11/13/24 Cal Fire Jason Butcher Forester II

Presentation: A discussion with Genasys Protect and the Department of Emergency Management to learn more about the internal operations and how evacuation zones and resident notifications work in San Mateo County.
Presenter: Lisa Bernard

WILL YOUR HOUSE SURVIVE AN EMBER STORM ?

Fire SAfe SMC 2024-04-10 Meeting Presentation

Presentation: NIST, presents their scientific research on the separation of structures for ignition potential.

Presentation: The N5Shield wildfire and air quality community detection system. This system is different from other wildfire detection or camera systems.
Presenter: Debra Deininger of N5 Sensors.

Chat transcript link. click here

Hello Fire Safe Members and Wildfire Resiliency Advocates -

There will be no Fire Safe meeting this Wednesday. We hope you are all enjoying the busy holiday season with friends and family and wishing you all the best in bringing in the new year.
I want to extend a special thank you to all our contractors, foresters, biologists, and hand crews, who have worked so hard in 2023 on our neighborhood chipping events and our various fuels treatment projects.

Happy Holidays,

Denise Enea
FSSMC
Executive Director

California Burning: Solutions To California's Wildfire Problem

Here you will find all of the episodes for this PODCAST:

Click HERE to listen to the podcast.

Winter Storm Event
Resource Support Information

Winter Storm Event
Resource Support Information

Download it here : Winter-Storm-Resource-Support-Flyer.pdf

CAL FIRE San Mateo-Santa Cruz Unit Allows
Residential Burning With Valid Burn Permit

Presentation: California Deptartment of Insurance Presented by: Mary Beth Bykowsky, Outreach Analyst - Community Relations & Outreach Branch And by: Lisa Strange, Northern California Outreach Manager

Fire evacuations orders reduced to warning

https://evb.gg/n#is1111u35yx

Cal Fire CZU update on the #EdgewoodFire as of 5:30 PM today Tuesday Jun-21-2022

https://twitter.com/calfireczu/status/1539407728715583488?s=21&t=E8v4PdwTbdhdvTm7SvcEWA

Edgewood Fire Summary Update - FIRE SAFE SAN MATE COUNTY

Edgewood_Fire_Summary_Update_-_FIRE_SAFE_SAN_MATE_COUNTY.pdf

Ducument availble to download at the link below. 
Illegal_Firework_Starts_Grass_Fire_in_San_Mateo_Co.PDF

Fighting fire in San Mateo County before it start

Read the full article CLICK HERE

YOU TUBE CHANNEL

Dataset Names: San Mateo County Impervious Surfaces 

Version: 2/10/2021 

Download Location: ArcGIS Online (see table 1 below) 

Credits: Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy, University of Vermont Spatial Analysis Lab, Tukman Geospatial LLC, Santa Cruz Mountains Stewardship Network, Midpeninsula Open Space District, CAL FIRE, San Mateo County Parks, San Mateo Office of Sustainability, San Mateo Dept. of Public Works, San Mateo Planning and Building Dept., San Mateo Information Services Dept., San Mateo Dept. of Agriculture Weights and Measures, San Mateo City/County Association of Governments 

Access: Publicly Available 

Appropriate Scale Range for Use: 1:1,000 and smaller 

Dataset Summary: 

The San Mateo County Impervious Surfaces map is a 5-class land use and land cover map of San Mateo County. The impervious map is a fine-scale polygon vector representation of all artificial impervious surfaces in San Mateo County. There are over 780,000 features in the dataset. Non-impervious areas are not mapped and are not covered by polygons. The impervious map represents the state of the landscape in summer, 2018. This data product was produced by the impervious mapping team at the University of Vermont Spatial Analysis Lab. Table 1 lists download locations for the dataset. 

Table 1. Impervious surfaces availability 

San Mateo County Impervious Surfaces – Selected Federal Lands 2 

systems rulesets for impervious mapping included: orthophotography (2018), the lidar point cloud (2019), and Lidar derived rasters. 

After it was produced using Trimble Ecognition, the preliminary impervious map product was manually edited by a team of UVM’s photo interpreters. Manual editing corrected errors where the automated methods produced incorrect results. 

The impervious surfaces map reflects the state of the landscape in summer, 2018 when countywide high resolution imagery collection occurred. 

The impervious map has 5 classes, which are described below: 

• Buildings – Structures above 200 square feet in area. Structures fully occluded by vegetation will not be mapped. 

• Paved Roads – Roads that are paved and wide enough for a vehicle. 

• Dirt and Gravel Roads – Dirt or gravel roads wide enough for a vehicle. Non-ephemeral fire roads, ranch roads and long driveways. 

• Other Dirt and Gravel – Dirt or gravel surfaces that are highly compacted and used by humans and equipment, such as parking lots, road pull-offs, some dirt or gravel paths, and highly compacted areas around commercial activities. This class DOES NOT include natural turf playing fields, very lightly used dirt roads, livestock areas, naturally occurring bare soil or rock, or bare areas around ponds. 

• Other Paved – Includes parking lots, sidewalks, paved walking paths, swimming pools, tennis courts. 

Miscellaneous quality control and processing notes: 

• Zoom level used during manual quality control was no finer than 1 to 500. 

• Vector data was created with no overlapping polygons. 

San Mateo County Impervious Surfaces – Selected Federal Lands 3 

Data Limitations: 

This is not a planimetric data product and was created using semi-automated techniques. It provides a reasonable and useful depiction of impervious surfaces for planner and managers but does not have the accuracy or precision to support engineering. Appropriate uses of the data product include: 

• As an input to storm water models 

• For planners to assess % imperviousness in a parcel/watershed 

• To help identify areas of human infrastructure for fuels and fire management 

• As an input to fuel models that are used in fire behavior and fire spread models 

• For cartography and mapping 

• Generally for use at scales 1:1,000 and smaller 

Inappropriate uses of this product include: 

• Measuring exact square footage of structures or impervious features for building projects 

• Using the impervious as geographically precise information in transportation and public works 

Minimum Mapping Units: 

Related Datasets: 

The San Mateo County Roads, Trails, and Dozer Lines feature class includes centerlines for paved and dirt roads, trails, and CAL FIRE dozer lines in San Mateo County. 

The datasheet and download links are available at vegmap.press/san_mateo_centerlines_datasheet 

San Mateo County Impervious Surfaces – Selected Federal Lands 

An analysis by The New York Times of satellite images, combined with on-the-ground surveys, provides a more complete picture of the origin, spread and devastation of the fire that killed at least 23 people in and around the city.

The Tubbs fire destroyed at least 5,200 homes and structures, shown on the map below, making it the most destructive wildfire in state history, as well as one of the deadliest. The Times analysis also shows how quickly the fire spread in the crucial initial hours.

Read a Press Democrat story about how the fire spread here and a look at the 911 calls received as the fire spread here. See all of the Press Democrat's fire coverage here.

