Feather Falls: Wildfire Community Assessment and Action Plan. Feather Falls. Wildfire Community Assessment & Action Plan

Transcription

1 Feather Falls Wildfire Community Assessment & Action Plan November 17,

2 INDEX I. Introduction 3 a. Feather Falls Community At-a-Glance Demographics b. Collaborators who assisted with assessment Section I Attachments:.4 Attachment A: Map Top Boundary_1:100,000 scale Attachment B: Community at Risk List for Butte County California Fire Alliance Attachment C: Map CAL FIRE/Butte Unit Battalions II. III. Definition of Home Ignition Zone 7 Description of the severe case wildland fire characteristics that could threaten the area Fire History 8 a. Fire History b. Vegetation Type c. Topography d. Weather Section III Attachments: 10 Attachment D - Map - Fire History Attachment E - Map - Fire Severity Zones IV. Site Description..12 a. Feather Falls Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) Project List b. Battalion Five Priorities Section IV Attachments: 17 F - Map Shaded Relief: _1:250,000 G - Map CAL FIRE/Butte Unit Battalions H - Map Compass Maps: Street Map V. Assessment Process. 23 VI. VII. VIII. IX. Important Considerations.. 24 Observations and Recommendations. 26 Successful Firewise Modifications Next Steps / Action Plan 32 2

3 I. Introduction: Feather Falls is a rural community located in the Sierra Nevada foothills in Butte County, California. The residents in Feather Falls are focused on wildfire planning and prevention and share a common vision with Butte County Fire Safe Council to create communities within a landscape that are resistant to the devastating impacts of wildland fires. The Firewise Communities/USA recognition program is designed to provide an effective management approach for preserving wildland living aesthetics. The program can be tailored for adoption by any community and/or neighborhood association that is committed to ensuring its citizens maximum protection from wildland fire. Feather Falls is seeking FIREWISE Communities Recognition because it believes in the same principles of working together and sharing information with neighbors to lessen the impact of a wildland fire to where the impact is lessened and homes and residents survive. The following community assessment is intended as a resource to be used by Feather Falls residents for creating a wildfire safety action plan. The plan developed from the information in this assessment should be implemented in a collaborative manner, and updated and modified as needed. a. Feather Falls Community At-a-Glance Demographics/Specifications: County / Location: Butte County / Sierra Nevada Mountains Number of Homes: 250 Population: 425 Total Acres: 28,880 Elevation: 900 to 3500 Latitude: Longitude: Township: T20N, R6E Section: 24 (multiple - See Shaded Relief Map Page 4) State Responsibility Area (SRA): YES Community Wildfire Protection Plan: YES Listed as a Community at Risk in the federal register: YES Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) Community: YES b. Collaborators who provided support and/or technical assistance include; Mike Shorrock, Battalion Chief, CAL FIRE/Butte County Fire Carol Dower, Chairperson Feather Falls Fire Safe Council Richard Burr, FFFSC Board Member Sandy Bourasa, FFFSC Board Member Dewey Harvey, FFFSC Board Member Jason Vermillion, PNF/LNF Feather River Ranger District Calli-Jane DeAnda, Executive Director, Butte County Fire Safe Council Brenda Rightmyer, Rightmyer Consulting Services/Fire Safe USA Section I. Attachments: A - Map Topo Boundary _1:100,000 scale B - Community at Risk List for Butte County California Fire Alliance C - Map CAL FIRE/Butte Unit Battalions 3

