Butte County Community Wildfire Protection Plan 2020 – 2025 i Last update: April 23, 2020 ii BUTTE COUNTY COMMUNITY WILDFIRE PROTECTION PLAN AMENDMENTS Page Numbers Description Updated Date Section Updated Updated of Update By 6/1/2016 Annual Accomplishments Added Pages 88-91 2015 Accomplishments C Fowler 5/3/2017 Project List Pages 48-58 Updated Status/Added New Projects C Fowler 5/3/2017 Ignition Analysis Pages 60-62 Updated Stats and Charts C Fowler 5/3/2017 Ignition Management Plan Page 63 Updated C Fowler 5/3/2017 Added Appendix I Page 64 Added Project Approval Process/Form C Fowler 5/3/2017 Annual Accomplishments Added Pages 92-96 2016 Accomplishments C Fowler 4/9/2018 Annual Accomplishments Added Pages 98-101 2017 Accomplishments C Fowler 4/9/2018 Project List Pages 48-59 Updated Status/Added New Projects C Fowler 4/25/2019 Annual Accomplishments Added Pages 101-103 2018 Accomplishments C Fowler 4/25/2019 Project List Pages 48-58 Updated Status/Added New Projects C Fowler 4/23/2020 All All CWPP 5 Year Update All Signatories iii Table of Contents Table of Contents ....................................................................................................................... iii SIGNATURE PAGE ................................................................................................................... 5 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ........................................................................................................... 6 SECTION I: BUTTE COUNTY OVERVIEW .............................................................................. 8 COUNTY DESCRIPTION ..................................................................................................... 8 FIRE DEPARTMENT PREPAREDNESS AND FIREFIGHTING CAPABILITIES .................11 SECTION II: COLLABORATION ..............................................................................................17 COMMUNITY / AGENCIES / FIRE SAFE COUNCILS ........................................................17 SECTION III: VALUES ..............................................................................................................18 A: VALUES .........................................................................................................................18 B: COMMUNITIES ..............................................................................................................20 FIRE MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES ........................................................................................22 A: FIRE PREVENTION .............................................................................................................22 ENGINEERING & STRUCTURE IGNITABILITY .................................................................22 INFORMATION AND EDUCATION .....................................................................................24 B. VEGETATION MANAGEMENT ......................................................................................26 SECTION V: PRE- FIRE MANAGEMENT TACTICS ................................................................29 CAL FIRE/BUTTE COUNTY FIRE DIVISION / BATTALION / PROGRAM PLANS ..............29 CITY OF CHICO .................................................................................................................55 CITY OF OROVILLE ...........................................................................................................57 EL MEDIO FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT .......................... Error! Bookmark not defined. APPENDIX A: ACTIVE PROJECTS ..........................................................................................59 APPENDIX B: COMPLETED PROJECTS .................................................................................63 APPENDIX C: MAINTAINED PROJECTS .................................................................................68 APPENDIX D: ONGOING PROJECTS .....................................................................................70 APPENDIX E: PLANNED PROJECTS ......................................................................................73 APPENDIX F: UNIT GOALS AND OBJECTIVES ......................................................................79 APPENDIX G: IGNITION ANALYSIS ........................................................................................80 APPENDEX I: PROJECT APPROVAL PROCESS ....................................................................84 iv EXHIBITS: ................................................................................................................................85 MAPS ..................................................................................................................................85 ANNUAL REPORT OF ACCOMPLISHMENTS ...................................................................96 2011 ....................................................................................................................................96 2012 ....................................................................................................................................98 2013 .................................................................................................................................. 100 2014 .................................................................................................................................. 102 2015 .................................................................................................................................. 106 2016 .................................................................................................................................. 111 2017 .................................................................................................................................. 117 Volunteerism ..................................................................................................................... 121 2018 .................................................................................................................................. 122 2019 .................................................................................................................................. 127 5 SIGNATURE PAGE Butte County Community Wildfire Protection Plan developed for Butte County: This Plan: Was collaboratively developed. Interested parties, Federal, State, City, Town and County agencies within the Unit have been consulted and are listed in the plan. Identifies and prioritizes pre-fire and post fire management strategies and tactics meant to reduce the loss of values at risk within the Unit. Is intended for use as a planning and assessment tool only. It is the responsibility of those implementing the projects to ensure that all environmental compliance and permitting processes are met as necessary. 6 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The California Fire Plan establishes a framework for reducing the risks associated with wildfire. By placing the emphasis on what needs to be done long before a fire starts, the fire plan strives to reduce firefighting costs and property losses, increase firefighter safety, and to enhance ecosystem health. The Butte County Community Wildfire Protection Plan has been developed upon the priority goals and objectives identified by the Department and by local collaborators. This plan addresses the pre-fire strategies and tactics that will be implemented in cooperation with the fire agencies in Butte County, the Butte County Fire Safe Council, local community groups, and landowners. Local stakeholder collaboration is a key element in identifying and addressing local issues. Many projects are initiated at the grass roots level. The successful implementation of this plan requires the cooperation and coordination of various agencies, community groups and individual landowners to accomplish the goals and objectives set forth. https://osfm.fire.ca.gov/media/5590/2018-strategic-fire-plan-approved-08_22_18.pdf The Butte County Cooperative Fire Protection Agencies (BCCFPA) intends to implement this plan and place emphasis on the following goals and objectives based on the 2018 Strategic Fire Plan • Improve the availability and use of consistent, shared information on hazard and risk assessment; • Promote the role of local planning processes, including general plans, new development, and existing developments, and recognize individual landowner/homeowner responsibilities; • Increase awareness and actions to improve fire resistance of man-made assets at risk and fire resilience of wildland environments through natural resource management; • Integrate implementation of fire and vegetative fuels management practices consistent with the priorities of landowners or managers; • Determine and seek the needed level of resources for fire prevention, natural resource management, fire suppression, and related services; • Implement needed assessments and actions for post-fire protection and recovery 7 By implementing a multi-faceted plan, using a combination of pre-fire treatments, including fuels reduction, prescribed burning, defensible space inspections, fire-resistant building construction standards enforcement, land use planning, and fire safety education, the BCCFPA strives to increase life safety and to reduce property destruction, environmental impacts, and fire suppression costs. 8 SECTION I: BUTTE COUNTY OVERVIEW COUNTY DESCRIPTION Butte County is located on the eastern side of the northern Sacramento Valley and encompasses over 1.1 million acres. Approximately 229,000 people reside in the County.