in the South Smokey Mountains Na onal Park saw fire each year to help restore ecology, reduce return intervals increase from 10‐40 years hazards, and improve wildlife habitat. during the Euro‐American se lement period (1856‐1940) to 2000 years during the fire suppression era (1940‐1979). With fire occurrences becoming less common the exis ng composi on of Southern landscapes saw great change, like thicker understories developing, species being replaced, or regenera on or disappearance of vegeta on species.
Fire Management (1940s‐Present) Land managers, scien sts, and policy makers took no ce that forests and fields were changing in adverse ways, thus a er many decades the fire suppression era was replaced by the fire management era. The fire management era con nues through the present, but its reintroduc on happened in a piecemeal manner across the South. Fire management is an approach to land management where
Sec on 2: Wildfire Management Primer Page 11 Augusta County Community Wildfire Protec on Plan
Augusta County Profile Staunton, and Waynesboro share similar characteris cs and are economically interrelated.
Augusta County is bounded on the west by the lower eleva ons of the Allegheny Mountains and on the east by the crest of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The County is surrounded by the Virginia coun es of Albemarle, Bath, Highland, Nelson, Rockbridge, and Rockingham, as well as Pendleton County, West Virginia. The headwaters of two major rivers, the James and the Potomac, are located in Augusta County.
Interstates 81 and 64 intersect at the eastern edge of the city limits of Staunton. Augusta County is approximately 85 miles north of Roanoke; 100 miles west of Richmond; 150 miles southwest of Washington, D.C.; 200 miles northwest of the Port of Hampton Roads; and 190 miles 3.1 County Se ng north of Greensboro, North Carolina. The
Augusta County‐Staunton‐Waynesboro Augusta County, formed from Orange area is approximately midway between County in 1738 and named for Augusta, New York and Atlanta. Princess of Wales and mother of King
George III, is the second largest county in The County has an es mated popula on of Virginia, encompassing 968 square miles of 73,792 people as of 2011. This popula on diverse terrain. There are seven is located in approximately 30,835 housing magisterial districts within the County. units throughout the County. Staunton and Waynesboro are Approximately 23,027 of these units are independent ci es, and Craigsville is an occupied by owners with another 5,489 incorporated town within the County's units occupied by renters. boundaries.
Augusta County is centrally located in the historic and scenic Shenandoah Valley in west‐central Virginia. Staunton is an important educa onal, retail, commercial, and governmental center, while Waynesboro is a significant commercial and industrial nucleus. Augusta County,
Sec on 3: Augusta County Profile Page 1 Augusta County Community Wildfire Protec on Plan
3.2 Climate 3.3 Topography
The climate in the Shenandoah Valley Augusta County lies within the Valley and region, including Augusta County, is Ridge Physiographic Province, which is described as a modified con nental characterized by long, parallel, narrow, climate with mild winters and warm and even‐crested ridges above summers. The County has an average intervening, varying sized valleys. The annual temperature of 52.3 degrees Valley and Ridge Province was developed Fahrenheit. The average high in a Paleozoic basin where thick temperatures are 43.3 degrees Fahrenheit sedimentary deposits were extensively in January and 85.1 degrees in July. The folded and thrust faulted. The long axes of average lows are 21.5 degrees in January these folds determined the Ridge and and 61.6 degrees in July. Valley Alignments. The strike ridges of the province are underlain by sandstones, Prevailing winds are generally out of the quartzites, and shales, while less resistant southwest. During the colder months, the limestones, dolemites, and shales underlay winds o en originate from the northwest. the valleys. Eleva ons in the valleys range The growing season is 175 days long, from from 1,050 to 1,800 feet above sea level. mid‐April to mid‐October. This is long enough to allow proper maturity for a The extreme eastern edge of Augusta large variety of crops. The average annual County is within the Blue Ridge precipita on for the County is 36 inches Physiographic Province, dis nguished by and 26 inches of average annual snowfall. sharp mountain peaks. The Blue Ridge is The average annual humidity for Augusta underlain by ancient con nental basement County is 73.94%, with the peak humidity rocks that were faulted, upli ed, and falling in May at 88.4% and the low being deformed during three discrete periods of in January at 42.4%. mountain forma on.
Because of the rolling nature of the terrain, steep slopes can be found throughout Augusta County. As much as 55 percent of the County contains slopes greater than 15 percent and more than a third of the County has slopes of 25 percent or greater. The level areas of the County are located in the vicinity of Fishersville, Middlebrook, Spo swood, Stuarts Dra , Swoope, and Weyers Cave.
Sec on 3: Augusta County Profile Page 2 Augusta County Community Wildfire Protec on Plan
3.4 Wildlands, Vegeta on, and Fuels and hickory trees. Other trees included in the overstories of various wildland areas Within Augusta County, there are include sugar maple, white ash, eastern approximately 339,774 acres of forested hemlock, tulip‐poplar, red maple, birches, land. Of that total, approximately 193,470 magnolia, and white pines. Because of the acres lie within na onal forests, 9,754 differing eleva ons, climates, and soils the acres belong to the State, 6,098 acres variety of vegeta on in the woodlands, belong to the Na onal Park Service, and forest, meadows, and wetlands is quite 130,458 acres are privately owned. The extensive, and includes spring wildflowers, high quality of natural resources in the grasses, shrubs, and wet grassland Augusta County area is indicated by the vegeta on. Parts of the County also large propor on of the County that is held contain patches of fire‐adapted woodlands as federal, state, and regional park land. that contain table‐mountain pine, pitch Approximately 33.4 percent of Augusta pine, chestnut oak, and bear oak. These County is owned by the federal patches are currently undergoing government. The George Washington and altera ons due to the recent exclusion or Jefferson Na onal Forests cover suppression of fires from the landscape. approximately 195,758 acres and Shenandoah Na onal Park has 12,272 Fuel hazards that exist in the County acres in the County. Within the na onal consist of evergreens, overgrown fields, forest there are two designated wilderness storm debris, fuel loading caused by areas that fall inside the County boundary unraked leaves, and downed woody ‐ Ramsey’s Dra and Saint Mary’s. Both materials, such as branches and trees. wilderness areas were designated in 1984, with the Ramsey’s Dra area consis ng of Shenandoah Na onal Park is a long, nar‐ 6,518 total acres and the Saint Mary’s area row band of land that covers over 190,000 consis ng of more than 10,000 acres. acres and is situated between the Shenan‐ doah Valley and River and the Virginia Up un l the 1940s the natural vegeta on Piedmont. The park was fully established and forested areas of Augusta County in 1935 and spans eight coun es, Augusta were characterized by varie es of oak County being one of them; the park also trees and American Chestnut trees with runs through Warren, Page, Rockingham, smaller pockets of moister forests in coves Rappahannock, Madison, Green, and Albe‐ and ravines. A fungal blight to the marle Coun es. American Chestnut caused them to be eliminated as overstory trees, so currently In 1926, Shenandoah Na onal Park got the forested areas of oak‐chestnut forests authoriza on, and nine years passed be‐ have been replaced with forests of fore it was officially established. Before predominantly oak species. Northern red becoming a na onal park, much of the ar‐ oaks have replaced the oak‐chestnut ea was farmland and over the years Virgin‐ forests. At the drier, lower eleva ons ia slowly acquired the lands through emi‐ forests contain chinakapin and other oaks, nent domain. It was then given to the U.S. black and sugar maples, eastern red buds, Federal Government, provided it would be
Sec on 3: Augusta County Profile Page 3 Augusta County Community Wildfire Protec on Plan
would be dedicated as a Na onal Park. George Washington and Jefferson Na onal Forests Lying across the Blue Ridge Mountains, the park offers many ac vi es for all visitors. Virginia is one of three states that The largest a ractor is the 105 mile encompass the George Washington and Skyline Drive that offers scenic views of Jefferson Na onal Forests; the bulk of the Virginia. There is more to the Shenandoah forests are located in Virginia, with some Na onal Park than just Skyline Drive, with overlap in West Virginia and Kentucky. almost 80,000 acres designated as Covering approximately 1.8 million acres wilderness with the protec on of the along the Appalachian Mountains, the Na onal Wilderness Preserva on System. na onal forests combined create the There are also many trails that serve for largest areas of public land in the eastern horseback riding, camping, bicycling, and por on of the United States. The majority hiking to scenic views or waterfalls. of the forest is remote, and there are over 100,000 acres that have been designated Shenandoah Na onal Park as wilderness areas. Two of these Image: h p://www.nps.gov/shen/planyourvisit/mapspark.htm wilderness areas are located within Augusta County – Ramsey’s Dra and Saint Mary’s Wilderness.
The George Washington Na onal Forest was established in 1918, and then in 1932 was renamed; the Jefferson Na onal Forest was established in 1936. The two were administra vely combined in 1995. George Washington Na onal Forest holds the most acreage between the two with 1,065,389 acres, while Jefferson Na onal Forest encompasses the remaining 723,350 acres. Combined the forests also contain over 200,000 acres of old‐growth forests.
The na onal forests offer a wide variety of ac vi es for visitors, including hiking, biking, and hun ng. There are hundreds of miles of trails and mul ple scenic areas, byways, and wildernesses for these ac vi es to take place.
George Washington and Jefferson Na onal Forests Image: h p://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/ George_Washington_and_Jefferson_Na onal_Forests
Sec on 3: Augusta County Profile Page 4 Augusta County Community Wildfire Protec on Plan
Ramsey’s Dra is a designated wilderness Saint Mary’s Wilderness is a designated area in the North River Ranger District of wilderness area of the George Washington the George Washington and Jefferson and Jefferson Na onal Forests in southern Na onal Forests in western Augusta Augusta County. From the early 1900s County. The U.S. Forest Service first un l the 1950s, the Saint Mary’s River purchased land in this area in 1913 for gorge was mined for manganese ore and Shenandoah Na onal Forest, which was a iron ore un l the mines were abandoned. precursor to the present day na onal Saint Mary’s was designated as a forest. Ramsey’s Dra has been managed wilderness area as part of the Virginia by the U.S. Forest Service as a wilderness Wilderness Act of 1984. The wilderness area since 1935 and much of it has never area consists of 9,835 acres. Saint Mary’s been logged. The wilderness area was eleva ons range from 1,780 feet to 3,640 officially designated under the Virginia feet. As part of the Chesapeake Bay Wilderness Act of 1984. Ramsey’s Dra watershed, St. Mary’s includes the covers 6,528 acres and is located between drainages of Cedar Hollow, Spy Run, and the crests of the Shenandoah Mountain the upper part of Saint Mary’s River, which and Bald Ridge. The U.S. Forest Service are all tributaries of the South River. oversees Ramsey’s Dra . The land in Within the wilderness area’s boundaries, Ramsey’s Dra is rugged and steep and there are several waterfalls. Saint Mary’s ranges from 1,600 feet to 4,282 feet at is comprised of the southern Appalachian Hardscrabble Knob. The wilderness is hardwood ecosystem. Oak trees were named a er it’s primary drainage stream. infested with gypsy moths in the A “dra ” is a local term for a creek. wilderness area in the mid‐1990s. Ramsey’s Dra is a tributary of the Rhododendron and mountain laurel can be Calfpasture River, which feeds into the found in Saint Mary’s as well as na ve James River and the Chesapeake Bay. trout. Ramsey’s Dra Wilderness has a variety of vegeta on including over 250 species of vascular plants. The wilderness area is well known for its stands of old‐growth Canadian Hemlock, which are currently under a ack by the hemlock wooly adelgid and may not be around much longer. Other trees in Ramsey’s Dra include, the Tulip Poplar, Eastern White Pine, Shagbark Hickory, Sugar Maple, Northern Red Oak, and Black Birch. Wildlife in the wilderness area includes black bear, raccoon, squirrel, beaver, wild turkey, and rabbit. Ramsey’s Dra is a na ve brook trout stream. The wilderness area is also a popular nes ng grounds for neotropical migrant birds such as song birds, raptors, and water fowl. Waterfall In Saint Mary’s Wilderness Photo by Steven Brown
Sec on 3: Augusta County Profile Page 5 Augusta County Community Wildfire Protec on Plan
South River Preserve is the Nature River Preserve, near Sherando. It is a Conservancy’s first preserve in the meadow that seasonally floods and Shenandoah Valley. It is a wetland located contains a 1.5 acre pond. Porous bedrock in 14 acres bordering the Alcoa Building and soil hold water in spring and fall but Products manufacturing plant in Stuarts dry up the rest of the year. Augusta and Dra . This now rare, spring‐fed wet Rockingham Coun es are the only places prairie was typical in the Shenandoah in Virginia with this type of sinkhole pond. Valley before European se lers arrived. Two na ve plants have adapted to the Prior to 1800, the Shenandoah Valley condi ons, the Virginia Sneezeweed and contained prairies similar to those in the the black‐fruited spikerush. Kennedy Midwestern United States and were home Mountain Meadow is at the edge of Big to grazing animals like elk and wood bison. Levels, in the Pedlar Ranger District of the These grasslands began to disappear as George Washington Na onal Forest. This agriculture was pursued and man‐made preserve is privately owned and because and natural fires that renewed the prairies of it’s fragile environment it is not open to were suppressed. Currently, the preserve the public. is home to birds, such as red‐winged blackbirds, Canadian geese, and meadow Folly Mills Creek Fen Natural Area larks, and wetland animals, such as the Preserve is a privately owned 29‐acre spo ed turtle and beavers. The South preserve located in the floodplain of Folly River Preserve is also home to a rich Mills Creek. A fen is a special type of variety of na ve plants. wetland that includes surface water origina ng from artesian springs and Cowbane Prairie Natural Area Preserve ground water seepage at the base of a hill. (NAP) is on the western slope of the Blue These types of wetlands were more Ridge Mountains and is owned by the common in the Shenandoah Valley but, Virginia Department of Conserva on and either through conversion to other land Recrea on. This NAP preserves calcareous uses or drainage, they have disappeared. spring marshes, wet prairies, and mesic This fen possesses an interes ng rare plant prairies that have been constantly community including bog bucbean, shining disappearing in the Shenandoah Valley ladies’ tresses, and smooth lo oostrife. through agriculture and industrial development. Two watch‐listed Mount Joy Pond Natural Area Preserve, freshwater mussel species reside at located up against the western side of the Cowbane Prairie NAP. Queen‐of‐the‐ Blue Ridge Mountains, is a 274 acre Prairie, blue flag Iris, and marsh‐speedwell preserve owned by the Virginia are just three of the eleven rare plants Department of Conserva on and that can be found here. Prescribed Recrea on, and contains a large natural burning ac vi es are periodically sinkhole pond that is quite rare in the implemented in the Preserve. Shenandoah Valley. The pond and preserve supports one of the world’s Kennedy Mountain Meadow Preserve is largest popula ons of Virginia located a few miles south of the South Sneezeweed, a rare plant.