The fire was pushed downhill at unusually high speeds by winds that sometimes exceeded 50 miles per hour. Burning embers were blown ahead of the main front, leaping ahead and igniting new fires.

In about three hours, the fire reached Santa Rosa, causing a chaotic scramble among authorities and unprepared residents.

One resident said that by the time the first emergency alert came, the flames were already marching toward his house, leaving just minutes to escape. As their city became engulfed in flames, many residents frantically fled their homes. But some people were unable to escape, and in many cases, their remains have been recovered inside or near their homes.

Sources: California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection; Sonoma County Vegetation and Habitat Mapping Program (building footprints); U.S. Geological Survey (fire perimeter); Broadcastify; National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere; Mark Finney, Missoula Fire Sciences Laboratory, U.S. Forest Service; Neil Lareau, Department of Meteorology and Climate Science, San Jose State University; Scott Stephens, Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management, U.C. Berkeley; Daniel Swain, Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, U.C.L.A.

By New York Times Staff Writers: Derek Watkins, Troy Griggs, Jasmine C. Lee, Haeyoun Park, Anjali Singhvi, Tim Wallace and Joe Ward.

Derek Watkins reported from Santa Rosa. Troy Griggs, Jasmine C. Lee, Haeyoun Park, Anjali Singhvi, Tim Wallace and Joe Ward reported from New York. Reporting was contributed by Susan C. Beachy and Richard Pérez-Peña from New York, Adam Nagourney from Los Angeles, and Carol Pogash from Santa Rosa.

Camp Fire –Fire Progression Timeline

San Mateo County, FireSafeCouncil

Camp Fire Progression Timeline Chapter 7A 20210802-pdf.pdf

We are very lucky to have NIST’s, Alexander Maranghides present a report on the Camp Fire’s progression and time line of the fire and how the structures within the community of Paradise faired.

Fire Safe San Mateo Oct 13 2021

Presentations:

• Update and new information on pathogens and diseases affecting bay area trees and increasing our wildfire hazardous fuels.
  • Matteo Garbelotto U.C. Berkley Lab
• The forming of a neighborhood alliance to address wildfire concerns within a community's fire prone canyons.
  • Jennifer Youstra

Video Link:
https://us06web.zoom.us/rec/share/7zuv17dee05PFrTNK85r5T00uGrdrdOFykceGXbLAQ-Ivd4jXwEaVgbuyg9V6N-M.iCXljTbZxCmr_6FE

Passcode for video: t44=Fz6=

Chat Transcript ( many useful links shared by the Fire Safe Community ) tfire safe Oct 13.md.txt

Fire Safe 

Aug 11th Don Bullard

Risk Assessment & Rust Day
Why is CA Burning

Please click here to access the video recording. When prompted, use the passcode: FbA.@6BU

Beginning July 1, 2021, AB38 requires a seller of real property located in a high or very high fire hazard severity zone to provide specified documentation to the buyer that the real property is in compliance with the wildfire protection measures described above or a local vegetation management ordinance, or enter into an agreement with the buyer pursuant to which the buyer will obtain documentation of compliance, as provided.

To request an inspection for properties in the SRA (State Responsibility Area managed by CAL FIRE), use the following link: https://www.fire.ca.gov/dspace

For properties in the LRA (Local Responsibility Area), work with your Realator or contact your local fire agency for more information.

Please use the link below to access the video recording. When prompted, used the passcode: Tu61&LMX

https://zoom.us/rec/share/Pg0-Fr1jY0oUN-EbPpSzK4QErfsu7feVj9fGP54QdxWa-3m6HrrBVRn1aC_Kjls.1U3WAMPPHbSJL4v6

At the June 9 Fire Safe San Mateo County meeting Danny Franco of the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy presented a stakeholder update on the county vegetation map and landscape databse project. This project has already proven valuable to many stakeholders and partners to inform vegetation management. This information has also been used for grant proposal applications. In the near future post-fire digital imagery and data will be collected to capture information about the CZU Lightning Complex fires and inform recovery. 

Click here to view the full presentation

Click here to view the technical report pubished January 2021 which discusses Fuel Model Maps and Fire Behavior Maps.

Please see below a letter from the Fire Safe President, Denise Enea. 

At April's Fire Safe Council Meeting, there were two presentations, which were recorded and are available for download below. 

Paul Hessburg, Ph.D., Research Ecologist, USDA-FS

Our wildfire problem; How we got here and What we can do about it

Sheena Sidhu, Ph.D., Erica Harris, and David Cowman, Forest Health and Fire Resiliency Program, San Mateo Resource Conservantion District (RCD)

Collaborative Forest Health and Fire Resiliency for San Mateo County

There will be an informational meeting for the Prescribed Burn Project planned for San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) land. The meeting will be Wednesday, March 24, 7pm-8pm

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85223632957?pwd=bGdKTDM2K3dkKzV2Y1hZS0J2MGFOZz09
Webinar: 645149 Passcode: 645149

Or Telephone: 669-900-6833

Presenters:

Sarah Collamer, Forester I CAL FIRE
Richard Sampson, Forester II CAL FIRE
Jonathan Cox, Deputy Chief San Mateo
Jonathan Perrin, Peninsula Area Land Manager, SFPUC

SJSU Wildfire Interdisciplinary Research Center is hosting a Fire Weather Workshop, April 8-9, 2021

This year, the workship will have an extended speaker list of colleagues and partners from across the world to provide an international perspective on current fire weather reesarch. Sessions include: fuels and fire danager, remote sensing of fire environment, fire weather indices and case studies, coupled fire-atmosphere modeling advances, and smoke modeling and impacts. For more information vist the webiste (click here). Register here 

Presentation: Changes in fire risk for climate change in San Mateo County. 

Isabel Pares Ramos, San Mateo Office of Sustainability and LeRoy Westerling, UC Merced

link to video here

Thanks to sponsorship from CAL FIRE, PGE, and local fire agencies, ALERTWildfire has installed several wildfire cameras in strategic locations throughout San Mateo county and the western United States.

To view wildfire cameras and get more information on ALERTWildfire, follow the link below:

ALERTWildfire | Network Map 

Celia Hare of the Center for Employment Training (based in San Jose, CA) presented at the March Fire Safe Council meeting. She shared information about the 2020 August Wildfire Temporary Jobs Assistance Program which is currently serving San Mateo and Santa Clara Counties. This program is focused on public or non-profit land post-fire clean up by their crews. 

At this time, the program is both identifying potential job sites and recruiting people for the program. 

If you are interested in leanring more, please reach out to Celia Hare: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or (408) 534-5339

The Central Coast Prescribed Burn Council (CCPBA) is hosting Prescribed Firelighter and Wildland Firefighter Training. 

