Safeguard Properties Western U.S. Wildfire Reference Guide
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Fire Codes Used in the Kern River Valley
i The Kern River Valley Community Fire Safe Plan Created by HangFire Environmental for the Kern River Fire Safe Council and the citizens they strive to protect. October 2002 The Kern River Valley Community Fire Safe Plan was funded by a grant to the Kern River Valley Fire Safe Council by the United States Department of Agriculture-Forest Service, National Fire Plan-Economic Action Program. In accordance with Federal law and United States Department of Agriculture policy, Kern River Valley Fire Safe Council in cooperation with the Kern River Valley Revitalization Incorporated is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs). To file a complaint of discrimination, write the United States Department of Agriculture, Director, Office of Civil Rights, Room 326-W, Whitten Building, 1400 Independence Avenue,. SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (202)720-5964 (voice or TDD). The United States Department of Agriculture-Forest Service is an equal opportunity provider and employer. ii Table of Contents Kern River Valley Community Wildfire Protection Plan................................................................i The Kern River Valley Community Fire Safe Plan........................................................................ii Table of Contents...........................................................................................................................iii Introduction.....................................................................................................................................1 -
The 2007 Southern California Wildfires: Lessons in Complexity
fire The 2007 Southern California Wildfires: Lessons in Complexity s is evidenced year after year, the na- ture of the “fire problem” in south- Jon E. Keeley, Hugh Safford, C.J. Fotheringham, A ern California differs from most of Janet Franklin, and Max Moritz the rest of the United States, both by nature and degree. Nationally, the highest losses in ϳ The 2007 wildfire season in southern California burned over 1,000,000 ac ( 400,000 ha) and property and life caused by wildfire occur in included several megafires. We use the 2007 fires as a case study to draw three major lessons about southern California, but, at the same time, wildfires and wildfire complexity in southern California. First, the great majority of large fires in expansion of housing into these fire-prone southern California occur in the autumn under the influence of Santa Ana windstorms. These fires also wildlands continues at an enormous pace cost the most to contain and cause the most damage to life and property, and the October 2007 fires (Safford 2007). Although modest areas of were no exception because thousands of homes were lost and seven people were killed. Being pushed conifer forest in the southern California by wind gusts over 100 kph, young fuels presented little barrier to their spread as the 2007 fires mountains experience the same negative ef- reburned considerable portions of the area burned in the historic 2003 fire season. Adding to the size fects of long-term fire suppression that are of these fires was the historic 2006–2007 drought that contributed to high dead fuel loads and long evident in other western forests (e.g., high distance spotting. -
Fire Vulnerability Assessment for Mendocino County ______
FIRE VULNERABILITY ASSESSMENT FOR MENDOCINO COUNTY ____________________________________________ _________________________________________ August 2020 Mendocino County Fire Vulnerability Assessment ________________________________________________________________________________________ TABLE OF CONTENTS Page SECTION I- OVERVIEW ........................................................................................................... 6 A. Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 6 B. Project Objectives ...................................................................................................................... 6 C. Mendocino County Description and Demographics ................................................................ 7 D. Planning Area Basis .................................................................................................................. 8 SECTION II- COUNTY WILDFIRE ASSESSMENT ............................................................ 9 A. Wildfire Threat ......................................................................................................................... 9 B. Weather/Climate ........................................................................................................................ 9 C. Topography ............................................................................................................................. 10 D. Fuel Hazards .......................................................................................................................... -
Living with Wildfire in Mendocino County