4 Attachment: A Topo Boundary Map_1:100,000 scale 4

5 Attachment: B Community at Risk List for Butte County California Fire Alliance 5

6 Attachment: C CAL FIRE/Butte Unit Battalions Feather Falls Battalion 5 6

7 II. Definition of the Home Ignition Zone Feather Falls is located in a wildfire environment. Wildfires will happen--exclusion is not a choice. The variables in a fire scenario are when the fire will occur, and where. This assessment addresses the wildfire-related characteristics of Feather Falls. It examines the area s exposure to wildfire as it relates to ignition potential. The assessment does not focus on specific homes, but examines the community as a whole. A house burns because of its interrelationship with everything in its surrounding home ignition zone----the house and its immediate surroundings. To avoid a home ignition, a homeowner must eliminate the wildfire s potential relationship with his/her house. This can be accomplished by interrupting the natural path a fire takes. Changing a fire s path by clearing a home ignition zone is an easy-to-accomplish task that can result in avoiding home loss. To accomplish this, flammable items such as dead vegetation must be removed from the area immediately around the structure to prevent flames from contacting it. Also, reducing the volume of live vegetation will affect the intensity of the wildfire as it enters the home ignition zone. Included in this assessment are observations made while visiting Feather Falls. The assessment addresses the ease with which home ignitions can occur under severe wildfire conditions and how these ignitions might be avoided within the home ignition zones of affected residents. Feather Fall residents can reduce their risk of destruction during a wildfire by taking actions within their home ignition zones. This zone principally determines the potential for home ignitions during a wildland fire; it includes a house and its immediate surroundings within 100 to 150 feet. The result of the assessment is that wildfire behavior will be dominated by the residential characteristics of this area. The good news is that by addressing community vulnerabilities, residents will be able to substantially reduce their exposure to loss. Relatively small investments of time and effort will reap great rewards in wildfire safety. 7

8 III. DESCRIPTION OF [SIZE AND NATURE OF] THE SEVERE CASE WILDLAND FIRE CHARACTERISTICS THAT COULD THREATEN THE AREA Fire intensity and spread rate depend on the fuel type and condition (live/dead), the weather conditions prior and during ignition, and the topography. Generally the following relationships hold between the fire behavior and the fuel, weather and topography. Fine fuels ignite more easily and spread faster with higher intensities than coarser fuels. For a given fuel, the more there is and the more continuous it is, the faster the fire spreads and the higher the intensities. Fine fuels take a shorter time to burn out than coarser fuels. The weather conditions affect the moisture content of the dead and live vegetative fuels. Dead fine fuel moisture content is highly dependent on the relative humidity and the degree of sun exposure. The lower the relative humidity and the greater the sun exposure, the lower will be the fuel moisture content. Lower fuel moistures produce higher spread rates and fire intensities. Wind speed significantly influences the rate of fire spread and fire intensity. The higher the wind speed, the greater the spread rate and intensity. Topography influences fire behavior principally by the steepness of the slope. However, the configuration of the terrain such as narrow draws, saddles and so forth can influence fire spread and intensity. In general, the steeper the slope, the higher the uphill fire spread and intensity. a. Fire History: 1999 South and Union Fires Lightning Complex and Pendola Fire 2008 Frey Fire (burned 4,000 acres) 2008 Craig Fire (burned 2,001 acres) 2014 Kanaka Fire (burned 3 acres high potential) 2015 Lumpkin Fire (burned 1,200 acres) b. Vegetation Fuel Type: The vegetation fuel types range from grass land, brush land, and timber land fuel models intermixed. The timber type is primarily mixed conifer with brush stands of manzanita, toyon, deer brush, ceanothus, and other chaparral. The overstock of timber and the density of brush will affect fire behavior and these fuel conditions are located not only within the deep drainages but can also be found in underdeveloped parcels. At the lower elevations of Feather Falls include annual grasses and oak woodlands that include blue and valley oak. At the 900 elevation, the fuel type transitions to brush with species of manzanita, chaparral, toyon, and white thorn. At 2,000 3,500 the fuel transitions to mixed conifers. For the fire department all of these vegetation types provide fire control problems because of their density and the current fuel conditions can lead to a large, fuel driven fire. Fire management will be difficult due to high fire intensities that include high rate of spread, long flame lengths, and long range spotting. Direct attack may be impossible under these burning conditions for safety reasons. An indirect defensive 8

9 approach is the most likely scenario for fire control and this is where homeowners in Feather Falls can do their part. c. Weather/Wind: Summer weather patterns are high to very high temperatures, low humidity, and light to moderate south winds associated with high pressure weather gradients. At times, during the summer, dry weather fronts will approach Northern California bringing increased wind speed from the south on approach then changing directions to north winds after passing the area. North wind events occur and provide the highest potential for extreme fire behavior. To the east, areas adjacent Plumas National Forest tend to generate weather patterns that produce thunderstorms and dry lightning events throughout the summer. The north wind events usually produce red flag warning conditions with is extreme fire weather. d. Topography: Within Battalion Five there are numerous steep canyons and drainages that frame the community and are dispersed throughout the area. The canyons contain numerous tributaries including outlining Middle Fork and South Fork of Lake Oroville. A few outlining tributaries include Oregon Gulch, Cedar Ravine, Jack Hill Ravine, and Forbestown Ravine to name a few. Multiple steep canyons and drainages provide limited and difficult access for fire equipment. Section III. Attachments: D - Map - Fire History E - Map - Fire Severity Zones 9