The workshop will be held in three locations:

• April 3: Santa Lucia Conservancy, Carmel, Monterey CO
• April 10: Paicines Ranch, San Benito CO
• April 11: Davenport, Santa Cruz Co

These are all day events 9:00am - 5:00pm

Register here: Prescribed Firelighter and Basic Wildland Firefighter Training (ucanr.edu)

California's Wildfire and Forest and Resilience Action Plan was released January 2021 by the Forest Management Task Force. It is a call to action for California's growing forest and wildfire crisis. It is designed to strategically accelerate efforts to: 

• Restore the health and reslience of California forests, grasslands and natural places
• Improve the fire safety of our communities
• Sustain th economic vitality of rural forested areas 

Link here: https://fmtf.fire.ca.gov/media/cjwfpckz/californiawildfireandforestresilienceactionplan.pdf

Matteo Garbelotto will be giving a talk called "Living with Fire" on December 12, 2020 at 10am. 

Dr. Garbelotto has previously spoken on Sudden Oak Death at a previous Fire Safe San Mateo County meeting. He is inviting anyone interested to register and attend. 

Register here: https://berkeley.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJEocuuurTorGdeDT62OM4oiFEXla-tZrSQA

Website with more information: http://www.ucbfire.org

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RED FLAG WARNING - LINK TO FORECAST

The Amah Mutsun Land Trust is hosting their first ever fire symposium online on November 19, from 3:00 - 4:30 PM. 

The event will bring together tribal leaders, fire researchers, archaeologists, and others for a discussion on coastal Central California's fire history, prescribed burning, and Indigenous fire stewardship.  Event details and registration information can be found here: 

https://www.amahmutsunlandtrust.org/events/2020/11/19/amlt-fire-symposium

Fire Safe San Mateo County would like to share this article with the Fire Safe Council membership from Wildfire today by Jack Cohen and Dave Strohmaier. 

https://wildfiretoday.com/2020/09/21/community-destruction-during-extreme-wildfires-is-a-home-ignition-problem/

Community destruction during extreme wildfires is a home ignition problem

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED! SIGN UP HERE!!

Drop off chipping event for Loma Mar and Dearborn Park. Two weekends in November. Drop off your material between 10am-4pm on the following dates at Redwood Glen, 100 Wright Drive, Loma Mar, CA

• November 7 & 8
• November 14 & 15

Curb-side chipping event in the Highlands neighborhood.

Chipping will be available for half of the residents on November 16 and half on November 18.  Residents should recieve brochures (linked below) indicating what date their house will be eligible for the chipping service.

HIghlands Nov 16.pdf

HIghlands Nov 18.pdf

The Tahoe RCD is hosting a virtual workshop for building professionals on retrofitting and building homes to withstand wildfire and are hoping you can share the flyer (attached) with building professionals you work with! The workshop isn't specific to any one geography and will apply to all building professionals working in wildfire-prone areas. Please reach out directly to Carlie Murphy, the Fire Adapted Communities Coordinator (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.), if you have any questions.

Drop off chipping event for Loma Mar and Dearborn Park. Two weekends in November. Drop off your material between 10am-4pm on the following dates at Redwoo Glen, 100 Wright Drive, Loma Mar, CA

• November 7 & 8
• November 14 & 15

Drop off chipping event for La Honda. Three weekends in November. Drop off your material between 10am-4pm on the following dates at Cuesta La Honda. 

• November 7 & 8
• November 14 & 15
• November 21 & 22

Curb-side chipping event for select streets in Montara and Moss Beach 

Wildfire Resilience: Best Practices in Real Estate and Land Use by Global ULI Online. October 30, 2020. LINK HERE:

https://americas.uli.org/events/detail/163A8649-80C3-47C7-8549-ED18318357D1/&nbsp/

This event has a general focus on a nation-wide audience about how the real estate industry is responding to increasing wildfire risks and impacts with building design, land use policy, and community resilience solutions. 

The Virtual Wildland Urban Interface (#VirtualWUI) conference is being hosted by the International Association of Fire Chiefs on November 4-5, 2020. LINK HERE: https://www.eventscribe.com/2020/WUI/index.asp

We encourage you to review the schedule to identify interesting presentations. Several sessions are concurrent, so if you attend one, it would be great if you could report back a summary to the council at our next Fire Safe San Mateo County (FSSMC) meeting. (please note, times follow the Eastern Time Zone). Register Here.

Red Flag Warning & Fire Weather Watches

Message from Good Fire Alliance:

Fire Forward has scheduled two additional Basic Wildland Firefighter (and Firelighter) Training field days – one for March 6 and one for March 7. If you’d like to attend, please sign up at either of the registration links below, share with folks who may be interested, and make sure you get an early start on the online prerequisite work required for the field day (about 35-40 hours of online training material hosted by NWCG and FEMA). We hope to see you there!

March 6, 2021:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/123957250473

March 7, 2021:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/123957962603

A limited number of fee waivers are available on an as needed basis; email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. (Fire Forward Director) for more information.

Incident Website: https://www.fire.ca.gov/incidents/

Evacuation and Repopulation Map:www.smco.community.zonehaven.com

Email Updates: https://tinyurl.com/CZULightning

Information LIne: 831-335-6717

Incident Website: https://www.fire.ca.gov/incidents/

Evacuation and Repopulation Map:www.smco.community.zonehaven.com

Link to press conference (in English): https://www.pscp.tv/CALFIRECZU/1MnxndgNbBEGO

Incident Website: https://www.fire.ca.gov/incidents/

Evacuation and Repopulation Map:www.smco.community.zonehaven.com

Link to press conference (in English):https://www.pscp.tv/CALFIRECZU/1BRJjYLVjLpGw

On August 29, 2020 Battalion Chief Mark Brunton did a live social media Q&A. Listen to him answer questions about preventing the fire from spreding to Santa Clara County, and long-term things you can do, which includes ensuring you have defensible space around your home, especially in the WUI (wildland urban interface), and getting involved with your local Fire Safe Council to help identify fuel reduction projects in your community!

Incident Website: https://www.fire.ca.gov/incidents/

Evacuation and Repopulation Map:www.smco.community.zonehaven.com

Link to press conference (in English): https://www.pscp.tv/CALFIRECZU/1BRKjYLanXRxw

Incident Website: https://www.fire.ca.gov/incidents/

Evacuation and Repopulation Map:www.smco.community.zonehaven.com

Returning home after wildfires resource: https://firesafesanmateo.org/news/entry/be-safe-when-returning-from-home-after-a-wildfire-cal-fire-readyforwildfire-org-post-wildfire-resources

Important safety measures to take when returning home after a wildfire, from CAL FIRE Ready for Wildfire.org. Visit website for more information and return home checklist.