Sec on 3: Augusta County Profile Page 6 Augusta County Community Wildfire Protec on Plan
3.5 Water Resources groundwater is a narrow belt along the western foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Water resources within Augusta County consist of numerous bodies of ground and Hydrants: surface water, hydrants, and other access The following are dry hydrant loca ons points. for the County and are entered into Fire and Rescue services CAD systems for easy Surface Water: The County, due to its retrieval upon dispatch: eleva on and topography, has a rare a ribute in that all of its surface water 6290 Middlebrook Road (Newport) flow originates from watersheds within the County itself. This allows the County 277 Lake Drive (Stoney Creek to possess a great amount of control over Campground Lake) the quality and quan ty of its surface water resources. Most of Augusta 216 Boy Scout Lane (entrance road to County’s surface water comes from the Camp Shenandoah) Shenandoah River and James River drainage basins. Major waterways of the 941 Glebe School Road (Riley Farm) Shenandoah River, located in Augusta County, include three north‐flowing rivers: 691 Smokey Row Road (Ondich the South River, which flows through the residence) eastern por on of the County; the Middle River, which flows through the north‐ 2200 Blk‐Longmeadow Road (between central por on of the County; and the Madrid and Eakle Road) North River, which travels through the northwest sec on of the County. The Old White Bridge Road (just south of James River drainage basin of the county Hermitage Road) includes the Calfpasture watershed, the St. Mary’s watershed, and the South River (which is a different South River than the one that drains into the Shenandoah River).
Ground Water: Because of its limestone geology, which causes cavernous forma ons, the County possesses a good source of ground water for public and private wells. Unfortunately, the supplies of water in these forma ons is not consistent throughout Augusta County, so some areas do not have access to adequate groundwater. The por on of the County with the greatest poten al for
Sec on 3: Augusta County Profile Page 7 Augusta County Community Wildfire Protec on Plan
3.6 Fire Department 3.7 Values at Risk
Augusta County is serviced by 25 separate Augusta County is comprised of fire protec on districts of varying sizes and approximately 30,835 housing units, with capabili es. Some of these agencies approximately 23,027 of these occupied by provide service to Augusta County, the owners. As of 2010, the median value although they are not located within the of homes in Augusta County is County. Most of the staffing for all approximately $201,100. Homes in loca ons is provided by volunteers, with woodland areas may be at risk in the event only a small number of career firefighters of a wildland fire. with primary duty loca ons centralized at the Augusta County Fire and Rescue Also at risk within the County are the administra on building. The primary fire cri cal infrastructure elements and areas protec on providers are listed below in no of community interest. These include the par cular order: Lyndhurst area, natural gas and transmission lines, Elliot’s Knob communica on towers, Norfolk Southern Waynesboro FD and CSX rail lines, and other elements of Deerfield FD infrastructure. Community interest areas Middlebrook FD include Campgrounds and Recrea on Churchville FD Areas in Crimora, Sherando, Lyndhurst, Mt Weyers Cave FD Solon, Todd Lake, Stoney Creek, Blue Ridge Verona FD Parkway, Shenandoah Na onal Park, Stuarts Dra FD Appalachian Trail, Elkhorn, Camp Craigsville FD Shenandoah, Camp Mayflather, Wildlife Dooms FD Center, Craigsville Prison, Confederate Augusta County FD Breastworks, Wintergreen, and Preston L. Yancey FD Swannanoa. Raphine Fire Sta on
Swoope FD
Bridgewater VFD
Clover Hill FD
New Hope FD
Wilson FD
Gro oes FD
Mount Solon FD
Riverheads FD
Staunton FD
Wintergreen F&R
Walkers Creek FD
Sec on 3: Augusta County Profile Page 8 Augusta County Community Wildfire Protec on Plan
3.7.1 Woodland Communi es Mill Creek Road Mullins Lane Also, within the County are 41 iden fied Old Mill Road woodland communi es. These Paine Run Road communi es are outlined in no par cular Railroad Avenue order: Ravens Roost Drive Ridgetop Drive Springer Road Acorn Lane Spy Creek Lane Auburn Drive Stoney Brook Road Barrenridge Road Twin Hills Lane Bear Den Trail (S.R. 608) Waldrop Road — Rt. 2210 Bear Den Triangle Washington Drive Big Spy Woodhaven Lane Braley Pond Road North Braley Pond Road South Camp Mayflower Lane Chinqapin Drive Clemmer Ridge Lane Country Estates (Eastside Highway) Crestwood Drive Crimora Mines Crystal Ridge Road Fishers Lane Hanley Mountain Highway Horsehead Road Horseshoe Circle Howardsville Turnpike Hunters Lane Karman Hill Road Lake Drive Leverock Lane Li le River Road Li le Spy Maple Ridge Lane Markels Lane Massey Creek Road
Sec on 3: Augusta County Profile Page 9 Augusta County Community Wildfire Protec on Plan
Wildfire Hazard and 4.2 Risks
Risk Assessment As previously men oned, risks are defined as those uses, human ac vi es, or natural 4.1 Approach To The Wildfire Hazard/ causes that have the poten al to cause Risk Assessment wildfire igni on. There are two major factors that influence the risk levels of The purpose of the assessment is to Augusta County, its increase in popula on, examine wildfire vulnerabili es within which has included development in the Augusta County. The assessment is not Wildland Urban Interface, as well as the only a tool for developing an large amount of public lands in the County. understanding of poten al loss of life, According to the Weldon Cooper Center property, and natural resources due to for Public Service, the popula on from wildfire, it is also an implementa on 1970 to 2010 has increased approximately strategy for future efforts. The Wildfire 167% to 73,750. Increased popula on Hazard and Risk Assessment focuses on brings with it increased poten al for assessing the risk, the hazard, and the wildfire igni on from human ac vity and values to delineate the Wildland Urban development including, but certainly not Interface (WUI) in Augusta County. Risks limited to, structural fires, natural gas and are defined as those uses, human power lines, vehicles and equipment, ac vi es, or natural causes that have the permi ed burning, arson, fireworks, poten al to cause wildfire igni on. children playing with matches or lighters, Hazards are defined as fuels and and discharge of firearms. With large topography of an area. Examining the tracts of public wildlands, that include the County’s hazards helps determine the George Washington and Jefferson Na onal poten al for a large‐scale fire to result Forests and the Shenandoah Na onal from igni on. Values are also known as Park, wildfire occurrence increases due to “poten al for loss” and consist of natural causes such as lightning or debris iden fying those elements of natural or caused by high winds, tornadoes, or winter developed areas where destruc on by storms to human‐caused risks such as wildfire is unacceptable. Some values are cigare e smoking or camp fires. Augusta common among all communi es such as County is at high risk for the occurrence of loss of life, residen al structures, wildfires because of its combina on of commercial development, or natural increasing popula on and large amount of resources. Some values may be specific wild spaces. and unique to a community and include cultural, historical, and/or recrea onal assets. Through an assessment of risk, hazard, and values, the County has the informa on needed to u lize its planning, preparedness, response, and mi ga on resources more effec vely.
Sec on 4: Wildfire Hazard and Risk Assessment Page 1 Augusta County Community Wildfire Protec on Plan
4.2.1 Wildfire Occurrence Mountain in 1909 when a fire broke out and burned several acres, taking with it all With the Shenandoah Na onal Park and of the Mountain Top Inn except for a few George Washington and Jefferson Na onal stone walls. This same spot was also the Forests, 369,032 acres, or 576 square site of a 2007 ten acre blaze, as well as a miles, of Augusta County are woodlands. 1999 fire. The 1999 wildfire quickly spread While these woodlands provide beau ful over the mountain from an abandoned landscapes upon which many people have pile of burning debris. The “Swannanoa se led and built homes, these woodlands Fire”, as it would be named, was aided by also represent a major danger in the form dry condi ons, high winds, and the steep of wildfires. The landscape of the Valley, slope of the mountain. It took over 200 with its sloping hills and steady winds, is a firefighters and two helicopters ba ling major contributor to the threat of forest the blaze all night to get the fire under fires. While their incidence and intensity is control. In all, the fire burned over 400 not of the same severity as it is in the acres while causing over $2,000 in western United States, these eastern property damage to homes located on the forest fires s ll pose a major threat to the mountain. safety of people and property of Augusta County. On November 21, 1998, human ac vity started a large wildfire in the George Since 1985, the County has had nearly 15 Washington and Jefferson Na onal Forests fires a year. While most are generally small near Deerfield, in Augusta County. The fire and burn less than five acres, there is a was allowed to spread because of history of more severe fires in the area as inaccessible terrain for firefighters and well. Typically vulnerable seasons have officials trying to ba le the blaze. 700 been fall and very early spring, where firefighters and two helicopters were precipita on can be low and there is a brought in to set back burns and establish great deal of debris on the forest floor. fire lines. Officials brought the fire under The abundance of dry fuel on the ground, control in just over a week, but not before when combined with the Valley’s winds the fire had consumed over 2,000 acres of and human interac ons, has created a forest. In addi on to the vast losses in the great deal of forest fires. Most fires are George Washington and Jefferson Na onal caused by human interac on, usually from Forests, 482.3 acres of private land also escaped or improperly ex nguished burned, amoun ng to $206,275 of burning debris. However arson remains a property loss to the fires. 1998 was the large contributor to the area’s fire woes worst year for wildfires in Augusta County. (accoun ng for 20% of all Virginia fires). Only a year later, a spring scheduled burn Statewide, Virginia experiences between in the Shenandoah Na onal Park grew out 1,500 and 2,500 fires a year, while Augusta of control and burned over 1,600 acres of County has about 15. the park. The fire was stopped by a combined effort of 300 firefighters. The first recorded wildfire of note in Augusta County occurred on A on 2001 was a hard year for fire officials in
Sec on 4: Wildfire Hazard and Risk Assessment Page 2 Augusta County Community Wildfire Protec on Plan
Augusta County who had to ba le 26 In April of 2012, fires burned in the separate fires. The biggest of these fires coun es around Augusta County. Separate was an arson fire started in April of 2001 wildfires in Shenandoah, Alleghany, Page, that burned 220 acres in the Na onal Park. Craig, and Rockbridge Coun es burned for In total, the fires burned over 350 acres of several days as nearly 700 firefighters from woodlands. A few years later, in 2004, an 29 states were called in to help control the April fire caused by a hunter’s fires. While Augusta County remained uncontrolled campfire burned 636 acres, mostly unharmed by the fires surrounding causing over $320,000 in total damages. it, its fire teams, including the Augusta Hot Shot Crew (an elite regional wildfire On February 10, 2008, 354 wildfires figh ng unit) were sent aid in the effort. In occurred in the State of Virginia, the most all, the fires burned 39,000 acres over a of any day on record. Five of these fires period of ten days, making the combined occurred in Augusta County. While the ‘Easter Complex fire’ one of the worst in cause of each fire was not determined, it State history. was believed that the fires were not a coincidence, and foul play was involved. These fires claimed close to 55 acres of Augusta woodlands.
In March of 2008, the St. Mary’s Wildfire made regional headlines for the vast plumes of smoke that could be seen up to 50 miles away. Caused by campers, the fire burned a total of 4,505 acres of land, 35 of which were in Augusta County. High winds and dry condi ons fueled the fire, while rough terrain strained firefighters efforts in containing the fire. By the me it was controlled, it had caused $70,000 worth of property damage.
2011 brought with it one of the most treacherous fires, the ‘Inch Run’ fire. The fire was ruled to have been arson, as six different sights were set ablaze at the same me. 50 firefighters ba led the fire for almost two weeks, figh ng to keep the fire away from local homes. At one me, flames roared only 1/5 of a mile from homes near Sherando. In all, the ‘Inch Run’ fire burned nearly 600 acres.