LIVING WITH WILDFIRE IN MENDOCINO COUNTY Protecting OURSelveS, OUR property, AND OUR NATURAL RESourceS FOREST FACTS ... WHEN TO MOW ... RESCUING YOUR HORSES ... SAFE growing PRACTICES BURN PILES ... FIRE WATER SUPPLY ... AND MORE! The reality of wildfire A Mendocino scenario Suddenly the water stops flowing. The one wildfire can move. And they don’t know power line along the road has burned, so that most people killed by wildfires die IT’S A HOT DAY in early October. It’s 2:30 the pump has quit. Phones go dead too. while trying to evacuate—too late. and the afternoon wind has just kicked up. There’s been no rain since May, and Now really in panic, Joe and Barbara make Fire engines from other counties begin everything is tinder dry. Our CDF air one last attempt to capture their animals. to arrive. They check in with the chief in tankers, command plane, and helicopter With heavy hearts, they leave without them. charge. He tells them to stop at the local are fighting a fire near Santa Cruz. Nearly fire station for maps. In the confusion, The drive downhill takes a long time. In half our county’s fire engines are near L.A., the maps can’t be found. Radio waves are places the road is only one lane, so they where160 homes burned earlier this week. jammed and instructions aren’t clear. must back up to turnouts to let fire engines A wildfire breaks out in Mendocino County. pass. Other cars are collecting behind A fire chief from Napa is assigned to them, making matters worse. -
Sonoma-Lake-Napa Unit 2020 Strategic Fire Plan
Figure: 1 Capell Incident Sonoma-Lake-Napa Unit 2020 Strategic Fire Plan Unit Strategic Fire Plan Amendments Description of Updated Date Section Updated Page Numbers Updated Update By 5/26/2020 ALL ALL Annual Update S.Cardwell 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS SIGNATURE PAGE ........................................................................................................ 4 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ................................................................................................ 5 SECTION I: UNIT OVERVIEW ....................................................................................... 6 SECTION II: UNIT PREPAREDNESS AND FIREFIGHTING CAPABILITIES ............... 9 SECTION III: VALUES .................................................................................................. 12 History of Large Fires ................................................................................................. 12 Values at Risk ............................................................................................................ 12 Section IV: PRE-FIRE MANAGEMENT STRATAGIES & TACTICS ........................... 13 Communication and Collaboration ............................................................................. 13 Pre-Fire Planning ....................................................................................................... 14 Section V: MONITORING PROGRAMS EFFECTIVNESS .......................................... 16 Emergency Command Center ................................................................................... -
September 30, 2020
Valley air about to get worse as wildfire smoke has nowhere to go By Corin Hoggard and Dale Yurong Tuesday, September 29, 2020 FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Air quality is about to take a turn for the worse as a changing weather pattern will combine with wildfires to fill the Central Valley with smoke again. The last few months have produced a stretch of the worst air quality on record, according to the Air Pollution Control District. Satellite images show smoke gently blowing from several California fires out to the Pacific Ocean, a weather pattern keeping the Valley's air relatively clean for several days now. "Right now we're seeing the smoke aloft," said Maricela Velasquez of the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District. "It's above us. But as the week goes through, we'll continue to see that smoke come onto the Valley floor." Here's how: When you have a fire in the Central Valley -- which is essentially just a bowl -- the smoke can usually get out and air quality won't be bad everywhere. But when a high pressure system comes in, it essentially puts a lid on the bowl and the smoke has nowhere to go so it just collects on the Valley floor. "The blocking high, basically, once it sits over a certain spot it likes to stay there for quite a while," said meteorologist Carlos Molina of the National Weather Service in Hanford. Forecasters at the NWS say the lid will sit on our bowl for at least a week. Air Quality Science Director Jon Klassen of the Valley Air District said, "We're expecting that to continue in the coming days." By that time, our air will have collected smoke from the Creek Fire, the SQF Complex Fire, and even more recent fires to our west, like the Glass Fire in the Bay Area. -
Ojai Community Builds Wildfire Resilience