10 Attachment: D Fire History 10

11 Attachment: E Fire Severity Zones Feather Falls is in the Very High Fire Hazard Zone 11

12 IV. SITE DESCRIPTION Feather Falls is surrounded by Public Lands including the Plumas National Forest with year round tourism with one of the main attractions being Feather Falls Scenic Trails that offer an incredible view of Bald Rock Dome, Bald Rock Canyon, and the 640-foot water fall, Feather Falls. The Feather Falls community is cradled between the steep drainages formed by the Middle and South Forks of Lake Oroville. The recent drought conditions have left the vegetation with severe low moisture content and an outline of baron shoreline. Feather Falls is located in the south eastern part of Butte County by both the Yuba and Plumas County lines. As part of the Sierra Nevada range the topography is full of drainages that differ significantly from low to extremely steep drainages filled with thick stands of timber and overgrown brush. The drainages are south and west oriented which prolongs the exposure to the sun diminishing fuel moisture creating hazardous fuel conditions. Feather Falls is listed as a Community at Risk in the federal register and participates with updating community fire prevention projects for the Butte County Wildfire Protection. The Plumas National Forest, Feather River Ranger District has conducted a large scale fuels reduction project adjacent the community area called the Slapjack DFPZ and is currently planning additional fuel modification projects that will benefit several communities including Feather Falls. Feather Falls is characterized as wildland urban interface which describes a community within a wildland environment. The local fire department also uses the term wildland urban intermix community which describes the rural nature of the community where it is low density population and homes are intermixed in the wildland areas. This makes having 100 clearance around structures critical and more difficult for fire fighters to defend due to limited resources. Steep inaccessible terrain combined with light flashy fuels at lower elevations and heavy fuel loading at the higher elevation make the Feather Falls an area that when a fire starts 12

13 in this region it immediately threaten high value/high risk exposures and make it complicated by these challenges for firefighting. In the CWPP Feather Falls is located in Battalion Five, Mike Shorrock is the Battalion Chief. See community project list and Butte Unit priorities in Section X. Next Step / Action Plan on page 32. Photos Below: Entering the Feather Falls community starts at the Enterprise Bridge, Lumpkin Road. Lumpkin Road is the main evacuation route and is the only ingress/egress for the Feather Falls residents and for fire professionals to access or exit the community. Photo Left: Fire safety messages begin as one enters the main part of the community. 13

14 Photos Below: Fuel reduction treatment was conducted along both sides of Lumpkin Road impacting the county road right-of-way which allowed up to 15 feet on both sides. The project took place a few years ago and is showing signs of needed maintenance. 15 feet along Lumpkin Road was treated with the assistance of grants awarded to Butte County Fire Safe Council. While some sections of the fuel break are still holding up other sections are about ready for maintenance. 14

15 Photos Below: Most homes are dispersed throughout the community staggered along the hillsides and/or hiding within the valleys and ravines. During a wildfire can make it extremely difficult for fire trucks to access each home site for protection. Homes remotely located upon hilltops photo right is magnified to show home site It is up to residents to provide clearance around their homes; Residents need to be compliant with PRC California State Law of 150 defensible space around each structure. 15

16 Community Assets: this is in addition to structures (homes) Public infrastructure: School, Grange Hall, Fire Stations 51 & 52, Post Office, and Feather Falls Gold Flake Saloon and Cafe Historic buildings: Cultural Resources - cemeteries Ecosystem health Wildlife habitat ringtail cats coming back, bald eagles, bears, and deer migration trails. Air quality Soil erosion concerns of soil erosion going into the canal which goes into Minors Ranch, Lost Creek to the Lake Wyndotte Ditch. Water quality Rangeland Timberland Recreation Feather Falls Recreation Area, trails for hiking and horseback riding, camping, Lake Oroville Scenic resources Protected plant species Implementing fuel reduction treatments will enhance protection of these values. Section IV. Attachments: F - Map Topo: _1:100,000 G - Map CAL FIRE/Butte Unit Battalion Five H - Map Compass Maps: Street Map 16