After a Wildfire

Returning Home

Rebuilding

Who can help

Incident Website: https://www.fire.ca.gov/incidents/

Evacuation and Repopulation Map:www.smco.community.zonehaven.com

Video update (press confernce) in English: https://www.pscp.tv/CALFIRECZU/1dRJZZbjnwMJB

A message from Fire Safe Council president, Denise Enea, on Day 11 of CZU LIghtning Complex Fire indident. (Clickable links available below the letter)

DONATIONS

Puente which supports south coast families: https://mypuente.org

Coastside Hope supports SMC coastside residents: https://coastsidehope.org

ALAS (Ayudando Latinos A Soñar), supporting families, farmworkers, and youth of thecoastside: https://www.alashmb.org

ANIMALS ARE IN NEED TOO

Woodside Community Foundation Large animal & Livestock assistance resulting from the fire. For more information call Rick DeBenedetti, (650) 303-2661. Online donations
accepted: Woodsidegiving.org

Peninusla Human Society accepting donations of pet food, cat litter, newspapers at their Coyote Point Shelter. 12 Airport Blvd, San Mateo as well as financial donations https://phs-spca.org

San Mateo County Large Animal Evacuation Group is also requesting help to feed displaced animals. (note: not tax deductable). https://smclaeg.org

DONATE TO LOCAL VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENTS

Loma Mar Fire Department https://lomamarfire.org/donate

8879 Pescadero Creek Road , Loma Mar California United States 94021

Kings Mountain Fire Brigade http://www.kingsmountainonline.com/kmvfb

13889 Skyline Blvd. Woodside, CA 94062

La Honda Fire Brigade https://www.lahondafire.org/donate

8945 La Honda Rd, La Honda, CA 94020

VIDEOS

Fire Video https://www.dropbox.com/s/75lkl3trs9oboab/Butano%20Ridge%20Fire%208-18-20.m4v?dl=0

Lightning Storm https://www.dropbox.com/s/pzw8u3iibh9ps96/Lightening%20Over%20Portola%20Valley%208-16-20.m4v?dl=0

Incident Website: https://www.fire.ca.gov/incidents/

Evacuation and Repopulation Map:www.smco.community.zonehaven.com

Video update (press confernce) in English: https://www.pscp.tv/CALFIRECZU/1DXGyAOjQRgGM

Battalion Chief Mark Brunton

Incident Website: https://www.fire.ca.gov/incidents/

Evacuation Map:www.smco.community.zonehaven.com

Email Updates (sign up here): https://tinyurl.com/CZUlightning

Video update (press confernce) in English: https://www.pscp.tv/CALFIRECZU/1dRKZZnNnqAKB

Fire damage inspection data for this map is provided by CALFIRE CZU Lightning Complex Fire Damage Inspections (DINS) database that captures the location, attributes, and damages status of structures within and immediately outside of the CZU Lightning Complex fire perimeter. The damage inspection data should be considred prelininary. Assessments are ongoing and subject to change as more ccrews are able to safely access new areas and as additionla information is gathered, anlayzed, and verified.

Map available here

Repopulation has started for northern part of the CZU evacuation zone area outside of the fire perimeter. See map to view green zones:  smco.community.zonehaven.com

Orders have been lifted for the following communities:

• Bean Hollow State Beach Area
• Pescadero Beach Area
• Pescadero Creek County Park area
• Pescadero area
• San Gregorio area
• La Honda area
• Langley Hill and Red Barn area
• Russian Ridge Open Space area
• Skylonda
• Portola Redwoods State Park, Portola Heights
• Middleton Tract

CAL FIRE and partnering agencies are presently evaluating zones within the burn perimenter for safety, which includes roadways, water, and electricity. Evacuation orders will be lifted for additional zones in the coming days to weeks as zones continue to be evaluated and secured.

Incident Website: https://www.fire.ca.gov/incidents/

Evacuation Map:www.smco.community.zonehaven.com

Email Updates (sign up here):

Video update (press confernce) in English: https://www.pscp.tv/CALFIRECZU/1rmxPYqeOZYKN

Pictures from earlier this week of feed being delivered to evacuated horses and cows at the Mounted Patrol grounds in Woodside. Donation was generated by the Woodside Community Foundation Giving Fund.

Feed being delivered by pick up truck and unloaded by two volunteers

Feed in front of two evacuated cows at Mounted Patrol grounds

Two horses at Mounted Patrol grounds

Incident Website: https://www.fire.ca.gov/incidents/

Evacuation Map:www.smco.community.zonehaven.com

Email Updates (sign up here):https://tinyurl.com/CZUlightning

Video update (press confernce) in English: https://www.pscp.tv/CALFIRECZU/1DXxyAOXreRxM

https://youtu.be/QJMbSQ19HWg

Perimeter map as of August 26, 2020

Incident Website: https://www.fire.ca.gov/incidents/

Evacuation Map:www.smco.community.zonehaven.com

Email Updates (sign up here):https://tinyurl.com/CZUlightning

Video update (press conference) in English: https://www.pscp.tv/CALFIRECZU/1mrxmEmejQZxy

Video update en Español: https://youtu.be/QJMbSQ19HWg

Incident Website: https://www.fire.ca.gov/incidents/

Evacuation Map: www.smco.community.zonehaven.com

Email Updates (sign up here): https://tinyurl.com/CZUlightning

Video update in English: https://youtu.be/n3SJhoxRIhc

CAL FIRE public information perimeter map - August 24, 2020

high resolution map, click here.

Link to incidence map (note: may take time to load): https://wildfirerecovery.caloes.ca.gov/current-incidents/

The current status of California fires since August 15, 2020 (information curent as of August 25, 2020). source: CZU Lightning Complex press conference Aug 25.

• 1.25 million acres of land has burned
• 136,000 people evacuated
• 100 aircraft assigned to fight fires
• 2.7 million gallons of retardant dropped
• Additional resources have been coming into CA from throughout western US
  

Incident Website: https://www.fire.ca.gov/incidents/

Evacuation Map: www.smco.community.zonehaven.com

Email Updates (sign up here): https://tinyurl.com/CZUlightning

Video of update, in English: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hu2EaUdPnmI

Video update, en Español: https://youtu.be/KffU8aPrtuo

Incident Website: https://www.fire.ca.gov/incidents/

Evacuation Map: www.smco.community.zonehaven.com

Email Updates (sign up here): https://tinyurl.com/CZUlightning

CAL FIRE public information perimeter map - August 24, 2020

high resolution map, click here.