Sec on 4: Wildfire Hazard and Risk Assessment Page 3 Augusta County Community Wildfire Protec on Plan
4.3 Hazards 4.3.2 Fuel
Determining the degree of difficulty in Plant material, living or dead, that can be suppressing a fire once it has been ignited ignited by a fire is known as fuel. There occurs by accessing the hazards. Areas of are four main categories of fuels; ground fire behavior that are the most important fuels, surface fuels, ladder fuels, and in determining the level of hazards and fire canopy fuels. Star ng with ground fuels, intensity for an area include topography, these fuel types layer the forest star ng fuels, and weather. within the soil up to the crowns of trees that form the overstory. Foliage, pine needle li er, vines, shrubs, deciduous and 4.3.1 Topography evergreen trees, dead tree limbs, etc. are all fuels that can ignite causing wildfires. Slope is defined as an upward or Evergreens, downed woody materials such downward slant of the terrain. Fire as branches and trees, storm debris, and traveling up a slope will move faster and overgrown fields are consistent fuel have longer flames than fire traveling on hazards in Augusta County. Because of the flat terrain. Most of Augusta County lies large amount of forested acreage and fuel within the Valley and Ridge Physiographic hazards that exist in Augusta County there Province which is characterized by long, is a high risk for wildfires. parallel, narrow, and even‐crested ridges above intervening, varying sized valleys. The eastern part of Augusta County is located in the Blue Ridge Physiographic Province which is known for its sharp mountain peaks. Eleva ons in Augusta County range from 1,050 to 1,800 feet. Because of the varying degrees of slope throughout Augusta County, the risk that a wildfire will develop is high.
Sec on 4: Wildfire Hazard and Risk Assessment Page 4 Augusta County Community Wildfire Protec on Plan
4.3.3 Weather 4.4 Values
Interac on of weather elements can Values are either natural or developed control fire behavior. These weather areas where destruc on by wildfire is elements exist in a region that starts at the unacceptable. For this ini al Community earth’s surface and rises to a level five to Wildfire Protec on Plan by Augusta ten miles above in the atmosphere. County, the values considered are loss of Elements such as temperature, humidity, life, first responder safety, residen al atmospheric stability, winds, clouds, structures, and natural resources. In precipita on, and storms, such as crea ng the Plan and delinea ng the thunderstorms and tornadoes, can affect Wildland Urban Interface, these values the development and frequency of wildfire were at the center of both fuel reduc on occurrence. With its mild winters and and structural ignitability reduc on warm summers, Augusta County has a measures. Modified Con nental Climate. Average precipita on in the County is 36 inches a 4.5 Wildland Urban Interface year, but periods of drought due to lack of Delinea on precipita on or flooding due to too much precipita on are not uncommon. Severe The process for delinea ng the Wildland weather, including thunderstorms, straight Urban Interface occurred throughout the ‐lined winds, tornadoes, and tropical planning process and involved in‐depth systems, have occurred throughout the discussion with the Steering Commi ee, County’s history. The most recent severe considera on of public input, gathering weather events include tornadoes in the data from the Virginia Department of Spring of 2011 and the June 2012 high Forestry and other sources, and level derecho. Augusta County’s growing incorpora ng the above men oned values. season is 175 days which allows for Data analysis of the popula on in wildland vegeta on to flourish in fields and areas including woodland home forested areas crea ng a high volume of communi es, structural density, and fuel for wildfires. Augusta County’s housing density, and land cover (in average annual humidity is 73.94% which par cular forested land cover) were used is ideal for growth of vegeta on. But in determining the Wildland Urban there are periods throughout the year Interface (WUI) area for Augusta County. when the humidity level drops to levels The WUI for Augusta County is low enough that “Red Flag” days occur and approximately 120,000 acres. In the wildfire risk is extremely high. Augusta appendices of the Plan, are a memo and County’s climate makes it conducive for map that detail Augusta County’s Wildland wildfires. Urban Interface.
Sec on 4: Wildfire Hazard and Risk Assessment Page 5 Augusta County Community Wildfire Protec on Plan
Wildfire Mi ga on Plan Fuel Reduc on Reducing fuels in woodland areas can 5.1 Wildfire Mi ga on Plan be achieved by crea on of “Defensible Space” and “Firescaping”. Higher MiƟgaƟon is defined as any sustained wildfire hazard levels demand greater ac on that reduces or eliminates long term distance between structure and risk to people and property from natural vegeta on. hazards and their effects. “Defensible Space” is created by: Removal of flammable vegeta on In taking future steps towards wildfire such as trees and brush. resistance in the woodland areas of Reduc on of available fuel by Augusta County, understanding wildfire’s pruning tree limbs, removing dead poten al impact is the only way to reduce leaves and wood from shrubs, and it. In devising its mi ga on strategies and cu ng dead grass. an ac on plan, Augusta County considered Replacement of hazardous the effects of fuels on woodland areas, vegeta on with less flammable fuel reduc on, and structural ignitability. species that are planted in The County’s mi ga on strategies and irrigated, maintained flower beds. ac on plan are focused around the Altering plant arrangement when following key concepts: necessary and maintaining low plant height. Effects of Fuels on Woodland Areas Ladder fuel risk can be mi gated by Fire usually burns uphill and more ver cal separa on of vegeta on intensely on hillsides. Increased flame layers. Separa on can be achieved by length of fires burning upslope can pruning the tops of bushes and directly expose structures to flames. removing lower tree branches. Light fuels include grasses, shrubs, tree “Firescaping” is landscaping to create leaves, or needles; they ignite easily defensible space. Landscaping may be and burn rapidly. Light fuels affect the a primary factor in deciding whether a rate of spread of an advancing fire. structure survives a wildfire. These are the primary fuels that carry “Firescaping” has the goal to create an fires and ignite homes in many wildfire environment surrounding structures situa ons. that is not likely to burn in any but the Heavy fuels include large tree most extreme condi ons. The branches, downed logs, and buildings. probability of igni on, fire rate of They require more heat energy to spread, and fire intensity are reduced ignite but burn longer and produce when “Firescaping” is implemented. more heat once ignited. Through “Firescaping”, “Defensible Ladder fuels include shrubs and small Space” concepts are integrated into trees of intermediate height and act as the objec ves of landscaping which ladders carrying the flames from the include aesthe cs, erosion forest surface up to the tops of trees. management, entertainment, and
Sec on 5: Wildfire Mi ga on Plan Page 1 Augusta County Community Wildfire Protec on Plan
environmental and wildlife habitat structure. considera ons. Exterior doors ‐ should be solid wood or metal. Structural Ignitability Exterior siding materials ‐ should be Structures exposed to wildland fires can fire‐resis ve. ignite by radia on, convec on, or fire Decks ‐ should be enclosed underneath brands. Radia on is igni on caused by and made of composite plas c and radia ng heat to a structure and depends wood materials which are fire‐ on intensity and dura on of the flame resis ve. Wood decks that are open front. Convec on causes the igni on of a underneath, par cularly on slopes, are structure when a flame comes in direct heat traps. contact with the structure. Firebrands cause igni on when pieces of burning 5.2 Wildfire Mi ga on Methods material detach from a fire by strong Primer convec on dra s in the burning zone. They can be carried more than a mile. Categories of Mi ga on: Heavy firebrand showers can be caused in 1. Mi ga on and Defensible Space the Wildfire Urban Interface by severe 2. Planning and Preparedness wildfires. 3. Fire Safety and Response
How Fire Affects A Structure: Mi ga on and Defensible Space Roof ‐ slope makes them vulnerable to Measures: radia on and convec on but are more Perform a Firewise assessment of your suscep ble to firebrands. (A major home. cause of home loss in wildland areas is Maintain a defensible space around woodshake roofs). the home. The goal is to maintain a Walls ‐ most suscep ble to radia on green lawn for 30’ around your home – and convec on. a short, green lawn will not carry fire. If Windows ‐ exposure to heat can cause new homes are s ll being built in your windows to fracture and collapse area, talk to the developer and local leaving an opening for flames or zoning officials about building firebrands to ignite structure’s interior. standards. Tempered glass can withstand higher In your home’s defensible space: temperatures. Remove your firewood pile Eaves and Overhangs ‐ are very Remove conifer shrubs, especially vulnerable to convec ve exposures. if your home is in a high‐risk area Fuels should be eliminated from Clear deadwood, dense flammable contact with eaves. Eaves and vegeta on, and leaf accumula on overhangs should be boxed or Replace conifer and evergreen enclosed with nonflammable shrubs with low‐flammable plants materials. Plant nothing within 3‐5’ of the Vents ‐ openings should be screened structure, or directly beneath to prevent firebrands from entering a windows or next to founda on
Sec on 5: Wildfire Mi ga on Plan Page 2 Augusta County Community Wildfire Protec on Plan
vents Review your homeowner’s insurance Increase moisture content of policy for adequate coverage. Consult vegeta on your insurance agent about costs of Beyond the 30’ home defensible space, rebuilding and repairs in your area. examine the woods 100’ beyond your Install metal screens on all a cs, home. Reducing fuels in this area will founda on, and other openings on reduce the intensity of an approaching your home to prevent accumula on of wildfire. leaves and needles. Use rock and stone landscaping Enclose founda ons of homes, materials next to buildings. outbuildings, trailers, decks, and Use mulches to conserve moisture and overhangs with solid flame‐resistant reduce weed growth. Mulch can be shee ng to keep spark from igni ng organic or inorganic. Do not use pine materials underneath. bark, thick layers of pine needles, or Install a metal shield between your other mulches that can readily carry home and an a ached wood fence. fire. When building a deck or pa o, use Clean your roof and gu ers of leaf concrete, flagstone, or rock instead of clu er and pine needles (best done in wood. These materials do not burn and October). During a wildland fire, leaves do not collect flammable debris like on the roof and/or in the gu ers could the space between planks in wooden be ignited by flying embers. decking. Put a hose (at least 100’ long) on a rack Use non‐flammable metal when and a ach it to an outside faucet. construc ng a trellis and cover with Trim all tree branches if they overhang vegeta on that contains high‐moisture your house, and trim all tree branches and is fire‐resistant. from within 20’ of all chimneys. Also, Where appropriate on steeper ground, remove dead or overhanging branches. use retaining walls to reduce the During the windy condi ons that exist steepness of the slope. This in turn during a wildland fire, flames, sparks, reduces the rate of fire spread. and firebrands could travel from the Retaining walls also act as physical tree to the roof of the structure. barriers to fire spread and help deflect If there are any branches close to heat from the fire upwards and away power lines on your property, ask the from structures. On steep slopes, power company to clear them. consider building steps and walkways Remove “ladder fuels”. Prune tree around structures. This makes access limbs so the lowest is between 6’‐10’ easier for home maintenance, and it from the ground. Fire burning through also serves as a physical barrier to fire tall, dry grass could ignite these limbs spread and increase firefighters’ speed and climb to the top of the tree with and safety as they work. rela ve ease. Thin and prune conifer trees for 30’ to Remove tall, dry grasses. Tall, dry 100’ around your home. Prune bushes grasses provide a path for a fire that and shrubs regularly. Remove excess can lead directly to a house. growth, as well as dead leaves and
Sec on 5: Wildfire Mi ga on Plan Page 3 Augusta County Community Wildfire Protec on Plan
branches, to decrease their Radiant heat from a large wildfire can flammability and the threat they could actually ignite sheer curtains inside of pose during a wildland fire. homes through large glass windows. Remove enough evergreen trees in the Consider closeable shu ers for large 100’ perimeter of the house, so their windows. branches are at least 10’ apart. Prune Box in eaves, fascias, and soffits with the lower branches of the remaining aluminum or steel materials with metal evergreens up to 6‐10’, but no more screens to prevent entry of sparks. than 1/3 of the total live crown. Relocate propane tanks inside the Purchase and use a NOAA weather defensible space but at least 10’ from alert radio. Many types of emergencies the house. Have non‐flammable are announced through this service. ground cover such as gravel around Replace vinyl gu ers and downspouts them for 10’. with non‐flammable, metal gu ers and Have electric service lines to your downspouts. house placed underground. Install a spark arrester or heavy wire screen with opening less than 1/2” on Planning and Preparedness Measures: wood burning fireplaces and chimneys. Create a disaster plan with your family: When upda ng your home, consider Plan and discuss escape plans less flammable materials such as brick, Post local emergency telephone stone, and metal for roofing and siding. numbers in a visible place Treat flammable materials like wood Have a plan for your pets roofs, decks, and siding with fire Prac ce family fire drills retardant chemicals. Get involved with your community’s Enclose decks to prevent accumula on disaster mi ga on plans. of leaves, needles, and debris. Include Purchase and use a NOAA weather a metal screen with a 1/8” mesh alert radio. Many types of emergencies opening to prevent sparks from ge ng are announced through this service. under the deck. Check your generator and/or hose to Replace your roof with fire‐resistant be sure it is in good repair. Refuel materials such as Class A shingles. garden equipment carefully. Yard Install a roof irriga on system to equipment needs annual maintenance protect your home’s roof. and proper fueling. Make sure Install an independent water supply motorized garden equipment, such as from a sprinkler system with a non‐ lawnmowers and chainsaws, have electric (e.g. propane) powered pump approved and func oning spark capable of running una ended for 24 arrestors. Hoses develop leaks and hours. deteriorate with age and exposure. Replace wood or vinyl siding with non‐ During wildland fire season, fuel your flammable material. lawn mower properly – away from dry, Replace single‐pane glass windows and flammable grasses. plas c skylights with tempered, double ‐pane glass. Wildfire approaching checklist:
Sec on 5: Wildfire Mi ga on Plan Page 4 Augusta County Community Wildfire Protec on Plan
Call for help. Use a cell phone if Clear the view of your house number your electrical power has been so it can be easily seen from the street. interrupted. Install big, highly visible house Close all entrances, windows, and numbers (at least 4” tall) on your other openings. This includes home, as well as at the entrance of the doors, garage doors, windows, driveway onto the street. Use non‐ vents, and any other entrances to flammable materials and posts. your residence or garage. Close Improve driveways to accommodate shu ers, heavy drapes, Vene an fire trucks: blinds, or other window coverings. Remove trees along the driveway This ac on is recommended to to make it 12’ wide – if your prevent sparks from blowing inside driveway is longer than 150’ the your house and igni ng there. driveway should be 20’ wide – and Have tools and water accessible. prune branches overhanging the Have a shovel, rake, and long water driveway to have a 14’ overhead hose accessible. Fill buckets and clearance. other bulk containers with water. Build a gravel turn around area Dress to protect yourself. Wear near your house big enough to co on/woolen clothing including allow a fire truck to turn around. long pants, a long‐sleeved shirt, Modify driveway gates to gloves, and a handkerchief to accommodate fire trucks. They protect your face. should be at least 10’ wide and set Wet down the roof. If your roof is back at least 30’ from the road. If combus ble, wet it down with a locked use a key box approved by hose. Place the ladder you use for your local fire department or use a this task on the side of the roof chain loop with the lock that can be opposite the fire. cut in an emergency. Turn off residen al fuel. If you use Improve your driveway by natural gas or butane, turn it off at straightening sharp curves and the tank or the meter. filling in sharp dips that would Prepare the automobiles; back as hinder a fire truck. many vehicles as possible into the Improve driveway culverts and garage and then close the garage bridges to accommodate the door. In the event you evacuate, weight of a fire truck. close the garage door behind you Make sure you have smoke detectors as you leave. If you do not have a on each floor of your home and check garage or if the garage is full, park them each fall to make sure they work. vehicles so they are heading in the Install and check exis ng fire direc on of the evacua on route. ex nguishers in the home – install fire Evacuate the family. If evacua on ex nguishers in places like the kitchen becomes necessary, take your or garage. Are they s ll charged? Are family and pets to a safe loca on. they easy to get to in an emergency? Fire Safety and Response Measures: Does everyone in the family know
Sec on 5: Wildfire Mi ga on Plan Page 5 Augusta County Community Wildfire Protec on Plan
where they are and how to use them? Talk to your children about not star ng fires or playing with matches.