17 Attachment: F Topo Map_1:250,000 17

18 Attachment: G CAL FIRE/Butte Unit Battalion Five 18

19 Attachment: H Compass Maps: Street Map 19

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23 V. ASSESSMENT PROCESS To get the process started, Butte County Fire Safe Council provided a consultant, Brenda Rightmyer of Rightmyer Consulting Services/Fire Safe USA to meet with Feather Falls Fire Safe Council on November 17, In attendance was Carol Dower, Chair, and members Richard Burr, Dewey Harvey, Sandy Bourasa and Brenda Rightmyer. Together we reviewed the FIREWISE Communities program and started mapping community boundaries, discuss recent fire scare, concerns residents have about their fire safety, and the fire prevention education outreach they do to encourage residents to develop defensible space. A collection of photos of current conditions and issues already exist as the Feather Falls Fire Safe Council is instrumental in being a liaison to BCFSC s Chipper and Resident Assistance programs along with volunteering their time during fuel reduction projects along Lumpkin Road. Brenda drove around the community and collected addition photos of the recent Lumpkin Fire. The group provided additional local knowledge and input related to local fire issues and community assets. Once the draft was completed it was ed to CAL FIRE, U.S. Forest Service, Butte County Fire Safe Council, and the Feather Falls Fire Safe Council, a.k.a. the Firewise Board, for final review and comment. Maps and Battalion 5 information were copied from the CALFIRE-Butte Unit Plan/Butte County Community Wildfire Protection Plan, 23

24 VI. IMPORTANT CONSIDERATIONS The Firewise Communities/USA program seeks to create a sustainable balance that will allow communities to live safely while maintaining environmental harmony in a WUI setting. Homeowners already balance their decisions about fire protection measures against their desire for certain flammable components on their properties. It is important for them to understand the implications of the choices they are making. These choices directly relate to the ignitability of their home ignition zones during a wildfire. The Eagle Crest Estates is a mobile home park and the housing units are the closest housing between each other compared to the rest of the community area. The structures, for the most part, are kept up nice with defensible space 30, 50 feet between each home or to property lines. Mobile homes are usually subject to home ignition due to vulnerable construction materials like single pane windows compared to double pane window. One exit in and out, no fire hydrant system would have residents be prepared to evacuate off the ridge or move to a safer public assembly point identified within the community s Evacuation Plan. While the homeowner is working to create defensible space around their home; the little things left under the deck used to store building materials under the deck creates a nest for embers to land making this home more vulnerable to perish during a wildfire. The tree is within the 30 line of the home zone and should be limbed up to break up the branches from laying on the ground which could carry fire into the tree that if on fire could place a lot of heat to the home making it vulnerable to ignite. The homeowner takes the advice to limb the tree and remove the flammable items stored under the deck and does additional tree thinning and brush removal around the 100 zone of the home. 24

25 The homeowner is already taking action and tapping into resources to create defensible space and addressing what is possible to do around the home. Every effort will increase a home s chance to survive a wildfire. Notice how trees are spaced and limbed, shade is still provided, ground litter is a minimum, and rocks are nicely used along the fence line which breaks up flammable connectivity. This can benefit and increase a home s chance to survive. Just be aware to move pile away if time permits if a significant fire starts and you have to leave the home. Embers tend to collect in these areas and can link fire to the home. Also notice metal ash container. This is best for when cleaning out the ash of a fire place or wood burning stove as many house fires happen with improper removal of ashes such as in a brown paper bag, vacuum cleaner etc. 25

26 VII. OBSERVATIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS The main road coming into Feather Falls is Lumpkin Road. Residents, when evacuating will all need to travel this road making an evacuation process difficult as it is a one way in, one way out route. Residents will need to be diligent and prepared to exit quickly under the direction of evacuation orders due to this limitation. The Feather Falls residents can do their part to create a safe zone that may provide a temporary public assembly point. The recent Lumpkin Fire burned 1,000 acres. Air attack was used and Lumpkin Road was used as an anchor point by fire fighters and yet this was the only evacuation route for residents who live north of where the fire was burning. Drought conditions are very evident with Lake Oroville at 26 percent capacity reaching historic lows December The Feather Falls community does not have a hydrant system and they would be dependent on drafting water sources making it challenging conditions for fire fighters to battle significant wildfires in this area. Working with the local fire department they can identify viable water sources and map them out. 26