Best Practices Federal Emergency Management Agency / Region IX February 2019 Disaster Mitigation Working in California Ojai Community Builds Wildfire Resilience Ventura County, CA Since its founding in 1874 the beautiful town of Ojai, ringed by rugged mountains and steep chaparral-covered can- yons, has been threatened with de- struction at least nine times. The Wheeler and Day Fires in 1985 and 2006 burned over 280,000 acres and destroyed homes and other struc- tures near the town. The Ojai com- munity placed a bronze plaque to express gratitude for the heroism of firefighters who successfully battled the Wheeler Fire during extremely dangerous conditions. years; developed high-quality years of Ojai Valley preparation Those experiences brought an online resources; and built strong and planning. Extremely hot, dry awareness of vulnerability, along effective partnerships with the and windy conditions caused that with a determination to become a USDA Forest Service, Ventura fire to grow and move with incredi- wildfire resilient community. Ojai County Fire Protection District, ble speed. Readiness and detailed Valley residents realized that aware- City of Ojai, County of Ventura, evacuations plans were critically ness and vigilance alone would not Ventura County Sheriff Depart- important, since the two-lane coun- suffice. To develop a plan of action ment, Ventura County Resource ty egress roads can be overwhelmed a group of fire professionals, educa- Conservation District and others. by traffic. Fortunately, the wind tors, insurance experts, homeowner direction during the Thomas Fire associations and others formed the The board of directors and adviso- spared the City of Ojai the fate of Ojai Valley Fire Safe Council ry council have been able to effec- Paradise, California, but this lesson (OVFSC), a nonprofit organization tively engage and coordinate with has not been lost on the Ojai Valley dedicated to promoting wildfire other agencies, organizations, vol- community. -
Fire Management Lessons Learned – Evolving Fire Management Programs 1
Fire Management Lessons Learned Evolving Fire Management Programs on the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests of Virginia, West Virginia, and Kentucky and Sequoia National Forest and Giant Sequoia National Monument of California Prepared for U.S. Forest Service Washington Office and Wildland Fire Lessons Learned Center By Carol Ewell and David Kerr, with contributions by Scott Williams – Adaptive Management Services Enterprise Team (AMSET) and Frankie Romero and Tim Sexton – U.S. Forest Service November 2013 Fire Management Lessons Learned – Evolving Fire Management Programs 1 Contents Executive Summary…………………………………….………... 3 1. Introduction………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 5 2. George Washington and Jefferson National Forests……………………………………… 7 Theme 1: Organizational Culture……………………………………………………………… 7 Theme 2: Safety……………………………………………………………………………………..… 19 Theme 3: Economics……………………………………………………………………………..…. 21 Theme 4: Natural Resource Effects and Data Modeling…………………….…….. 22 3. Sequoia National Forest and Giant Sequoia National Monument…………..……… 29 Theme 1: Organizational Culture……………………………………………………………… 29 Theme 2: Safety………………………………………………………………………………..……… 40 Theme 3: Economics…………………………………………………………………………..……. 40 Theme 4: Natural Resource Effects and Data Modeling………………………..….. 43 4. National Goals Tie Ecosystem Restoration Together with Fire and Fuel Management…………………………………………………………..………. 47 5. Lessons Learned…………………………………………………………………………………..……….. 48 6. Acknowledgements…………………………………………………………………………..…….……. 51 7. References……………………………………………………………………………………………..……. -
Lion Fire Fuels Report
2015 Rough Fire Sierra and Sequoia National Forests and Kings Canyon National Park Fire Behavior Assessment Team Summary Report Pre-fire Plot 14 (Transect 2) Prepared by: Fire Behavior Assessment Team (FBAT), Adaptive Management Services Enterprise Team (AMSET) And USFS Wildland Firefighters & Technical Specialists Carol Ewell (AMSET), Science Lead, Mark Courson and Nick Jeros (PSW Region and Monongahela NF), Fire Operational Leads, Fire entering Plot 14 from down/side canyon Alicia Reiner, Chelsea Morgan (AMSET), Katherine Napier (Colville NF), Matthew Dickinson, Nicholas Skowronski, and Michael Gallagher (Northern Research Station), Robert Kremens (RIT University collaborator) Nicole Vaillant (PNW Research Station), and Summit Wildland Fire Module (Stanislaus NF) Jan. 13, 2015 (draft) Post-fire Plot 14 (Transect 2) Table of Contents Table of Contents .......................................................................................................................... 2 Introduction .................................................................................................................................. 3 Objectives ................................................................................................................................... 3 Approach/Methods ....................................................................................................................... 4 Vegetation and Fuel Measurements ........................................................................................ 5 Overstory Vegetation -
2018 Strategic Fire Plan