Compost leaves in the fall, don’t burn
them.
If you burn your brush piles or grass in
the spring get a burning permit.
Always have a shovel on hand and hook up the garden hose before you start the fire. Never burn if the smoke and flames are blowing towards your home (or your neighbor’s home). Make sure recrea onal fires are made in a fire‐safe pit or container and completely ex nguished before leaving. Before ligh ng any outdoor fire, check for local restric ons and permit requirements. Avoid ligh ng fires when high winds, high temperatures, and low humidi es are present or predicted. Do not dispose of ashes un l they are cold to the touch. Store gasoline, oily rags, and other flammable materials in approved safety cans. Keep those safety cans in a fire‐resistant metal or brick building or your garage. Hold a neighborhood mee ng to talk about fire safety. Invite your local fire chief. Have coffee and doughnuts for neighbors. Join your neighbors in having an addi onal access road into your neighborhood. Share the costs.
Sec on 5: Wildfire Mi ga on Plan Page 6 Augusta County Community Wildfire Protec on Plan
5.3 Augusta County Community Wildfire Protec on Plan Mi ga on Strategies
1. Educa on and Outreach
1.1 Educate Augusta County residents living in the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) about wildfire mi ga on techniques, fire‐ resis ve construc on and landscaping methods, and defensible space to protect their homes and proper es and reduce wildfire risk.
1.2 Educate Augusta County residents on debris and brush pile burning including when they should and shouldn’t burn, the importance of informing the Augusta County Emergency Communica ons Center, and not to leave fires una ended.
1.3 Promote individual responsibility for private property in woodland areas of the County.
1.4 Educate ci zens and homeowners associa ons on wildfire preparedness ac vi es, especially pre‐planning evacua on routes out of woodland areas.
1.5 Consider implementa on of the Firewise Program throughout Augusta County.
1.6 Educate Augusta County staff and elected officials on the benefits of wildfire mi ga on.
1.7 Educate developers and contractors on the benefits of wildfire mi ga on.
2. Reducing Hazardous Fuels
2.1 Provide training for Augusta County residents living in the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) on hazardous fuel reduc on including crea on of defensible space around structures, thinning trees to reduce canopy cover, and removal of deadwood and other debris.
2.2 Encourage fuel reduc on and fuel breaks on woodland public lands owned by the County.
Sec on 5: Wildfire Mi ga on Plan Page 7 Augusta County Community Wildfire Protec on Plan
2.3 Coordinate with State and Federal agencies to discuss fuel reduc on on public lands that adjoin other land in the County.
2.4 Encourage reduc on of weedy vegeta on on County owned and privately owned lands through weed management programs designed to reduce this fuel hazard.
3. Reducing Structural Ignitability
3.1 Provide training for Augusta County residents living in the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) on landscaping and structural ignitability strategies.
3.2 Highlight best management prac ces for wildfire mi ga on to homeowners. For example:
Adequate streets with turnarounds suitable for use by firefigh ng equipment.
Posted addresses on homes and/or driveways that are highly visible/reflec ve.
Propane tanks that are at least 75 feet from structures.
Fire resistant siding and roofing materials.
Chimneys and stove pipes that have caps and spark arrestors.
3.3 Train and maintain a core group of Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) volunteers able to conduct wildfire vulnerability assessments to assist Augusta County residents in making their proper es and homes more wildfire‐resistant.
3.4 Encourage wildfire‐preventa ve planning, zoning, and code‐ enforcement ac vi es that promote the responsible use of and development in wildland areas.
4. Emergency Management
4.1 Implement wildfire mi ga on where necessary to protect Emergency Communica ons equipment/towers located in wildland areas of Augusta County.
Sec on 5: Wildfire Mi ga on Plan Page 8 Augusta County Community Wildfire Protec on Plan
4.2 Encourage wildfire training for Augusta County firefighters and EMTs in topics including; scene safety and size‐up; emergency equipment access; and wildfire mi ga on strategies and recommenda ons for homeowners.
4.3 Examine the feasibility and benefits for adop on of the Virginia Fire Code and crea on of a Fire Marshall posi on by Augusta County.
4.4 Maintain exis ng and develop new mutual aid agreements with local, state, and federal agencies that assist in wildfire educa on, preven on, mi ga on, preparedness, and response.
4.5 Develop partnerships with the private sector, par cularly focusing on those organiza ons that can assist Augusta County Fire and Rescue in public educa on, implemen ng mi ga on and preventa ve measures, and wildfire suppression ac vi es.
4.6 Increase community preparedness and mobiliza on abili es through programs such as the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) program to increase resources available to first responders during their wildfire response efforts.
Sec on 5: Wildfire Mi ga on Plan Page 9 Augusta County Community Wildfire Protec on Plan
5.4 Augusta County Community Wildfire Protec on Plan Mi ga on Ac on Plan
The purpose of the Mi ga on Ac on Plan is to guide future mi ga on implementa on in Augusta County. As part of the planning process, the Mi ga on Ac on Plan was created based on discussions of the CWPP Steering Commi ee and input provided by local elected officials and staff, County Fire and Rescue staff and volunteers, relevant federal and state agencies, and interested County residents. Proposed ac ons are centered around the four major components of the Mi ga on Strategies; 1. Educa on and outreach, 2. Reducing hazardous fuels, 3. Reducing structural ignitability, and 4. Emergency management. Below are the ac ons recommended in this inaugural version of the Augusta County Community Wildfire Protec on Plan. All recommenda ons are con ngent upon available manpower and financial resources in order to be implemented.
Educa on and Outreach
Educa on and outreach to all County residents, and in par cular those living in the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) or other woodland areas, is the cornerstone for implementa on of a successful wildfire mi ga on program in the County. Un l County residents be er understand the risk for wildfires, assess their personal vulnerability, and accept individual responsibility for crea ng a safe, “defensible space” if they reside in a woodland area, wildfire mi ga on projects will not be successful. Educa on and outreach are the logical first steps for the County to take.
Ac ons:
Begin community outreach to residents living in woodland areas, par cularly those in the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) on topics that include fire‐resis ve construc on and landscaping methods, defensible space, fire safety, and wildfire preparedness. Assistance with this ac on could be provided by Augusta County Fire and Rescue staff and volunteers, Staunton‐Augusta‐Waynesboro Community Emergency Response Team members, and volunteers of the region’s disaster mi ga on educa on program, Shenandoah Valley Project Impact.
Hold an ini al educa onal opportunity for Augusta County staff and elected officials to learn wildfire mi ga on techniques and their benefits. Assistance with this ac on can be provided by Augusta County Fire and Rescue staff and volunteers and staff of the Central Shenandoah Planning District Commission (CSPDC). Explore and priori ze which woodland
Sec on 5: Wildfire Mi ga on Plan Page 10 Augusta County Community Wildfire Protec on Plan
communi es in the County’s WUI may be recep ve to becoming “Firewise Communi es”. Assistance with this ac on can be provided by a partnership between the Virginia Department of Forestry and Augusta County Fire and Rescue staff.
Create a brief Educa on Plan to outline what types of educa onal and outreach materials will be used and when these efforts will be focused in order to effec vely use the limited resources that the County has available.
Reducing Hazardous Fuels
One ac vity that can impact wildfire risk in a posi ve manner is reducing hazardous fuels throughout Augusta County. Because of the large amount of public lands in the County, fuel reduc on can be achieved at the federal, state, and local levels of government. County residents can also be involved with taking the individual responsibility to reduce fuels on private property as well.
Ac ons:
Hold an ini al training of Augusta County residents on hazardous fuel reduc on, defensible space, reduc on of canopy cover, and debris removal . Assistance with this ac on can be provided by Augusta County Fire and Rescue staff and volunteers, Staunton‐Augusta‐Waynesboro Community Emergency Response Team members, and volunteers of Shenandoah Valley Project Impact, the regional disaster mi ga on educa on program.
Explore and inventory poten al fuel breaks on woodland public lands owned by the County. This task could be handled by a variety of County staff when addi onal resources are needed.
Meet with federal and state agency representa ves on an annual basis to discuss a variety of wildfire issues including fuel reduc on on public lands that adjoin County public and private lands. Augusta Fire and Rescue staff could coordinate this ac on.
Reducing Structural Ignitability
In the Wildland Urban Interface, reducing structural ignitability is an essen al ac vity to limit injury, loss of life, and property and structural damage par cularly in residen al communi es.
Include in an educa on and outreach program for Augusta County residents
Sec on 5: Wildfire Mi ga on Plan Page 11 Augusta County Community Wildfire Protec on Plan
living in the WUI strategies they can implement to reduce structural ignitability on their property, as well as highlight proper es or communi es that have implemented wildfire mi ga on best prac ces. Assistance with this ac on could be provided by Augusta County Fire and Rescue staff and volunteers, Staunton‐Augusta‐Waynesboro Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) members, and volunteers of Shenandoah Valley Project Impact, the regional disaster mi ga on educa onal program.
U lize Staunton‐Augusta‐Waynesboro Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) members to perform wildfire vulnerability assessments for interested homeowners living in woodland areas of Augusta County. CERT members who have been trained will receive a refresher training and CERT members who haven’t had the training will have the opportunity to do so. This ac on will be completed by the S‐A‐W CERT Coordinator and Augusta Fire and Rescue staff.
Examine exis ng planning, zoning, and code‐enforcement ac vi es by the County and highlight those that provide wildfire protec on and mi ga on opportuni es. Explore the feasibility of implemen ng any new measures to increase wildfire protec on, par cularly during new construc on and development where gaps may exist in current ac vi es. Assistance with this ac vity could be provided by Augusta County Community Development and Fire and Rescue staff during the course of their normal day‐to‐day ac vi es.
Emergency Management
Having first responders that are highly trained and have the proper tools and equipment they need to safely limit damage to property and minimize injuries and loss of life is the front line of defense that a community has against a wildfire. Fire and rescue personnel are not only a cri cal resource during a wildfire, but they can also be u lized in wildfire mi ga on as well. Emergency Management is an important component in reducing a community’s overall wildfire risk.
Ac ons:
Encourage Augusta County Fire and Rescue personnel and volunteers to a end available wildfire training as resources are available. Implementa on of this ac on would involve Augusta County Fire and Rescue staff and volunteers and relevant state and federal agencies.
Examine emergency communica on equipment and towers located in the
Sec on 5: Wildfire Mi ga on Plan Page 12 Augusta County Community Wildfire Protec on Plan
wildland areas of Augusta County for poten al mi ga on projects that could be implemented to reduce poten al damage by wildfires. Explore possible grant funding opportuni es that would provide resources to implement any needed mi ga on. Assistance with this ac on would be provided by Augusta County Fire and Rescue staff and volunteers.
Confirm exis ng partnerships and cul vate new partnerships with other local, state, and federal agencies that deal with wildfire issues, as well as the private sector who can assist with educa onal ac vi es, implementa on of mi ga on and preventa ve measures, and wildfire suppression ac vi es. Augusta Fire and Rescue staff and the County’s Emergency Manager can assist with this ac on.