27 Many driveways are very long, narrow, and outlined with thick vegetation. It s hard to know if a habitable home is back in there. Providing clearance along driveways or access to your home can create safer evacuation route for yourself and/or provide safer access for fire personnel to stage in your area. Post fire conditions showed dead tree and brush stands that will get intermixed with new growth by next year leaving a tinderbox that will heighten volitle fire conditions. The Feather Falls Fire Safe Council should consider analyzing these areas, work with landowners, and possibly seek grants to help clean up sections that are along Lumpkin Road. 27

28 VIII. SUCCESSFUL FIREWISE MODIFICATIONS When adequately prepared, a house can likely withstand a wildfire without the intervention of the fire service. Further, a house and its surrounding community can be both Firewise and compatible with the area s ecosystem. The Firewise Communities/USA program is designed to enable communities to achieve a high level of protection against WUI fire loss even as a sustainable ecosystem balance is maintained. A homeowner/community must focus attention on the home ignition zone and eliminate the fire s potential relationship with the house. This can be accomplished by disconnecting the house from high and/or low-intensity fire that could occur around it. The following photographs were taken in Forest Ranch and are examples of good Firewise practices. Resources that can help local residents reduce the fuel load around the home ignition zone and create defensible space are: 1) Butte County Fire Safe Council s Residents Assistant Program and Community Chipper Program: (530) Blue dots shown in before and after photo mark common points. 28

29 Resident does a good job clearing vegetation from around the propane tank. PRC4291 state law requires 10 clearance around propane tanks. Remember the little things, residents address the little things like pine needles, leaves, and pines cones up against this structure. Simply pulling the flammable debris away from siding increases the ability for a structure to survive a wildfire as the ground litter acts like a wick leading fire straight to it. 29

30 Defensible space, defensible space, defensible space is critical for forest health, enhancing the watershed, and giving your home and family a chance to survive a wildland fire. Firewise Landscaping and good defensible space. A good example of a resident who addressed tree branches within 10 of the chimney 30

31 Neighbors working together Scotch Broom, invasive plant issue along the roadside. A neighbor applied for a grant to treat the scotch broom and was able to eradicate the roadside scotch broom issue. Benefiting many neighbors. Conducting home assessments to help educate residents on defensible space and about the little things around the home ignition zones that assist what they can do in preparation for a wildland fire. Education and outreach where neighbors work together in their local fire issues and collaborate with others. 31

32 X. NEXT STEPS / ACTION PLAN After reviewing the contents of this assessment and its recommendations, the Feather Falls Fire Safe Council a.k.a. Firewise Board in cooperation with CAL FIRE/Butte County Fire and Butte County Fire Safe Council will determine whether or not it wishes to continue seeking Firewise Communities/USA recognition. If the site assessment and recommendations are accepted and recognition will be sought, the Feather Falls Fire Safe Council a.k.a. Firewise Board will create agreedupon, area-specific solutions to the Firewise recommendations and create an action plan in cooperation with CAL FIRE/Butte County Fire and Butte County Fire Safe Council. Feather Falls Community Action Plan also listed in Community Wildfire Protection Plan: a. Firewise Education and Outreach Events Annual Firewise Days Home Evaluations / Defensible Space Grange Breakfast Venue for Fire Prevention Education b. Community and Family Evacuation Planning Maintain Feather Falls Community Evacuation Plan Identify Water Sources and Mapping Provide green reflective address signs c. Fuel Reduction Projects Maintenance for Lumpkin Road Fuel Break Scotch Broom Eradication along Lumpkin Road Continue to liaison BCFSC Chipper and Resident Assistance Programs d. Butte Unit Battalion Five Priorities Defensible Space Education PRC4291 compliance inspections the number of structures spread out throughout the area make this of vital importance. Continue working on fuel reduction projects in and around the Feather Falls community. Visible address signs help us find you Chipper Program Evacuation Plan and Mailer AM Emergency Station (Berry Creek) Community outreach/education at community events Shaded fuel break projects along primary community escape routes and firefighter ingress/egress routes. Contact Person(s): Carol Dower cmd@digitalpath.net Rich Burr richeburr2@yahoo.com 32