To support our fellow community members, consider donating to:

Puente, which supports south coast families: https://mypuente.org

Coastside Hope, supports San Mateo County coastside residents: https://coastsidehope.org

ALAS (Ayudando Latinos A Soñar), supporting families, farmworkers, and youth of the coastside: https://www.alashmb.org

**note: goods are NOT being accepted at evacuation centers. Financial contributions are the highest need

Animals are in need too:

Woodside Community Foundation is focused on rasing funds for large animal rescue resulting from these fire. For more information call Rick DeBenedetti, (650) 303-2661. Online donations accepted here: Woodsidegiving.org

Peninusla Human Society is accepting donations of pet food, cat litter, newspapers at their Coyote Point Shelter. 12 Airport Blvd, San Mateo. and financial donation here: https://phs-spca.org

San Mateo County Large Animal Evacuation Group is also requesting help to feed displaced animals. (note: not tax deductable). https://smclaeg.org/

Incident Website: https://www.fire.ca.gov/incidents/

Evacuation Map: www.smco.community.zonehaven.com

Email Updates (sign up here): https://tinyurl.com/CZUlightning

Residents impacted by the CZU Lightning Complex fires are redirected to nearby locations for mail pic up

Incident Website: https://www.fire.ca.gov/incidents/

Evacuation Map: www.smco.community.zonehaven.com

Email Updates (sign up here): https://tinyurl.com/CZUlightning

Available maps and data to help assess air quality resulting from fires

Actual image of smoke: NASA satellite image

Air quality (based on frequently updated measures of particulate matter): purpleair.com

Air quality from US EPA (includes a mix of high and low-cost sensor which measure particulate matter): Fire and Smoke Map

Spare the Air info and Air Quality Index maps through Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD)

Air Quality Forecasts (table format) through BAAQMD and sign up for AirAlerts

NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) Air Quality Forecast Guidance (map format- change menu option to "surface smoke")

Incident Website: https://www.fire.ca.gov/incidents/

Evacuation Map: www.smco.community.zonehaven.com

Email Updates (sign up here): https://tinyurl.com/CZUlightning

Incident Website: https://www.fire.ca.gov/incidents/

Evacuation Map: www.smco.community.zonehaven.com

Email Updates (sign up here): https://tinyurl.com/CZUlightning

Evacuation website from CAL FIRE: https://www.readyforwildfire.org/prepare-for-wildfire/go-evacuation-guide/evacuation-steps/

CAL FIRE evacuation guide: https://www.readyforwildfire.org/wp-content/uploads/calfire_go_brochure_LINOweb.pdf

When immediate evacuation is necessary, follow these steps as soon as possible to get ready to GO!

Evacuation What to Take and Do:

1. Review your Evacuation Plan Checklist.
2. Ensure your Emergency Supply Kit is in your vehicle.
3. Cover-up to protect against heat and flying embers. Wear long pants, long sleeve shirt, heavy shoes/boots, cap, dry bandanna for face cover, goggles or glasses. 100% cotton is preferable.
4. Locate your pets and take them with you.

When to Evacuate

Leave as soon as evacuation is recommended by fire officials to avoid being caught in fire, smoke or road congestion. Don’t wait to be ordered by authorities to leave. Evacuating the forest fire area early also helps firefighters keep roads clear of congestion, and lets them move more freely to do their job. In an intense wildfire, they will not have time to knock on every door. If you are advised to leave, don’t hesitate!

• Officials will determine the areas to be evacuated and escape routes to use depending upon the fire’s location, behavior, winds, terrain, etc.
• Law enforcement agencies are typically responsible for enforcing an evacuation order. Follow their directions promptly.
• You will be advised of potential evacuations as early as possible. You must take the initiative to stay informed and aware. Listen to your radio/TV for announcements from law enforcement and emergency personnel.
• You may be directed to temporary assembly areas to await transfer to a safe location.

Do not return to your home until fire officials determine it is safe. Notification that it is safe to return home will be given as soon as possible considering safety and accessibility.

When You Return Home:

• Be alert for downed power lines and other hazards.
• Check propane tanks, regulators, and lines before turning gas on.
• Check your residence carefully for hidden embers or smoldering fires.

To support our fellow community members, consider donating to:

Puente, which supports south coast families: https://mypuente.org

Red Cross: RedCross Bay Area Chapter

Please also consider donating to local food banks. 

Animals are in need too:

Peninusla Human Society is accepting donations of pet food, cat litter, newspapers at their Coyote Point Shelter. 12 Airport Blvd, San Mateo. and financial donation here. 

The San Mateo County Large Animal Evacuation Group is also requesting help to feed displaced animals. see below for message from SMCLAEG:

Please call Pastorino's Hay and Feed at 650 726-6155 and/or Western Saddlery at 925 460-0373 and let them know you'd like to have them charge a $$ amount to your credit card...from there the Evac group can get hay and essentials to these displaced animals. Please let them know you are calling on behalf of the San Mateo County Large Animal Evacuation Group. SMCLAEG is not a 5013C so this is not tax deductible at this time but right now they just need to feed these animals. 

Please see message below fromm CAL FIRE Incident Commander about donations to CAL FIRE

Cow Palace has become a large animal evacuation center in response to the CZU Lightning Complex fire. 

Please call: 650-420-4121

You may also call the San Mateo County Large Animal Evacuation Group for Assistance: https://smclaeg.org

Laura: 650-450-0520

Robin: 650-450-0516

Emilie: 650-773-8780

The San Mateo County Large Animal Evacuation Group is also requesting help to feed displaced animals. see below for message from SMCLAEG:

Please call Pastorino's Hay and Feed at 650 726-6155 and/or Western Saddlery at 925 460-0373 and let them know you'd like to have them charge a $$ amount to your credit card...from there the Evac group can get hay and essentials to these displaced animals. Please let them know you are calling on behalf of the San Mateo County Large Animal Evacuation Group. SMCLAEG is not a 5013C so this is not tax deductible at this time but right now they just need to feed these animals.

Incident Website: https://www.fire.ca.gov/incidents/

Evacuation Map: www.smco.community.zonehaven.com

Email Updates (sign up here): https://tinyurl.com/CZUlightning

Link to map AND evacuation zone here: https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/f0121f7f2f0941afb3ed70529b2cee75

Below, Incident Map as of August 21

Incident Website: https://www.fire.ca.gov/incidents/

Evacuation Map: www.smco.community.zonehaven.com

Email Updates (sign up here): https://tinyurl.com/CZUlightning

A Message from Fire Safe San Mateo County president Denise Enea in reponse to CZU Lightning Complex Fires.

Evacuation program- Zonehaven https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/f0121f7f2f0941afb3ed70529b2cee75

Please sign up to receive digital Cal Fire messages https://tinyurl.com/CZUlightning  

San Mateo County’s emergency notification system  https://hsd.smcsheriff.com/smcalert   

Santa Cruz County’s emergency notification system http://scr911.org/

Fire Area Map   https://maps.nwcg.gov/sa/#/%3F/%3F/37.6144/-122.136/10

Fire Video  https://www.dropbox.com/s/75lkl3trs9oboab/Butano%20Ridge%20Fire%208-18-20.m4v?dl=0

CAL FIRE and emergency services are using ZoneHaven for evacuation maps. These are the official maps used by San Mateo County for emergency response.

https://smco.community.zonehaven.com

If you are having difficulties using the map, please see the instructions below.

Put together your emergency supply kit and have it accessible so you can take it with you when you have to evacuate. Learn more: https://www.readyforwildfire.org/prepare-for-wildfire/get-set/emergency-supply-kit/

Emergency Supply Kit Checklist

• Face masks or coverings
• Three-day supply of non-perishable food and three gallons of water per person
• Map marked with at least two evacuation routes
• Prescriptions or special medications
• Change of clothing
• Extra eyeglasses or contact lenses
• An extra set of car keys, credit cards, cash or traveler’s checks
• First aid kit
• Flashlight
• Battery-powered radio and extra batteries
• Sanitation supplies
• Copies of important documents (birth certificates, passports, etc.)
• Don’t forget pet food and water!