Sec on 5: Wildfire Mi ga on Plan Page 13 Augusta County Community Wildfire Protec on Plan
Emergency Opera ons considera ons should be taken into account before deciding on a method of suppression, including: The primary goal for the County is making and implemen ng safe, effec ve, and Fire intensity efficient risk‐based wildfire management Fuel type decisions. Outcomes based upon this goal Fire size and rate of spread include: Resource availability
Access and maneuverability Diminished injuries and loss of life of
the public and firefighters Efficient and effec ve shared‐ A er assessing the situa on a decision can jurisdic on response to wildfire be made about the tac cs and techniques The occurrence of pre‐fire mul ‐ that will be u lized. Direct a ack takes the jurisdic onal planning approach of working directly on the fire edge with the objec ve of construc ng a 6.1 Wildfire Suppression and Wildfire fireline around all fire intended to be Response Capability suppressed. Treatments are applied directly to the fire in the form of we ng, Wildfire Suppression smothering, or chemically drenching the fire or physical separa on of the burning Wildfires have many more considera ons fuel from unburned fuel. Indirect a ack is than structural fires due to their ability to a large‐fire tac c that includes the use of constantly change because of varying preparatory suppression tac cs occurring environmental condi ons, thus different from a distance. In using the indirect firefigh ng techniques, equipment, and approach there is a larger element of training are required. Resources and planning, but there is also an increased natural wilderness are protected through chance of more acreage burning, seeing as crews suppressing flames, crea ng control lines and barriers are set up firelines, and ex nguishing flames and further away from the flames. Mop‐up areas of heat. occurs a er flames have passed; even though the flames have passed there is The crea on of safety zones, s ll the chance that smoldering heavy establishment of escape routes, and fuels have con nued to burn. During this verifica on of communica ons are some me it should be made sure that the burn of the ini al steps taken once crews arrive area exterior is cooled to prevent re‐ on scene. All of this prepara on creates igni on. Rehabilita on helps reduce the opportunity for the firefighters to engage damages that happen post‐fire. Some of with the fire, as well as have the op on to the firefigh ng techniques used could retreat in case the fire cannot be have caused damage to the soil, and a contained. remedy to this could be re‐plan ng vegeta on. There are many techniques and tac cs u lized when figh ng wildfires. Many
Sec on 6: Emergency Opera ons Page 1 Augusta County Community Wildfire Protec on Plan
Wildfire Response Capability 6.2 Emergency Procedures And Evacua on Routes Augusta County’s firefigh ng services total 25 separate fire protec on districts, In the case that evacua ons have to be varying in capabili es. Not all of the fire made, preferred evacua on routes and protec on districts are located within the safe sites will be announced. No fica on County, but they do provide service to the of evacua ons will be communicated County. through telephone, media, and/or direct contact from emergency personnel. Fire and Rescue response in Augusta However, evacua on could be needed County is handled by volunteers and without no ce when condi ons for career staff. Augusta County Fire‐Rescue wildfires are favorable. Residents of the currently has a total of 81 employees; 72 County should be ready to evacuate field opera on posi ons, 1 Fire‐Rescue without formal no ce. Chief, 3 Ba alion Commanders, 2 Training Captains (one for EMS and one for fire), 1 Homeowners should be aware of any Lieutenant/Volunteer Coordinator, 1 alerts sent out by the Virginia Department Administra ve Secretary, and 1 Budget of Forestry and the United States Na onal Analyst (civilian posi on). Weather Service. Red flag warnings, also known as a fire weather warning, point Augusta County established its first career/ out high fire danger and mean that there is volunteer sta on, named Augusta County high probability of quick spreading Fire Department, in 1941; that same year, vegeta on fires within the next 24 hours the County hired its first paid Fire Chief. In for that area. Not only are these alerts the late 1970’s, the job descrip on for the important to staff and volunteers of fire paid Fire Chief changed to having departments, but also homeowners can responsibility and overseeing all Fire and use the advance no ce to prepare Emergency Medical Services provided by themselves and their property. both volunteers and career personnel. Over the past 17 years, due to the large If there is me before evacua ng, demand on the volunteer system, the paid residents should take precau onary staff has increased from 8 employees to 81 measures to reduce structure loss. ac ve posi ons in 2013. Different preventa ve measures include irriga ng defensible space, watering down
roo ops, removing debris from rain gu ers, and discarding flammable materials 30 or more feet away from the home. Other measures that can be taken to assist firefighters in ba ling the fire include closing windows and doors (but keeping them unlocked), covering all openings around the home, placing a ladder nearby for roof access, and leaving
Sec on 6: Emergency Opera ons Page 2 Augusta County Community Wildfire Protec on Plan
porch and other outdoor ligh ng on to help firefighters find homes at night. Upon returning home a er an evacua on, home exteriors should be monitored for smoke for several days; there is the possibility that embers could lodge in small cracks and spaces and smolder for several days before flaming.
Families should have pre‐planned mee ng areas and phone numbers to call in case of separa on. Important documents, papers, pets, food, water, and other essen al items should be taken with families in the case of evacua on.
For areas where evacua on could prove to be difficult or impossible, Shelter‐In‐Place Training should be considered. In the case evacua on couldn’t happen, residents should be trained to remain in their homes un l the fire passes through. A er training residents should be prepared, have access to basic firefigh ng hand tools, know that water could be scarce, but if available not waste it, have proper working clothes, iden fy a safety zone, and have had physical and mental prepara on.
Sec on 6: Emergency Opera ons Page 3 Augusta County Community Wildfire Protec on Plan
CWPP Monitoring and made on these fronts are to be evaluated to show whether or not given Evalua on recommenda ons from the Plan have made impacts or if there is a need for Plan monitoring helps determine whether further modifica ons. In addi on, any plans and goals iden fied in the local, state, or federal regula ons that Community Wildfire Protec on Plan are change or impact the Plan will be applicable for current circumstances and incorporated into it. Augusta County staff being met over me, as well as tracking the will determine if any substan al changes implementa on of ac vi es men oned. need to be included in the Plan. In addi on The plan will be modified to reflect the to annual review, the Plan will undergo a changing condi ons that arise through comprehensive review every five years. project implementa on or natural occurrences happening in the County. Public par cipa on was an integral part of Having the monitoring strategy in place the development of this Plan and will provides an outlet for Augusta County to con nue through the course of its be accountable to the public about the existence. Ac vi es to involve the public outcomes of the plan. will occur when appropriate and resources are available. The Augusta County Community Wildfire Protec on Plan Steering Commi ee will act as the body responsible for the review, monitoring, and update of the CWPP. This group meets annually and includes representa ves from local, state, and federal government, other relevant organiza ons, and ci zen stakeholders. The Steering Commi ee is currently staffed by the Central Shenandoah Planning District Commission.
Through the Augusta County Community Wildfire Protec on Plan Steering Commi ee, the Plan will be reviewed on an annual basis and updated when and where needed. Each commi ee member will be asked to review the Plan. Revisions will be made to the Plan by the CSPDC staff upon the request of the County. Goals to be accomplished through these annual mee ngs include: evalua ng progress toward mee ng goals, se ng priori es, and upda ng goals and maps. Progress
Sec on 7: CWPP Monitoring and Evalua on Page 1 Augusta County Community Wildfire Protec on Plan
Berm: a ridge of soil and debris along the outside Glossary edge of a fireline, resul ng from line construc on.
Absolute Humidity: total amount of water vapor in Blow Down: an area of previously standing mber the air. which has been blown over by strong winds or storms. Accelerant: material (usually a flammable liquid) used to ini ate or increase the spread of fire. Bone Yard: 1. a mop up term. To “bone yard” a fire means to systema cally work the en re area, Acceptable Fire Risk: the poten al fire loss a scraping embers off remaining fuel, feeling for heat community is willing to accept rather than provide with the hands, and piling unburned materials in resources to reduce such losses. areas cleared to mineral soil. 2. an area cleared to mineral soil for piling unburned fuels. Acre: one acre is approximately 209 feet by 209 feet or 43,560 square feet. Bole: the trunk of a tree. Equals one board foot.
Advancing Fire: that por on of the fire with rapid Brush: a collec ve term that refers to stands of fire spread with higher fire intensity which is vegeta on dominated by shrubby, woody plants, or normally burning with the wind and/or up slope. low growing trees.
Alligatoring: char pa erns formed on paint or Brush Fire: A fire burning in vegeta on that is burned wood remains, usually in the shape of predominantly shrubs, brush, and shrub growth. blisters. Burn Pa erns: the characteris c configura on of Arson Fire: a fire that is inten onal and wrongfully char le by a fire. In wildland fires, burn pa erns set to burn one’s own or someone else’s property. are influenced by topography, wind direc on, length of exposure, and type of fuel. Aspect: the predominant direc on of the slope of the land. Burning Period: the part of each 24‐hour period when fires spread most rapidly; typically from A ack A Fire: limit the spread of fire by any 10:00 a.m. to sundown. appropriate means. Burnover: an event in which a fire moves through a Backburn/Backfire: a fire set along the inner edge loca on or overtakes personnel or equipment of a fireline to consume the fuel in the path of a where there is no opportunity to u lize escape wildfire or change the direc on force of the fire’s routes and safety zones, o en resul ng in personal convec on column. injury or equipment damage.
Backing Fire: 1. fire spreading or ignited to spread, into (against) the wind or downslope 2. that por on of the fire with slower rates of fire spread and lower intensity normally moving into the wind and/or down slope.
Bambi Bucket®: a collapsible bucket slung below a helicopter. Used to dip water from a variety of sources for fire suppression.
Basal Area: the cross‐sec onal area of a single tree stem, including the bark, measured at breast height (4.5 feet above ground). O en expressed as BA/ Acre.
Sec on 8: Glossary Page 1 Augusta County Community Wildfire Protec on Plan
Candle: a standing tree with a broken top which Dead Out: when a fire is completely out, with no o en con nues to burn a er the main firefront has smoldering or burning areas. passed. Candles usually send up a fountain of sparks and burning embers which may travel some Deciduous: shedding or losing leaves annually; the distance and be of concern if near the unburnt side opposite of evergreen. Trees such as maple, of a control line. ash, cherry, and aspen are deciduous.
Candling: the burning of the foliage of a single tree Defensible Space: an area around a structure or a small group of trees, from the bo om up. where fuels and vegeta on are treated, cleared or reduced to slow the spread of wildfire towards the Canopy: the stratum containing the crowns of the structure. tallest vegeta on present (living or dead), usually above 20 feet. Diameter At Breast Height (dbh): The measurement of tree diameter at a point 4 ½ feet Char: remains of burned materials. above ground level. Usually expressed in inches.
Cold Line: fireline that has been controlled. The Dominant Trees: trees that extend above fire has been mopped up for a safe distance inside surrounding individuals and capture sunlight from the line and can be considered safe to leave above and around the crown. una ended. Dripline: a tree’s dripline is the same as the dripline Combus on: the rapid oxida on of fuel in which on a house; it is where the rain drips off the limbs heat and usually flame are produced. at the outer edge of the crown.
Conduc on: heat transfer through a material from Dry Hydrant: permanent devices with fire engine a region of higher temperature to a region of lower threads a ached to expedite dra ing opera ons in temperature. loca ons where there are water sources suitable for use in fire suppression. Conifer: a cone‐bearing tree. Duff: the later of decomposing organic materials Convec on: the transfer of heat by the movement lying below the li er layer of freshly fallen twigs, of a gas or liquid. needles, and leaves immediately above the mineral soil. Cord: a stack of firewood that measures 4 x 4 by 8 feet or 128 cubic feet. Emission: a release of combus on gases and aerosols into the atmosphere. Creeping Fire: fire burning with a low flame and spreading slowly. Envelopment: direct a ack with mul ple anchor points, that allows for mul ple points of a ack. Crown: the uppermost branches and foliage of a Generally used as an engine tac c in the Wildland tree. Urban Interface.
Crown Fire: a fire that advances from top to top of Escape Fire: a fire, which has exceeded or is trees or shrubs more or less independent of a expected to exceed ini al a ack capabili es or surface fire. prescrip on.
Crown Out: a fire that rises from ground into the Even‐aged: forest stand composed of trees of a tree crowns and advances from tree top to tree single age class. top. Even‐aged stand: a stand in which the age Dead Man Zone: unburnt areas around edges of difference between the oldest and youngest trees brush fire. is minimal, usually no greater than 10 to 20 years.
Sec on 8: Glossary Page 2 Augusta County Community Wildfire Protec on Plan
Faller: a person who fells trees. Also called sawyer, Firebreak: a natural or constructed barrier used to and cu er. stop or check fires that may occur, or to provide a control line from which to work. Fingers Of A Fire: the long, narrow extensions of a fire projec ng from the main body. Flame: a mass of gas undergoing rapid combus on, generally accompanied by evolu on of sensible Fire: rapid oxida on, usually with the evolu on of heat and incandescence. heat and light; heat fuel, oxygen, and interac on of the three. Flanks Of A Fire: the parts of a fire’s spread perimeter that grow to the sides then run roughly Fire Behavior: the manner in which a fire reacts to parallel to the main direc on of spread. Separated the influences of fuel, weather, and topography. flank heads are extremely dangerous in steep terrain. Fire Bug: arsonist, especially a repe ve firese er. Flash Fuels: highly combus ble fire fuels such as Fire Climate: composite pa ern of weather grass, leaves, draped pine needles, fern, tree moss, elements over me that affect fire behavior in a and some kinds of slash, which ignite readily and given region. are consumed rapidly when dry.
