California Department of Forestry & Fire Protection Butte Unit In Cooperation with Fire Safe Councils of Butte County Butte County Community Wildfire Protection Plan Serving the Community of Butte (Unincorporated Communities) and the Town of Paradise 2008 Education Engineering Enforcement “Your Land…. Prefire Planning Your Community… Fire Safe Council Your Decision….” Vegetation Management Volunteers in Prevention Butte Unit 2008 1 Community Wildfire Protection Plan Introduction.........................................................................................................3 Stakeholders .......................................................................................................6 FIRE SAFE PLANNING and FUEL REDUCTION at a GLANCE ......................12 History .............................................................................................................12 Definition .........................................................................................................12 Treatments ......................................................................................................12 Maintenance....................................................................................................13 Affect ...............................................................................................................13 Topography .....................................................................................................14 Fuel Types ......................................................................................................15 Weather...........................................................................................................16 Wildland Urban Interface.................................................................................17 Building Code..................................................................................................17 WUI and Fire Service ......................................................................................18 Shelter in Place ...............................................................................................19 Fire Risk and Mitigation in Butte Unit .............................................................21 Structural Ignitability and Home Defense.......................................................22 MITIGATION MEASURES BY FOCUS AREAS: ...............................................24 Information, Education and Planning ....................................................................... 24 Reducing Structural Ignitability................................................................................ 25 Enhancing Suppression Capabilities and Public Safety............................................ 27 Hazardous Fuel Reduction........................................................................................ 28 Project Classification .......................................................................................31 Butte Unit Fire Plan...........................................................................................35 Severe Fire Weather.................................................................................................. 35 Assets at Risk............................................................................................................ 35 Fuel Load .................................................................................................................. 38 Ignition Workload Analysis (IWA) .......................................................................... 39 Paradise Ridge Fire Planning Area .................................................................44 Fuels:..................................................................................................................... 44 Topography:.......................................................................................................... 45 Weather: (refer to pg 16)....................................................................................... 45 Wildland Urban Interface Situation:..................................................................... 46 Cohasset Forest Ranch Ridge Fire Planning Area ........................................47 Fuels:..................................................................................................................... 47 Topography:.......................................................................................................... 48 Weather:................................................................................................................ 48 Wildland Urban Interface Situation:..................................................................... 48 Yankee Hill – Concow , Butte Valley ...............................................................50 Fuels:..................................................................................................................... 50 Topography:.......................................................................................................... 50 Page 1 of 73 Butte Unit 2008 2 Community Wildfire Protection Plan Weather: (refer to pg 16)....................................................................................... 51 Wildland Urban Interface Situation:..................................................................... 51 Chico Foothills – Valley (north) .......................................................................52 Fuels:..................................................................................................................... 52 Topography:.......................................................................................................... 52 Weather: (refer to pg 16)....................................................................................... 52 Wildland Urban Interface Situation:..................................................................... 52 Berry Creek Ridge/ Lumpkin – Forbestown Ridge.........................................54 Fuels:..................................................................................................................... 54 Topography:.......................................................................................................... 54 Weather: (refer to pg 16)....................................................................................... 54 Wildland Urban Interface Situation:..................................................................... 54 Table Mountain – East Oroville........................................................................56 Fuels:..................................................................................................................... 56 Topography:.......................................................................................................... 56 Weather: (refer to pg 16)....................................................................................... 56 Wildland Urban Interface Situation:..................................................................... 56 Valley (South)....................................................................................................58 Fuels:..................................................................................................................... 58 Topography:.......................................................................................................... 58 Weather: (refer to pg 16)....................................................................................... 58 Wildland Urban Interface Situation:..................................................................... 58 EMERGENCY COMMAND CENTER .................................................................60 TRAINING AND SAFETY BUREAU ..................................................................61 SUPPORT BUREAUS........................................................................................63 Magalia Reforestation Center ..........................................................................63 CHICO AIR ATTACK BASE ..............................................................................65 FIRE PREVENTION BUREAU (EDUCATION & ENFORCEMENT) ..................67 Fire Prevention Positions: ...............................................................................68 VEGATATION MANAGEMENT PROGRAM (VMP)...........................................70 APPENDIX: ........................................................................................................72 Page 2 of 73 Butte Unit 2008 3 Community Wildfire Protection Plan Introduction In 2003, the Healthy Forests Restoration Act (HFRA) created new incentives for communities to engage in comprehensive pre fire planning as it relates to the wildland affecting their communities. The HFRA legislation provides meaningful statutory incentives to the U. S. Forest Service (USFS) and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to give consideration to the priorities of local communities as they develop and implement forest management and hazardous fuel reduction projects. By maintaining a current Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP), communities can help influence issues such as wildfire response, hazard mitigation, community preparedness, structure protection – or all of the above. This CWPP was adopted by the Butte County Board of Supervisors on 01/10/2006. Butte Unit’s CWPP will contain the minimum requirements described in the HFRA; 1. Collaboration: A CWPP must be collaboratively developed by local and state government