Items to take if time allows:

• Easily carried valuables
• Family photos and other irreplaceable items
• Personal computer information on hard drives and disks
• Chargers for cell phones, laptops, etc.

Incident Website: https://www.fire.ca.gov/incidents/

Evacuation Map: www.smco.community.zonehaven.com

Email Updates (sign up here): https://tinyurl.com/CZUlightning

For the most up-to-date evacuation maps and orders, please see: https://smco.community.zonehaven.com

Please note: Evacuation Order means leave IMMEDIATELY, and Evaucation Warning mean prepare to leave if ordered. 

To receive email updates, sign up here: https://tinyurl.com/CZUlightning

To receive text alerts, sign up with SMC Alert System: https://hsd.smcsheriff.com/smcalert

Incident Website: https://www.fire.ca.gov/incidents/

Evacuation Map: www.smco.community.zonehaven.com

Email Updates (sign up here): https://tinyurl.com/CZUlightning

For the most up-to-date evacuation maps and orders, please see: https://smco.community.zonehaven.com

Please note: Evacuation Order mean leave IMMEDIATELY, and Evaucation Warning mean prepare to leave if ordered. 

To receive email updates, sign up here: https://tinyurl.com/CZUlightning

To receive text alerts, sign up with SMC Alert System: https://hsd.smcsheriff.com/smcalert

Please see letter below from Denise Enea, president of Fire Safe San Mateo County

Sign up for Cal Fire email messages here: https://tinyurl.com/CZUlightning

Sign up for SMC text alerts here: https://hsd.smcsheriff.com/smcalert

For the most up-to-date evacuation maps and orders, please see: https://smco.community.zonehaven.com

To receive email updates, sign up here: https://tinyurl.com/CZUlightning

To receive text alerts, sign up with SMC Alert System: https://hsd.smcsheriff.com/smcalert

Incident Website: https://www.fire.ca.gov/incidents/

Evacuation Map: www.smco.community.zonehaven.com

Email Updates (sign up here): https://tinyurl.com/CZUlightning

August 17, 2020

To receive email updates directly from CAL FIRE, click here. 

PG&E has provided information about their Community Wildfire Safety Program, which includes information for residents. 

Please follow the link here: Community Wildfire Safety Program.

Earlier this year, Stanford's Bill Lane Center for the American West had planned an in-person Workshop on Wildfire Management. It was reformated into a virtual workshop that includes a recorded keynote presentation "What Motivates Homeowners to Mitigate Fire Risk? Lessons from Social Science" and two recorded pannel discussions, "Wildfire Management and Preparation during the COVID-19 Pandemic" and "Preparedness adn Recovery: The Human Dimensions of Wildfires". In addition, there are student poster presentations of original wildfire-related research available for viewing. 

Please follow the link to access this resource: Wildfire in the West: Workshop on Wildfire Management (virtual format)

At the March Fire Safe meeting, Dr. Matteo Garbelotto of UC Berkeley presented the lates information about SOD (Sudden Oak Death) and its relationship to fire ecology (please see meeting notes from March 2020 for a recap). Dr. Garbelotto also invited anyone interested to participate in the annual SOD Blitz which is run by his research program at UC Berkeley. 

In light of the recent COVID-19 shelter-in-place order, Dr. Garbelotto provided us an update that the SOD Blitzes for 20202 will still be running, using new and approved guidelines. 

Copied below is his message with more details:

March 31st, 2020

Concerned Californians, nature-lovers and environmentalists,

You are receiving this email because in the past you have attended one of the many programs offered by the U.C. Berkeley Forest Pathology and Mycology Laboratory (www.matteolab.org<http://www.matteolab.org>). I know many of you have participated in at least one annual SOD Blitz. SOD Blitzes have grown to become the gold standard in the field of Citizen Science programs aimed at protecting forest health, and you –the volunteers- are the main reason for this success. SOD Blitzes allow us to map the distribution of Sudden Oak Death (SOD) throughout the State each year. Mapping SOD in 2020 may be critical for various reasons: 1)- Areas with recent SOD mortality are much more prone to support extremely hot wildfires; 2)- SOD infected oaks fail, often when still green, with obvious consequences for property and people; 3)- Knowing where SOD is, allows local residents to choose to protect their oaks using science-proven disease management options; 4)- Two new strains of the diseases are looming at the edge of California forests and the SOD Blitzes are the only way to intercept them before they spread. These new strains could be a game changer in the negative sense of the expression.

In spite of the ongoing health scare and of the statewide “Shelter in Place” ordinance, we have been able to redesign the 2020 SOD Blitzes to make them 100% safe and legal, an effective activity that allows you to exercise, and –of course- a powerful Citizen Science program that will help all of us protecting our forests. The program has received full approval by U.C. Berkeley and it will go on as long as we all follow the simple guidelines posted at www.sodblitz.org<http://www.sodblitz.org>. All of the training and free registration will be done online, you will pick up fully sterile collection and survey materials at a local SOD Blitz Station, conveniently located near a parking lot, and you will return your samples at the same SOD Blitz station or by mail, depending on where you are. All the precise information is available at www.sodblitz.org<http://www.sodblitz.org>. Remember, by participating in your local SOD Blitz, you will get a chance to exercise in nature while helping protecting our forests through a 100% safe activity.

Social distancing and clean “housekeeping” rules are strongly enforced, so when picking up or returning materials and stay at least 6 feet away from other volunteers. You will be allowed to survey and sample trees in private properties with the owners’ consent, along roads (be mindful of approaching vehicles), and in parks that may still be open to the public. Again, respect social distancing rules in the field as well. Do participate, because Sudden Oak Death is not stopping and we need to be proactive about it in order to succeed in our efforts to preserve our beloved oaks for future generations. In 2019 alone, more than one million trees were killed by SOD. Go to www.sodblitz.org<http://www.sodblitz.org> to familiarize yourselves with the easy-to-follow new SOD Blitz guidelines, and to find out the time slot that has been assigned to your neighborhood to perform the survey. This is an activity you can do with the entire family or with one friend: do not miss out the opportunity to be part of the solution.

Matteo Garbelotto Ph.D.

Director U.C. Berkeley Forest Pathology and Mycology Laboratory Statewide U.C. Forest Pathology Extension Specialist Adj.Professor, Department of ESPM www.matteolab.org<http://www.matteolab.org>

Mipeninsula Regional Open Space District wiil be having a virtual public meeting about their Wildland Fire Resiliency Program. This is an opportunity to learn more and provide actions. 

Information from Midpen:

Now is a great time to comment on the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District's Wildland Fire Resiliency Program.This proposed program will proactively expand our environmentally sensitive vegetation management to establish healthy, resilient ecosystems; reduce fire risk; and facilitate fire suppression.

Please join Midpen's board of directors for a study session:

Wednesday, April 8, 2020, 5-7 p.m.