Fire Concentra on (Complex) – generally a Forest Residue: accumula on in the forest of living situa on in which numerous fires are burning in a or dead (mostly woody) material that is added to locality. and rearranged by human ac vi es such as harvest, cultural opera ons, and land clearing. Fire Front: the part of a fire within which con nuous flaming combus on is taking place. Fuel: any combus ble material, especially petroleum‐based products and wildland fuels. Fire Retardant: any substance except plain water that by chemical or physical ac on reduces Fuel Loading: the oven‐dry weight of fuel per unit flammability of fuels or slows their rate of area. combus on. Fume: an airborne irrita ng, noxious or toxic Fire Storm: violent convec on caused by a large smoke, vapor, or any combina on of these con nuous area of intense fire. O en produced by a vola le substance or a chemical characterized by destruc vely violent surface reac on. indra s, near and beyond the perimeter, and some mes by tornado‐like whirls. Grass Fire: any fire in which the predominant fuel is grass or glasslike. Fire Weather: weather condi ons which influence fire igni on, behavior, and suppression. Greenbelt: landscaped and regularly maintained fuel/fire break, usually put to some addi onal use. Fire Whirl: a tornado‐like vortex that forms from (e.g., golf course, park, playground) the stretching of vor city due to the interac on of air flowing towards and upwards in a fire. Ground Fire: fire that consumes the organic material beneath the surface li er ground, such as Firebrands: hot wood embers. peat fire.
Fireline: the part of a control line that is scraped or dug to mineral soil. Also called fire trail. More generally, working a fire is called being “on the fireline.” May also refer to a “wet line” where water has been used to create a burn boundary in light fuels such as grass.
Sec on 8: Glossary Page 3 Augusta County Community Wildfire Protec on Plan
Hazard: any real or poten al condi on that can Knock Down: to reduce the flame or heat on the cause injury or death of personnel, or damage to, more vigorously burning parts of a fire edge, or loss of equipment or property. usually by cooling with dirt, water or other retardant. Hazard Reduc on: precau onary controlled and managed fire lit during cooler and/or we er Ladder Fuels: vegeta ve materials with ver cal weather in order to reduce the available fuel load. con nuity that allows fire to burn for the ground level up to the branches and crowns of trees Head Of A Fire: the most rapidly spreading por on (Dennis 1999). of a fire’s perimeter, usually to the leeward or up slope; may have mul ple heads if there are Let‐burn Policy: administra ve decision to defer separated flanking fires. fire suppression, perhaps because of wilderness and long‐term forest conserva on considera ons. Holding Ac ons: all ac ons taken to stop the spread of fire. Liana: long stemmed woody vines that are rooted in the soil at ground level and use trees, as well as Holdover Fire: a fire that remains dormant for a other means of ver cal support, to climb up to the considerable me. Also called a sleeper fire. canopy to get access to well‐lit areas of the forest.
Hot Spot: a par cularly ac ve part of a fire. Lightning Fire: wildfire caused directly or indirectly by lightning. Hotshot Crew: intensively trained fire crew used primarily in hand line construc on, and organized Limbing: removing branches from a felled or primarily to travel long distances from fire to fire as standing tree or brush. needed rather than serving only one geographic loca on. Live Fuel Moisture Content: ra o of the amount of water to the amount of dry plant material in living Humus: layer of decomposed organic ma er on the plants. forest floor beneath the fermenta on layer and directly above the soil. It is that part of the duff in Li er (forest li er): surface buildup of leaves and which decomposi on has rendered vegeta on twigs. unrecognizable and mixing of soil and organic ma er is underway. Lop and Sca er: a hand method of removing the upward‐extending branches from tops of felled Incendiary Device: contrivance designed and used trees to keep slash low to the ground, to increase to start a fire. rate of decomposi on, lower fire hazard, or as a pretreatment prior to burning. Inhibitor: any agent which retards a chemical reac on. Mass Fire: a fire resul ng from many simultaneous igni ons that generates a high level of energy Into The Black: moving from outside the fire front output. to inside the burned area, which is some mes the safest place to be in a flare‐up, i.e., behind the fire, Mineral Soil: soil layers below the predominantly if possible to traverse the flames. organic horizons; soil with li le combus ble material. Mineral soil is the same as topsoil. Kindling Point: lowest temperature at which sustained combus on can be ini ated for a Mi ga on: those ac vi es implemented prior to, specified substance. Also called igni on during, or a er an incident which are designed to temperature. reduce or eliminate risks to persons or property that lessen the actual or poten al effects or consequences of an incident.
Sec on 8: Glossary Page 4 Augusta County Community Wildfire Protec on Plan
Mop‐up: ex nguishing or removing burning Na onal Wildfire Coordina ng Group (NWCG): a material near control lines, felling snags, and group formed under the direc on of the trenching logs to prevent rolling a er an area has Secretaries of the Interior and Agriculture to burned, to make a fire safe, or to reduce residual improve the coordina on and effec veness of smoke. wildland fire ac vi es and provide a forum to discuss, recommend appropriate ac on, or resolve Mul ple Points Of Origin: two or more separate issues and problems of substan ve nature. points of fire origins at a fire scene; strong indica on of arson. Open Burning: burning of any fuel outdoors without the use of mechanical combus on Mutual Aid: cross‐jurisdic onal assistance with enhancements. emergency services by pre‐arranged agreement. Organic Soil: any soil horizon containing at least Na onal Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS): 30% organic ma er. a legal limit on the level of atmospheric contamina on. The level is established as the Orographic: pertaining to, or caused by mountains. concentra on limits needed to protect all of the public against adverse effects on public health and Overstocked: the situa on in which trees are so welfare, with an adequate safety margin. Primary closely spaced that they compete for resources standards are those related to health effects. and do not reach full growth poten al. Secondary standards are designed to protect public welfare from effects such as visibility reduc on, Overstory: the level of forest canopy that includes soiling, material damage and nuisances. the crowns of dominant, co‐dominant, and intermediate trees. Na onal Fire Danger Ra ng System (NFDRS): a uniform fire danger ra ng system that focuses on Overtopped: the situa on in which a tree cannot the environmental factors that control the sufficiently extend its crown into the overstory and moisture content of fuels. receive direct sunlight. Overtopped trees that lack shade tolerance lose vigor and die. Na onal Fire Protec on Associa on (NFPA): a private, non‐profit organiza on dedicated to Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDI): techniques reducing fire hazards and improving fire service. for measuring impact of soil moisture changes on vegeta on, for predic ng fire danger and fire Na onal Fire Protec on Associa on Standards behavior. (NFPA): Standards of the Na onal Fire Protec on Associa on are frequently adopted by insurance Passive Crown Fire: a fire in the crowns of trees in agencies such as the Na onal Board of Fire which trees or groups of trees torch, ignited by the Underwriters as a basis for their regula ons and passing front of the fire. used as a guide for municipal, state, or provincial laws, ordinances, and regula ons. Perennial Grasses: an extremely vola le fuel, a er curing, in May, June, July, which can lead to large, Na onal Pipe Straight Hose Thread (NPSH): Also fast fires that may reach larger fuels. known as na onal Pipe Straight Mechanical (NPSM) thread. This is a straight (nontapered) thread Plow Line: fuel line constructed by a fire plow, standard with the same threads per inch as the usually drawn by a tractor or other motorized appropriate size iron pipe thread. equipment.
Na onal Response Plan: a plan that integrates Plume: a convec on column generated by federal government domes c preven on, combus on of wildland fuel. preparedness, response, and recovery plans into one all‐discipline, all‐hazard plan.
Sec on 8: Glossary Page 5 Augusta County Community Wildfire Protec on Plan
Precipita on: any or all forms of water par cles, Rekindle: reigni on due to latent heat, sparks, or liquid or solid, that fall from the atmosphere and embers due to presence of smoke or steam. reach the ground. Remote Automated Weather Sta on (RAWS): a Preparedness: ac vi es that lead to a safe, weather sta on that transmits weather efficient, and cost‐effec ve fire management observa ons vi GOES satellite to the wildland fire program in support of land and resource management informa on system. management objec ves through appropriate planning and coordina on. Release: to remove overtopping trees that compete with understory or suppressed trees. Pretreat: the use of water, foam, or retardant along a control line in advance of the fire. Residual Stand: the trees remaining intact following any thinning opera on. Preven on: ac vi es directed at reducing the incidence of fires, including public educa on, law Response: ac vi es that address the short‐term, enforcement, personal contact, and reduc on of direct effect on an incident, including immediate fuel hazards (fuels management). ac ons to save lives, protect property, and meet basic human needs. Pruning: the act of removing branches from a living tree to improve tree beauty, increase future Restora on: the con nua on of rehabilita on lumber value, remove ladder fuels, and remove beyond the ini al three years of the repair or disease infested limbs. replacement of major facili es damaged by the fire. QUINT: A ladder truck with a fire pump. Tank size is generally 250 gallons to 750 gallons. Pump sizes Safety Zone: an area cleared of flammable material can vary from 1200 GPM to 2,000 GPM. 314 used for escape in the event the line is ou lanked or in case a spot fire causes fuels outside the Radia on: propaga on of energy in free space by control line to render the line unsafe. virtue of joint, undulatory varia ons in the electric or magne c fields in space. Salvage Cut: the removal of dead, damaged, or diseased trees to recover maximum value prior to Readiness: condi on or degree of being completely deteriora on. ready to cope with a poten al fire situa on. Sapling: a tree at least 4 1/2 feet tall and up to 4 Recovery: the increase in fuel moisture as a result inches in diameter. of increased rela ve humidity, usually occurring overnight. Sawlog: a log large enough to be sawed economically on a sawmill. Sawlogs are usually at Red‐flag Day: weather condi ons crea ng a cri cal least 8 feet long and 6 inches in diameter at the fire hazard, may require closing the forest to non‐ small end of the tree. emergency ac vi es in order to minimize the risk of accidental wildland fires. SCAT: Short, Chassis A ack Truck. This apparatus is designed for both structural and wildland fire Regenera on: the process by which a forest is figh ng. A SCAT can have a tank capacity of 200 reseeded and renewed. Advanced regenera on gallons to 750 gallons of water and pump size can refers to regenera on that is established before be from 150 GPM to 450+ GPM. A SCAT generally the exis ng forest stand is removed. operates with a minimum crew of two persons.
Rehabilita on: efforts undertaken within three years of a wildland fire to repair or improve fire damaged lands.
Sec on 8: Glossary Page 6 Augusta County Community Wildfire Protec on Plan
Seed Tree: a mature tree le uncut to provide seed Suppressed: trees with crowns en rely below the for regenera on of a harvested stand. general level of the crown cover, receiving no direct light either from above or from the sides. Set: 1. an individual incendiary fire. 2. the point of origins of an incendiary fire. Suppression: all the work of ex nguishing or confining a fire beginning with its discovery. Size‐up: ini al assessment of fire including (among other things) fuel load, fire weather, topography, Surface Fire: fire that burns loose debris on the fire behavior, hazards and exposures of valuable surface, which include dead branches, blowdown proper es. Quickly detects need for addi onal mber, leaves, and low vegeta on, as contrasted resources and sets opera onal priori es. with crown fire.
Slash: branches and other woody material le on a Thinning: Removal of poorest formed, damaged, site a er forest management ac vi es. suppressed, and crowded trees in a stand to improve growth and form of remaining trees. 315 Slopover: fire spreading outside the boundaries of a control line. Threat Fire: any uncontrolled fire near to or heading toward an area under organized fire Smoke: small par cles of carbon, tarry and water protec on. vapor resul ng from the incomplete combus on of carbonaceous materials such as wood, coal. Timber Stand Improvement (tsi): any prac ce that increases the value or rate of value growth in a Smoldering: a fire burning without flame and stand of poten al saw mber trees. Pruning and barely spreading. thinning are considered tsi.
Snag: a dead tree that is s ll standing. Snags Tinder: burnable organic material (duff, peat, provide important food and cover for a wide ro en wood, etc.) with a high surface to volume variety of wildlife species. ra o.
Soot: carbon dust formed by incomplete Torching: not to be confused with crowning, is combus on. when a single or small group of trees “torch” or go up in flames. Torching and group torching are more Spo ng: behavior of a fire producing sparks or of a nuisance whereas crown fire is of much greater embers that are carried by the wind and which concern. start new fires (spot fires) beyond the zone of direct igni on by the main fire. Turn The Corner: contain a fire along a flank of the fire and begin containing it across the head. Stocking: is a measure of the occupancy of available growing space, and is a func on of the number of trees and their size rela ve to the ideal stand.
Stand: a con guous group of trees sufficiently uniform in age‐class distribu on, composi on, and structure, and growing on a site of sufficiently uniform quality, to be a dis nguishable unit.
Stand Density: A quan ta ve measure of stem crowding within a stocked area.