SShhaassttaa--TTrriinniittyy UUnniitt 22001188 SSTTRRAATTEEGGIICC FFIIRREE PPLLAANN UNIT STRATEGIC FIRE PLAN AMENDMENTS Page Numbers Description of Updated Date Section Updated Updated Update By 12/22/12 Appendix A Update to Projects DW 12/22/12 Appendix B Update Goals and Objectives DW 12/22/12 Appendix C Added Communities at risk DW 12/22/12 Appendix D Update Maps DW 4/5/14 Section Il Update Collaborators DW 4/5/14 Section Ill Update Values and Communities DW 4/5/14 Section V Added Camp, LaTour DW 4/5/14 Appendix A Update Project List DW 4/5/14 Appendix C Add Ignition Analysis DW 4/5/14 2013 Supplemental Add 2013 Supplement DW 4/09/15 Appendix C Updated Ignition Analysis DB 4/23/15 Appendix A Updated CalMAPPER Chart DB 4/09/16 Appendix A 40 Updated CalMAPPER Chart DB 4/09/16 New Plan Template 1-50 Utilized New Blank template DB 4/17/16 Appendix C 42 Updated Ignition Analysis DB 4/17/16 2015 Supplemental 50 Unit Accomplishments Page DB 2/1/17 Section V Update Battalion JWB 2/9/17 Appendix C 42 Updated Ignition Analysis JWB 2/15/17 Appendix A 39 Updated Project List JWB 3/2/17 2016 Supplemental 49 Unit Accomplishments Page JWB 3/28/17 All Sections 1-48 Update Fire Plan Doc JWB 2/5/18 All Sections Updated Document Format NW 2/5/18 Section 2 10 Update Communities at Risk NW 4/10/18 Section 2 9 Update Collaborators NW 2/6/18 Appendix B 38 Update Ignition Analysis NW 3/6/18 Appendix B 37 Update Goals and Objective NW 4/10/18 Appendix A 36 Updated Unit Project List NW 4/25/18 Section V 34 Updated LaTour Information NW 5/1/18 Cover New Cover Page NW 5/2/18 2017 Supplemental 48 Update Unit Accomplishments NW i Last update:May 10, 2018 TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS ............................................................................................................................. -
Loyalton Resource Supply Assess Report Final Redacted 20210204
BIOMASS FUEL AND LOG SUPPLY AVAILABILITY AND COST ASSESSMENT FOR A BIOMASS POWER FACILITY AND SAWMILL COLLOCATED AT LOYALTON, CALIFORNIA Prepared for: Prepared by: February 4, 2021 Final Report REDACTED VERSION ACKNOWLEDGMENTS TSS Consultants wishes to thank individuals and organizations for their significant efforts in support of this investigation. These include, but are not limited to: • Amy Berry, Chief Executive Officer, Tahoe Fund • John B. Jones, Jr., Board Member, Tahoe Fund • Jim Boyd, Board Member, Tahoe Fund • Jim Turner, Chief Operations Officer, Sierra Valley Enterprises • Jon Shinn, Forest Products Manufacturing Consultant • Steve Frisch, President, Sierra Business Council USFS Vegetation Management, Contracting and Biomass Utilization Staff: o Larry Swan, Regional Office o Tim Howard, Regional Office o Dan Smith, Eldorado National Forest o Brian Garrett, Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit o Victor Lyon, Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit o David Fournier, Tahoe National Forest o Annabelle Monti, Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest o Will Brendecke, Plumas National Forest • Coreen Francis, State Forester, California and Nevada, Bureau of Land Management • Mike Vollmer, Forester, Nevada Division of Forestry • Steve Brink, Vice President, California Forestry Association • Bob Rynearson, Forester, W.M. Beaty and Associations • Mike Mitsel, Forester, Sierra Pacific Industries • Dan Porter, The Nature Conservancy • Craig Thomas, The Fire Restoration Group • Niel Fischer, Forest Manager, Collins Pine Company • Nic Enstice, Sierra Nevada -
2018 Firefighters Memorial Honorees
2018 Firefighters Memorial Honorees: Jeffrey Alan Worsham - Whitesville Rural Fire Department - LODD Jack C. Amick - Columbia Fire Department Matthew Preston Baugus - New Holland Volunteer Fire Department Joe Dean Bell - CKC Fire Department Harry Francis Bennett - Yemassee Volunteer Fire Department Mark Wheeler Bowers - Prosperity Volunteer Fire Department Charles William Bowie, Sr. - City of Abbeville Fire Department Henry Plowden Bozard - Clarendon County Fire Department Richard G. Branham - Columbia Fire Department Robert Shaw Brannon - City of Goose Creek Fire Department Matthew Mitchell Brantly - Antreville Fire Deparmtent Raymond W Bryant - Anderson City Fire Department Buddy Randolph Carter - City of Charleston Fire Department Peter Christopher Carver - Elloree Fire Department Ercole P. Chiola - Sullivan's Island Fire Department Oscar Keys Clamp Jr. - Zion Fire Department George William Clemmons - Manning Fire Department Darrell Crawford Cole - Townville Fire Department Thomas Leon Devinney - Rock Hill Fire Department Amy Danielle Dimmery - Marion Rural Fire Department Lawrence M. Dukes, Jr. - Branchville Fire Department George Robert Ferguson - Bethel Fire Department Chad Victor Funchess - West Middle Volunteer Fire Department Brian Alexander Gaines - Grove Fire Department Ernest Wilton Gentry Jr. - Iva Fire Department Bill Gibson, Jr. - McColl Fire Department Oscar Wendell Grainger - Dillion County Fire Department Station 3 Turner Augustus Green - City of Sumter Fire Department Jerry Russell Greene - Rock Hill Fire Department