Virtual meeting, click here for details<https://openspace.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=cf60d90ac20de1d557d559b1e&id=a02e2e2fa4&e=fa82987005>

No board action will be taken

This is an opportunity to learn more about and comment on program components including:

• Vegetation management plan
• Prescribed fire plan
• Monitoring plan
• Preserve maps for fire agencies

Due to shelter-at-home orders this will be a virtual meeting. Details and instructions on how to comment and participate<https://openspace.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=cf60d90ac20de1d557d559b1e&id=4bf75f5b33&e=fa82987005> can be found on our website.

For more information contact project manager Coty Sifuentes-Winter at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 650-625-6560.

Check out a few upcoming events of interest to FIRE SAFE San Mateo County members! These events are not affiliated with FIRE SAFE San Mateo County, but are wonderful opportunity for members to learn and network throughout the region.

Protecting Your City from Wildfire

Crowne Plaza San Diego

Wednesday, March 11 - Thursday, March 12, 2020

This meeting has been organized to provide city administrations with best practices and expert advice on developing community wildfire protection plans, engaging and educating residents, and hardening existing systems to increase resilience. It is now more important than ever for cities and communities to coordinate with police, water, fire, public health, electric utility, and other local, state, and federal agencies.

Attend this meeting to learn best practices in order to respond to the risk of wildfires. Cities will learn how to work aggressively and proactively on plans to mitigate avoidable risk, coordinate with many public agencies, and make strategic investments to render your city able to provide essential services and protect the life and property of your citizens.Conference Website.

Workshop on Wildfire Management: The Case of San Mateo and Santa Clara Counties

Stanford University

Monday, March 16, 2020 

Stanford University invites local policymakers and resiliency staff to join for a one-day workshop on issues surrounding wildfires, building upon early efforts in San Mateo and Santa Clara Counties to identify risk and vulnerability and pivot to actionable solutions that can be implemented by cities. RSVP by Feb 21.

RESOURCE: Community Planning Assistance for Wildfire (CPAW)

 https://planningforwildfire.org/

Established in 2015 by Headwaters Economics and Wildfire Planning International, Community Planning Assistance for Wildfire (CPAW) works with communities to reduce wildfire risks through improved land use planning.

CPAW is a grant-funded program providing communities with professional assistance to integrate wildfire mitigation into the development planning process. The CPAW consulting team consists of foresters, land use planners, economists, and wildfire risk modelers who collaborate closely with community leaders and city officials to reduce wildfire risk.

Project Coodinator Position for Fuel Reduction Project

The South Skyline FireSafe Council (SSFSC) is seeking a Project Coordinator to facilitate and provide leadership for California Conservation Corps crews (CCC) on a fuel reduction project in the Long Ridge Open Space Preserve and adjacent Portola Heights community.  Work is entirely on privately owned residential properties as well as land owned or managed by the Mid-Peninsula Open Space District (MROSD). The Coordinator will coordinate with the CCC crew supervisor, South Skyline FireSafe Council, CalFire, and MROSD staff as well as residents of the community to ensure compliance with SSFSC treatment specifications, to prioritize work, and to address special conditions that arise.  This is a temporary position, although future SSFSC projects are anticipated that may lead to future work.  Applicants will need a business license or may be “on loan” from another agency

Full Job Description Found Here: South Skyline Project Coordinator Job Posting

If you would like more information about this topic, please contact Debra Born at 650-917-9648 or email at debbborn [@] gmail.com.   

Created to address fire risk on private property, Firewise USA is a national program that empowers homeowners to engage in fire prevention at a community level. This recognition program through National Fire Protection Association provides homeowners with an organized framework to plan, organize and implement fire prevention around their homes and communities. Homeowners can learn about wildfire, gain access to resources, and collaborate with neighbors to provide their community with a framework for action. There are even some opportunities for fire insurance discounts. In participating, communities join over 1,500 other Firewise USA sites in 42 states who volunteer yearly to decrease their risk of fire.

 Firewise USA representative, David Shew, presented to the September 11th, 2019 Fire Safe San Mateo County meeting on general information about the program for San Mateo County residents. If you missed the September meeting, you can still view the powerpoint presentation below.

To have your community recognized as a Firewise USA site or to learn more, visit NFPA.org. 

.

Dr. Craig Clements from the Fire Weather Research Laboratory at San Jose State University gave a presentation on fire weather and fire science at the July 10^th meeting. The Fire Weather Research Laboratory is the only academic fire weather program in the United States. Dr. Clements conducts research on extreme fire behavior and fire weather and his program collects observational data on wildfires and experimental fires. The program develops ways to understand weather created by fires and how other weather patterns can be used to predict where and when fires will occur. He also discussed other data gathering and monitoring his program carries out, including live fuel moisture monitoring and fire weather research field sites.

Fire Damage Map of Woody Vegetation

We were delighted to have our guests from Sonoma County come down for our Fire Safe San Mateo County workshop Wednesday, June 12th, 2019. In anticipation for a collaborative, multi-agency County-wide vegetation mapping project "San Mateo County Vegetation Map and Landscape Database Project", guests spoke upon the current progress of the mapping project within San Mateo County and applicative uses for the maps, focusing on fuel load and fire modeling from Sonoma County's mapping project. We've summarized our guest's presentations below. 

The ultimate goals of the San Mateo vegetation mapping project are large and ongoing. So far, the project has been able to produce high resolution imagery and LiDar data, a method of remote sensing that creates a 3-D representation of the landscape. From these original data sets, and with the help from an army of botanists, the project aims to produce fine scale vegetation type maps, fire fuels mapping, relative forest stand cover, impervious surfaces layer mapping, hydrologic system mapping and topographic modeling and contours. With enough funding, more maps can created from the original data. Altogether, the applicative uses of the data produced will be limited to the imagination. Ultimate completion of the project is slated for January 2022. The final maps (available in GIS format) will be available at San Mateo County's GIS webportal. 

In Sonoma County, a similar mapping project was completed in 2017. The final product is provided not only as downloadable packages, but also through a user friendly mapping webportaland "Story Map". These easy to use maps bring the wealth of information this project brings to the greater public, including local government, State government, academia, communities, Resource Conservation Districts, non-profits and commercial entities. This data has been used for a myriad of reasons, spanning wetland conservation, agricultural protection, old-growth redwood research, carbon sequestration research, floodplain and creek restoration and planning along with so much more. Check out their website at sonomavegmap.org. 

Following the 2017 Sonoma Complex fires which started October 8th, 2017, Sonoma suffered devastating impacts from the combined destruction from the Pocket, Tubbs and Nuns Fire. In the aftermath, there were many questions as to why the fires spread the way they did and with such destructive force. Fires are not new to Sonoma County, there have been multiple historical fires, predominantly in 1924 and 1963, that match similar footprints to both the Nuns and Tubbs Fire. However, there's no question that these fires are beyond the extent of any historical fire. To answer the question, "why?", a collaborative effort was created through Ag and Open Space Sonoma County with Kass Green & Associates with Tuckman Geospatial. Their hypothesis was the changes in the landscape, such as slope, vegetation, wind and ladder fuels, were responsible for heightened intensity and spread of the fires. With funding assistance through NASA, the research team investigated the relationship between damage to the landscape (woody canopy) and variations across the landscape. Using machine learning, the research team looked at 72 landscape variables, including ladder fuels, canopy height, wind direction and speed, and distance to streams. 