Sec on 8: Glossary Page 7 Augusta County Community Wildfire Protec on Plan
Type: Refers to resource capability. a Type 1 We ng Rain: a widespread rain that over an resource provides a greater overall capability due extended period of me significantly reduces fire to power, size, capacity, etc., than would be found danger. in a Type 2 resource. Resource typing provides managers with addi onal informa on in selec ng Widowmaker: any branch or treetop that is poorly the best resource for the task. or no longer a ached to a tree, but s ll tangled overhead. Type 1 engine: a Type 1 engine is a structure engine which carries a minimum Wildfire: an unplanned or unwanted fire requiring 300 gallons of water, minimum pump flow suppression ac on; an uncontrolled fire, usually requirements are 1000 gpm, at 150 psi. spreading through vegeta ve fuels but o en threatening structures. Type 3 wildland engine: carries a minimum of 500 gallons of water, 150 Wildland: an area in which development is gallons per minute (gpm) minimum pump essen ally nonexistent, except for roads, railroads, flow, at a rated pressure of 150 (psi). A powerlines, and similar transporta on facili es. Type 3 engine carries 1000 feet of 2 ½” Structures, if any, are widely sca ered. hose, 500 feet of 1 ½” hose, and a crew of 3 persons. Wildland Urban Interface (WUI): an area where development and wildland fuels meet at a well‐ Type 6 wildland engine: carries a defined boundary. minimum of 150 gallons of water, 50 gallons per minute (gpm) minimum pump Wind‐driven Wildland Fire: a wildland fire that is flow, at a rated pressure of 100 (psi). A controlled by a strong consistent wind. Type 6 engine carries 300 feet of 1 ½” hose, 300 feet of 1’ hose, and a crew of 2 Windrow Burning: burning slash that has been persons and has a gross vehicle weight piled into long con nuous rows. (GVWR) of 19,500 pounds. Windfall: tree knocked over or broken off by wind, Underburn: a fire that consumes surface fuels but increasing fuel loading and hampers building not the overstory canopy. fireline.
Understory: the level of forest vegeta on beneath Windfirm: trees able to withstand strong winds the canopy. and resist windthrow, open grown trees tend to grow slower and develop deep root systems Uneven‐aged: forest stand composed of whereas some species grow within a stand which intermingling of trees that differ markedly in age. acts as a buffer, thinning in this second type needs Three or more age classes of trees represented. to be completed in stages to allow remaining trees to increase their windfirmness. Volunteer Fire Department (VFD): A fire Department company or a response unit, the members of which are not paid.
Water Tender: any ground vehicle capable of transpor ng specified quan es of water.
Wet Line: temporary control line using water or other fire retardant liquid to prevent a low‐ intensity fire from spreading in surface fuels or to knock down a more intense fire.
Sec on 8: Glossary Page 8 Augusta County Community Wildfire Protection Plan Survey Report
Summary
In order to assess the awareness of Augusta County residents of potential wildfires and examine their willingness to implement mitigation strategies to prevent fire damage to their homes and property, the Central Shenandoah Planning District Commission conducted a county-wide survey. Done on behalf of Augusta County Fire and Rescue, the survey provides public input to assist the Steering Committee of the Augusta County Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) in creating suggested wildfire mitigation strategies for Augusta County.
The survey consists of ten multiple choice questions as well as room for additional comments and contact information. Requests to complete the on-line survey were made to the public through an e-mail blast, a press release published in the local newspaper, a public input open house, media coverage on the two local television stations, and a mailing to four hundred (400) residents of Augusta County found to be living in designated ‘woodland’ areas. Paper copies of the survey were also distributed at a Community Safety Event held at the Home Depot store in the City of Waynesboro. Ninety-seven (97) surveys were completed as a result of these outreach efforts.
Results
• When asked if respondents were residents of Augusta County: 90% replied Yes 10% replied No
• When asked which Magisterial District respondent lives in: 9% answered Beverly Manor 10% answered Middle River 11% answered North River 14% answered Pastures 9% answered Riverheads 12% answered South River 8% answered Wayne 25% answered Not Applicable
Augusta County Wildfire Community Survey, 2012 • When asked if respondent rented or owned their home: 9% replied “Rent” 91% replied “Own”
• When asked if respondent’s home is in a woodland area: 57% replied Yes 43% replied No
• When asked how concerned respondents are that a wildfire could damage their property or home: 14% replied “Extremely Concerned” 20% replied “Very Concerned” 23% replied “Concerned” 21% replied “Somewhat Concerned” 23% replied “Not Concerned”
• When asked if respondents have received information about how to make their family, home, and property safe from wildfires in the past year: 28% replied Yes 72% replied No
• When asked if respondent has previously implemented prevention and mitigation measures to protect their house and property from wildfires: 40% replied Yes 59% replied No
• When asked if they would be willing to make simple and low cost modification to respondent’s house and property if they would reduce the risk of wildfires: 87% replied Yes 11% replied No
• When asked how much money would respondent be willing to spend to better protect their home and property from wildfires: 31% answered $50-100 44% answered $100-999 12% answered $1,000-4,999 3% answered $5,000 and above 6% did not give and answer
Augusta County Wildfire Community Survey, 2012 • When asked if respondent would be willing to attend a brief, free training provided by Augusta County to educate on wildfire prevention and mitigation techniques: 62% replied Yes 37% replied No
• Additional Comments From Survey Participants:
. “In addition to education the County needs to consider adopting smart development practices that allow for fire apparatus access, a buffer around these type developments and consider the adoption of the Wildland Urban Interface code. If this is not possible then they should consider financial incentives to encourage home buyers to mitigate their risk of wild fires since it is difficult at best for fire departments to serve the communities already constructed in the county due to lack of access, inadequate water supplies, etc.”.
. "I’m without fire hydrants (county water hookups) near my house (2+miles away) I worry a lot!!"
Augusta County Wildfire Community Survey, 2012 Augusta County Community Wildfire Protection Plan
Defining a WUI (Wildland-Urban Interface)
A Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) is (1) a defensible area from which to suppress fires or defend communities; and/or (2) where houses meet or intermingle with wildland vegetation; and/or (3) where wildfire poses the biggest risk to human lives and structures.
Part I. Data Analysis & Criteria Development
A. Populations in Wildland Areas
Woodland Home Communities (WHC) is point data developed by the Virginia Department of Forestry (VDOF) and are qualified by having: (1) been located close enough to wildland fuels (primarily forested areas) to be potentially damaged by a wildfire; (2) greater than 10 addressable structures; (3) been geographically isolatable – the community of homes must have formed a cohesive cluster – homes sparsely distributed along a through highway were not considered a WHC. Source: The Virginia Department of Forestry (VDOF), July 2003, Virginia Woodland Home Communities.
Other Woodland Communities were identified by Mr. Boyd Ritchie of the VDOF and the Augusta County Community Wildfire Protection Plan Committee. The criterion for the identification of these communities is unknown. This list of communities represented seven (7) additional communities that were not already shown in the data developed by the VDOF.
*These 2 datasets were combined, resulting in 47 Woodland Home Communities depicted as point data. These points were used as reference to delineate 47 polygons that represent these communities for further analysis. A buffer of ½ mile was created to symbolize the interface that these communities have with surrounding wildland and/or forested areas. The buffers around these communities total approximately 59,000 acres which, by their definition being in an interface with wildland areas, will be by default merged with any other criteria identified for use in delineating the WUI.
B. Structure Density Isolines
Data representing 75,804 structures within Augusta County was processed to determine where concentrations of structures do and do not exist (structures used as a proxy for people in this analysis). While this data can be categorized by “residential” and other uses, using the entire dataset better represented the potential wildfire response that could be needed. The structure density (as shown below) was further processed into isolines (cartographically similar to contour lines) by order of magnitude. The lines, then having specific values, were categorized based upon said magnitude and used to visualize where the urbanized areas (red), wildland areas (green), and the interface and intermix areas (yellows & oranges) exist.
C. Housing Density
Summary of 2010 Census Data (block level): - There are 4,370 Census Blocks in Augusta County - The blocks range in size from .018 acres to 24,259 acres - 2,175 of the blocks have a 2010 population value of zero (0) - 2,097 of the blocks have a 2010 housing value of zero (0)
Calculating density by Census Block using 2010 Census housing data: - Calculate area of each Census Block in acres - Divide the housing value by area to determine housing density per block - Density was classified into the 4 standard categories, as outlined in the Federal Register and other WUI delineation documentation. These housing density categories are listed below from high to low housing density:
1. Urban- greater than 1 house per ½ acre 2. Intermix- from 1 house per ½ acre to 1 house per 5 acres 3. Rural- from 1 house per 5 acres to 1 house per 40 acres 4. Wildland- less than 1 house per 40 acres
D. Land Cover (NLCD 2006) The National Land Cover Database 2006 land cover layer was produced through a cooperative project conducted by the Multi-Resolution Land Characteristics (MRLC) Consortium. One of the primary goals is to generate a current, consistent, seamless, and accurate National Land cover Database (NLCD) circa 2006 for the United States at medium spatial resolution. 2006 refers to the nominal year from which most of the Landsat 5 and Landsat 7 imagery was acquired. Source: National Land Cover Data Set (NLCD), 2006, Multi-Resolution Land Characteristics (MRLC) Consortium - USGS, EPA, NOAA, SFS, BLM, NASA, NPS, NRCS, USFWS, OSM.
In Augusta County, the NLCD 2006 dataset included the following Land Cover Classifications:
Open-Water Mixed Forest Developed, Open Space Shrub/Scrub Developed, Low Intensity Grassland/Herbaceous
Developed, Medium Intensity Pasture/Hay Developed, High Intensity Cultivated Crops Barren Land Woody Wetlands Deciduous Forest Emergent Herbaceous Wetlands Evergreen Forest
*The Forested Land Cover includes those lands classified as Deciduous, Evergreen, and Mixed Forest.
*The Forested Land Cover was further processed to exclude any forested area that is less than 750 contiguous acres. A buffer of ½ mile was applied to the resulting forested area, creating a potential WUI area. This area was then refined to show only those that were less than 1000 contiguous acres to remove the portions of the buffer that resulted from roadways and small islands in the data. This analysis resulted in an area, approximately 75,000 acres in size, representing where wildlands and the human population interface and intermix.
Part II. Defining the Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI)
The analysis and criteria discussed in Part I was thoroughly interpreted to determine which, and by how much, each criteria would be weighted in the WUI delineation. The following criterion was used to develop the final WUI for the Augusta County Community Wildfire Protection Plan: 1) Woodland Home Communities WUI 2) Forested Land Cover WUI
This combined area represents approximately 120,000 acres of Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) in Augusta County, and is depicted in the map which corresponds to this document.
For questions or comments related to the Data Analysis, Criteria Development, WUI Delineation or the Augusta County WUI Map; please contact:
Robert Huff, Regional Planner/GIS Manager Central Shenandoah Planning District Commission (CSPDC) 540.885.5174 [email protected] Augusta County Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI)
Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI)
DReddish Knob
D D ry 8 R× iv e WoodlandD Home Communities 5 r D DSand Spring Mountain D D
D Buck Mountain D D
D D D D DLittle Bald Knob D D D D Middle Mountain "&Y D DTearjacket Knob "&Y Hardscrabble Knob S Grindstone Mountain D k N i D D d o mor rth R e F 8 ive ork × "&Y Mossy Creek r Big Bald Knob Freezland Flat D D Trimble Mountain D Castle Hill D Mount×8 Solon Gordons Peak D D Lookout Mountain DElkhorn Mountain D D D DPinnacle, The WiseD Hill D Elkhorn Lake ×8 D D DHankey Mountain
Buck Hill r Peak, The ve ×8 D Ri r D h e oa v d i 81 an R ¦¨§ n e e 8 h r × 276 k S u Chestnut Oak Knob UV For st D Little North Mountain th r D a Signal Corps Knob ou e p D D S iv ow ¤£250 R C YWeyers Cave e "& r West Augusta ×8 u st ×8 a p ×8 ll u B ×8 42 8 UV × UV256 D Tims Knob "&Y D Y D Sidney, Mount Mount Sidney "& "&Y D Coalpit Knob D D CaveD Hill D ×8 ¤£11 Crawford Mountain D D Fort Defiance DCrawford Knob
Churchville ×8 DBald Rock D D "&Y 8 × D ×8 Verona ×8 Deerfield DHuckleberry Hill 8 × M "&Y Horsehead Mountain "&Y 8 Y New Hope ×8 D × "& i d 8 d × le £340 Round Hill ¤ Buffalo Gap Ri ve D r DChimney Rock DRocks Mountain UV254 ×8 42 DHaycock Knob Elliott Knob UV 8 Northeast Peak D "&Y × D Hogback Davis Mountain D ×8Swoope "&Y D D "&Y ×8 Crimora8 "&Y UV254 × Bettys Hill D Rough Hill 8 D × 8 r 8 × e × v ×8 i R D "&Y e ×8 r u D t s Archer Knob a Turk Mountain p D f D al Jolivue ×8 ek Stony Hill C e D le r 252 Kiser Hill tt C UV D Li k ×8 c a Augusta Springs Sugarloaf B D ¤£250 Dooms Fishersville r "&Y ve i ¦¨§64 "&Y Ramsey Mountain R "&Y D re 285 ×8 u UV st Mikes Knob a 8 48 p Craigsville"&Y D × UV lf ×8 a "&Y DGibson Hill×8 D C k 8 8 e 81 Hickory Hill × × re ¦¨§ Cave Hill D Skyline Drive th C D Y mi "&Y r S e v i R Scott Mountain th D Middlebrook Round Hill Sou "&Y D D "&Y ×8 DMiller Knob ¦¨§64 Big Knob D ¤£340 "&Y Stuarts Draft Lyndhurst Copelands Tetons "&Y ×8 D k e e D r Afton Mountain C C ×8D hris k tian c s C "&Y a reek B Greenville JJJ Mountain 8 D Newport Hill × D DLaurel Hill ×8 ×8 ×8
Sherando Blue Ridge Parkway Miller Hill Burnt Hill 8 D D D × D 8 D × DRussell Rock ¤£11 Donald Fauber Mountain D D D D UV48 D D D
Cellar Mountain Torry Mountain D DKelley Mountain D D D "&Y D Flint Mountain D D ×8 r D D e Knob Of Rocks iv D D R Mine Bank Mountain h Little Spy Mountain Sherando Lake D ut D D D So
Big Spy Mountain M D D D D a u Long Drive Mountain D ry D R D i v e
r Meadow MountainD D "&Y D D "&Y
Pennsylvania "&Y Fire Dept/Station D Peaks
Ohio !( Places Rivers & Streams Maryland
West Virginia Augusta County Waterbodies
Kentucky Virginia 05102.5
Miles
Tennessee North Carolina Data Source(s): Commonwealth of Virginia, Census 2010 This map was prepared and produced at the Central Shenandoah Planning District Commission and is to be used for planning purposes only. FEMA, VDEM, VDOF, USGS, CSPDC, Augusta County Map information is believed to be accurate however accuracy is not guaranteed. Augusta County Community Wildfire Protec on Plan
Fire in the Wildland‐Urban Interface: Preparing a References Firewise Plant List for WUI Residents; University of Florida, Ins tute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Preparing a Community Wildfire Protec on Plan: A and USDA Forest Service, Southern Research Handbook for Wildland‐Urban Interface Sta on, Southern Center for Wildland‐Urban Communi es; Sponsored by Communi es Interface Research and Informa on Commi ee, Na onal Associa on of Coun es, Na onal Associa on of State Foresters, Society of Fire in the Wildland‐Urban Interface: Selec ng and American Foresters, and Western Governors’ Maintaining Firewise Plants for Landscaping; Associa on; March 2004 University of Florida, Ins tute of Food and Agricultural Sciences and USDA Forest Service, Community Guide to Preparing and Implemen ng a Southern Research Sta on, Southern Center for Community Wildfire Protec on Plan: A Wildland‐Urban Interface Research and Supplemental Resource Guide to Preparing a Informa on Community Wildfire Protec on Plan: A Handbook for Wildland‐Urban Interface Communi es; August Sample Subdivision Guidelines/Ordinances for 2008 Communi es At Risk; Virginia Department of Forestry; h p://www.dof/virginia.gov/fire/ Community Wildfire Protec on Plan: Leaders Guide subdivision‐guidelines.htm Supplement; Sponsored by Na onal Associa on of State Foresters, Interna onal Associa on of Fire Fire in the Wildland‐Urban Interface: Chiefs, and The Wilderness Society; 2005 Understanding Fire Behavior; University of Florida, Ins tute of Food and Agricultural Sciences and Wildfire; Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia; h p:// USDA Forest Service, Southern Research Sta on, en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php? Southern Center for Wildland‐Urban Interface tle=Wildfire&printable=yes; October 2011 Research and Informa on
Is Your Home Safe From Wildfire? A Guide for Programs and Standards for Fire Safety in the Protec ng Homes from Wildfire; Virginia Wildland Urban Interface; J. Helmers, A. Long, C. Department of Forestry Fowler; Forest Encyclopedia Network; November 2012 Conduc ng a Community Assessment in the WUI: Beginning the Firewise Process; Fire Communi es Fire in the Wildland Urban Interface; J. Helmers, A. Program; www.firewise.org; 2009 Long, C. Fowler; Forest Encyclopedia Network; November 2012 Ready, Set, Go! Your Personal Wildfire Ac on Plan; Interna onal Associa on of Fire Chiefs; Special Issues in Wildland Urban Interface Fires; J. www.iafc.org/ReadySetGo Helmers, A. Long, C. Fowler; Forest Encyclopedia Network; November 2012 Safety Precau ons for Your Home; www.dof.virginia.gov/fire/home‐fire‐safety‐ Mi ga ng Fire Hazard in the Wildland Urban ps.shtml Interface; J. Helmers, A. Long, C. Fowler; Forest Encyclopedia Network; November 2012 Virginia Firescapes: Firewise Landscaping for Woodland Homes; Communica ons and Marke ng, Fuel Management in the Wildland Urban Interface; College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Virginia J. Helmers, A. Long, C. Fowler; Forest Encyclopedia Polytechnic Ins tute and State University; 2009 Network; November 2012
Risk Assessments in the Southern Wildland Urban Interface; J. Helmers, A. Long, C. Fowler; Forest Encyclopedia Network; November 2012
Sec on 10: References Page 1 Augusta County Community Wildfire Protec on Plan
Fire Behavior; D. Kennard; Forest Encyclopedia Network; November 2012 Lightning; Forest Encyclopedia Network; November 2012 Combus on and Heat Transfer; D. Kennard, A. Tornadoes; Forest Encyclopedia Network; Long; Forest Encyclopedia Network; November November 2012 2012 Fire Climate Regions Index; Forest Encyclopedia Fire Spread; A. Long; Forest Encyclopedia Network; Network; November 2012 November 2012 Topographical Features of North America; Forest Fire Growth; A. Long; Forest Encyclopedia Network; Encyclopedia Network; November 2012 November 2012 Li ing Processes; Forest Encyclopedia Network; Extreme Fire Behavior; A. Long; Forest Encyclopedia November 2012 Network; November 2012 Fire Effects; Forest Encyclopedia Network; Fire Weather; Forest Encyclopedia Network; November 2012 November 2012 Physical Fuel Proper es; Forest Encyclopedia Temperature; Forest Encyclopedia Network; Network; November 2012 November 2012 Fuel Moisture; M. Varner, D. Kennard; Forest Atmospheric Moisture; Forest Encyclopedia Encyclopedia Network; November 2012 Network; November 2012 Knowledge and A tudes about Fire Among Atmospheric Stability; Forest Encyclopedia Southerners; C. Fowler, S. Rideout‐Hanzak; Forest Network; November 2012 Encyclopedia Network; November 2012
General Winds; Forest Encyclopedia Network; Fire and People; C. Fowler; Forest Encyclopedia November 2012 Network; November 2012
Convec ve Winds; Forest Encyclopedia Network; Overview of the Fire History Sec on; C. Fowler; November 2012 Forest Encyclopedia Network; November 2012
Air Masses and Fronts; Forest Encyclopedia Human Use of Fire in Prehistory (12,500 BP to AD Network; November 2012 1540s); C. Fowler; Forest Encyclopedia Network; November 2012 Clouds and Precipita on; Forest Encyclopedia Network; November 2012 Human Use of Fire in History (1540s to 1900s); C. Fowler; Forest Encyclopedia Network; November Thunderstorms; Forest Encyclopedia Network; 2012 November 2012 The Period of Fire Suppression and Other Fire Condi ons Necessary for Thunderstorm Regimes (1890s to 1980s); C. Fowler; Forest Development; Forest Encyclopedia Network; Encyclopedia Network; November 2012 November 2012 Fire Management (1940s to Present); C. Fowler; Life Cycle of a Thunderstorm Cell; Forest Forest Encyclopedia Network; November 2012 Encyclopedia Network; November 2012 Introduc on to Wildland Fire Behavior; PowerPoint Types of Thunderstorms; Forest Encyclopedia Network; November 2012
Sec on 10: References Page 2 Augusta County Community Wildfire Protec on Plan
Wildland Fire Behavior: A “Tune‐up” for Structural How to Become a Firewise Community; Firewise Firefighters; Firehouse; January 2010 Virginia; h p://www.dof.virginia.gov/fire/firewise‐ community.shtml; 2011 Influence of Forest Structure on Wildfire Behavior and the Severity of Its Effects: An Overview; United How to Become a Firewise Community; Firewise States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service; Virginia 2003 Firewise Guide to Landscape and Construc on; Fire in the Wildland‐Urban Interface: Firewise Communi es, NFPA Understanding Fire Behavior; University of Florida IFAS Extension Safer from the Start: A Guide to Firewise‐Friendly Development; Firewise Communi es, NFPA Infamous Wildland Fires around the World by Calendar Date; Bill Gabbert; September 2011 State of the Na onal Fire Plan: Execu ve Summary; FUSEE Na onal Fire Plan Summary; h p:// Jefferson County Community Wildfire Protec on www.fusee.org/docs/analysis/ Plan, Colorado; Walsh Environmental Scien sts and na onal_fire_plan.html; March 2004 Engineers, LLC The Na onal Fire Plan: Managing the Impact of A User Guide to the Firewise Communi es/USA Wildfires on Communi es and the Environment; Recogni on Program; NFPA; 2009 USDA Forest Service, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Na onal Park Service, Firewise Communi es, Pamphlet; Bureau of Land Management, and Na onal www.firewise.org Associa on of State Foresters; www.fireplan.gov; March 2002 Firewise Communi es: “The How‐To Newsle er”; NFPA; 2010 A Na onal Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy Fire and Wildfire Glossary; h p:// 50 Things You Can Do To Protect Your Home; www.dof.virginia.gov/fire/glossary.shtml; June Firewise Virginia; h p://www.dof.virginia.gov/fire/ 2011 firewise‐what‐you‐can‐do.shtml; 2011 Glossary of Wildfire Terms; Wikipedia, the free 25 Firewise Tips; Firewise Virginia; h p:// encyclopedia; h p://en.wikipedia.org/w/ www.dof.virginia.gov/fire/firewise‐25‐ ps.shtml; index.php? 2011 tle=Glossary_of_wildfire_terms&printable=yes; June 2011 Crea ng Wildfire‐Defensible Zones; Firewise Virginia; h p://www.dof.virginia.gov/fire/firewise‐ Na onal Wildfire Coordina ng Group; h p:// create‐defense‐zones.shtml; 2011 www.nwcg.gov/pms/pubs/glossary/pms205.pdf
Wildfire Approaching Checklist; www.firewise.org The Na onal Database of Wildfire Mi ga on Programs: State, County and Local Efforts to Preparing a House for Wildland Fire Season; Reduce Wildfire Risk; T. Haines, C. Renner, M. www.firewise.org Reams, and J. Granskog
Firewise Landscaping; Virginia Firewise Fire Management Today: Volume 60, No. 3; United Communi es States Department of Agriculture Forest Services; Summer 2000 Firewise Communi es for Virginia; Virginia Department of Forestry Communi es Compa ble with Nature; Firewise Communi es, NFPA; 2008
Sec on 10: References Page 3 Augusta County Community Wildfire Protec on Plan
History with Fire in Its Eye: An Introduc on to Fire in Ramsey’s Dra Wilderness; Wikipedia, the free America; S. Pyne, Arizona State University Na onal encyclopedia; h p://en.wikipedia.org/w/ Humani es Center; 2012 index.php? tle=Ramsey% 27s_Dra _Wilderness&printable=yes; December Study Notes for Using Water Effec vely in the 2012 Wildland/Urban Interface DVD Program; NFPA; 2005 Red Flag Warning; Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia; h p://en.wikipedia.org/w/ Mount Joy Pond Natural Preserve; Department of index.php? tle=Red_flag_warning&printable=yes; Conserva on and Recrea on; h p:// June 2013 www.dcr.virginia.gov/natural_heritage/ natural_area_preserves/mountjoy.shtml; Wildfire Suppression; Wikipedia, the free December 2012 encyclopedia; h p://en.wikipedia.org/w/ index.php? Folly Mills Creek Fen Natural Area Preserve; tle=Wildfire_suppression&printable=yes; June Department of Conserva on and Recrea on; 2013 h p://www.dcr.virginia.gov/natural_heritage/ natural_area_preserves/follymills.shtml; December Walker Range Community Wildfire Protec on Plan; 2012 July 2005
Defini ons and Classifica on: Wetland Wildland/Urban Interface Fire Hazard Assessment Environments; J. Aber; h p:// Methodology; Na onal Wildland/Urban Interface academia.emporia.edu/aberjame/wetland/ Fire Protec on Program define.htm; December 2012 The Na onal Cohesive Wildland Fire Strategy: Overview of the Physiography and Vegeta on of Southeast Regional Risk Analysis Report, Phase III Virginia; Natural Communi es of Virginia; h p:// Science‐Based Report; Southeastern Goals www.dcr.virginia.gov/natural_heritage/ Collec ve Solu ons ncoverview.shtml; November 2012 Greater La Pine Community Wildfire Protec on Cowbane Prairie Natural Area Preserve; Plan; 2010 Department of Conserva on and Recrea on; h p://www.dcr.virginia.gov/natural_heritage/ Boise County Wildland Fire Mi ga on Plan; natural_area_preserves/cowbane.shtml; Dynamic Corpora on; July 2003 November 2012 Wildfire Mi ga on; P. Dougherty; Building Safety Shenandoah Valley Ponds and Wetlands; Highroad Journal March‐April 2004; 2004 Guide to the Virginia Mountains; D. Winegar and G. Winegar; h p://www.sherpaguides.com/virginia/ Wrightwood Community Wildfire Protec on Plan mountains/valley_ridge_III/ shenandoah_ponds.html; November 2012 Community Wildfire Protec on Plan; Arrowhead Communi es Fire Safe Council Saint Mary’s Wilderness; Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia; h p://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ George Washington and Jefferson Na onal Forests; Saint_Mary’s_Wilderness; December 2012 Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia; h p:// en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php? Saint Mary’s Wilderness; Wilderness.net; h p:// tle=George_Washington_and_Jefferson_Na onal www.wilderness.net/NWPS/wildView?WID=513; _Forests&printable=yes December 2012
Sec on 10: References Page 4 Augusta County Community Wildfire Protec on Plan
Shenandoah Na onal Park; Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia; h p://en.wikipedia.org/w/ index.php? tle=Shenandoah_Na onal_Park&printable=yes
Sec on 10: References Page 5