Out of the six scenarios (each of the three fires being divided by wind driven events and topography driven events) their machine learning algorithm found high density of ladder fuels, low canopy height (shrubs), low climatic water deficit (precipitation and overall moisture), and far distance from streams all correlated to high damage to the landscape. A large takeaway from these results is the importance of ladder fuels in intensifying wildfires. Ladder fuels are the accumulation of woody vegetation (fuel) underneath a forest or shrub canopy. From these ladder fuels, fire can "climb" from lower growing woody vegetation up into the canopy, causing a high-temperature crown fire. The fire prevention community has known ladder fuels increase the risk and intensity of wildfires for a long time. This study not only verifies this case, but also provides something greater—a means of mapping the ladder fuels through Sonoma County. With this map, Sonoma County is able to find and manage for ladder fuels, focusing on escape routes, homes and buildings. 

For San Mateo County, we still have a few years to wait before we can create similar resources. Starting in Summer 2019, the data will be coming out piecemeal, like LiDar, 1-ft contours, and ladder fuels, but the final package is slated for 2022. Once fully produced, these maps will provide critical information to fire prevention agencies, such as Fire Safe San Mateo County, in planning escape routes, creating targeted fuel reduction projects around fire prone communities and so much more. 

Special thank you to Danny Franco (Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy), Deborah Hirst (Board of Supervisors for District 3), Supervisor Don Horsley, Denise Enea (Woodside Fire Protection District and Fire Safe San Mateo County Board President) and the good folks at Woodside Town hall for all your work in creating this workshop.

For more information on the San Mateo vegetation mapping project, please contact Daniel Franco at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Power point presentation from the day's presentations are available here:

Wednesday, June 12, 2019 from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM (PDT)

Woodside Town Hall | 2955 Woodside Road | Woodside, CA 94062

RSVP on Eventbrite

The San Mateo Fire Safe Council invites you to join us June 12th, 2019 from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm for a series of presentations by staff and consultants with Sonoma County Agriculture & Open Space, who will be sharing data and analysis performed on the Sonoma County Complex Fires of 2017. Key discussion topics include:

• The Sonoma County Vegetation Mapping and LiDAR Program, which is similar to current ongoing countywide fine scale vegetation mapping efforts in San Mateo and Marin Counties.
• NASA Funded research designed to update existing Sonoma vegetation data sets ad analyze the impact of the fires across the landscape, and discover and quantify relationships between fire damage and landscape charactaristics such as vegetation weather, land use, and land management patterns.
• Overview and results from a survey to understand the use of Sonoma's Vegetation Mapping and Land Cover Map Products in fire response, post-fire recovery and resilience planning.

Join us for a networking lunch from 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm (immediately following the workshop) provided by District 3 Supervisor Don Horsley.

SPACE WILL BE LIMITED!

For questions please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Crazy about Prescribed Fire?

The Bay Area Prescribed Fire Council is hosting their first Spring Meeting and Tour Thursday May 2nd and Friday May 3rd in Morgan Hill/ Henry Coe State Park.

This will be a conveinging of prescribed fire practitioners throughout the Bay Area. Come learn from their experiences and share your own.

 Sign up at: 
Bay Area Prescribed Fire EventBrite Page

 Thursday speakers include:

-Cultural burning on Amah Mutsun land
-Air Quality with the Bay Area Air Quality Management District
-Ecological reasons to burn with Audubon Canyon Ranch and Sonoma Ecology Center
-Legislative update
-Deciding where the BARxFC is headed (Policy/ Research, training and communications)

Friday will be a tour of nearby Henry Coe State Park, their prescribed burning, and wildfire history with park employees and Cal Fire.

Bay Area Prescribed Fire EventBrite Page

Questions or comments to:
Jared Childress  |  Prescribed Fire Specialist  |  Fire Forward
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. |  Office: 707.938.4554, ext. 309  |   Mobile: 510.499.1496
Bouverie Preserve,  P. O. Box 1195, Glen Ellen, CA 95442

Hosted by Climate Ready San Mateo County, the Preparing for Wildfire Convening on March 13, 2019 brought together over 100 community members to talk about the future of fire in San Mateo County. The event brought insighful speakers to relay lessons larned from Sonoma County, recent data on fire and current efforts in San Mateo County. Speakers were followed by a collaborative moment around community preparedness and fire risk for attendees. A big thanks to FIRE SAFE San Mateo County members who joined this event.

Check out Climate Ready SMC's website for more information and highlights from the event. 

Check out a few upcoming events of interest to FIRE SAFE San Mateo County members! These events are not affiliated with FIRE SAFE San Mateo County, but are wonderful opportunity for members to learn and network throughout the region. 

Fire Weather Research Workshop
San Jose State University
April 26, 2019

This is the first annual fire weather research workshop aimed at providing new information to fire agencies, students, students , and other stake holders to the current state-of-knowledge of fire weather research in California. Read about more information on their website or sign up for the event on google forms.

CPUC Wildfire Technology Innovation Summit
Wednesday, March 20, 2019

The Summit is designed to initiate an ongoing dialogue between the technology industry, academic researchers, utilities and government on the needs and tools to address wildfire challenges. Attendees will have the opportunity to hear from leading experts, practitioners and entrepreneurs and to discuss innovative technologies, strategies and practical tools.
For more details see http://firetechsummit.cpuc.ca.gov

Wildland Urban Conference
March 26-28, 2019

The IAFC's Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) conference offers hands-on training and interactive sessions designed to address the challenges of wildland fire. If you're one of the many people responsible for protecting local forests or educating landowners and your community about the importance of land management—then this is the conference for you.
Learn more at https://www.iafc.org/events/wui
 

More than 100M Americans live in or near forests and grasslands that can erupt in flames. Steve Inskeep reports on fighting wildfires, which cost federal agencies almost $2B last year

Fighting wildfires in America cost federal agencies almost $2 billion last year including more than half the budget of the U.S. Forest Service. Wildland fires are growing worse in a time of drought and climate change, and the biggest and most destructive fires can't be stopped. They are a force of nature: imagine trying to stop a hurricane. Yet the government has to try, because more than a 100 million Americans now live in -- or near -- forests and grasslands that can erupt in flames.

Watch the 60 Minutes Special

Years of experience by the California fire service have led to a new strategy for reducing the chance of building loss or damage due to wildfire, with new regulations that are now mandatory within the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI). It is a two-pronged approach – providing defensible space and constructing a more ignition-resistant structure.

​EXTERIOR WILDFIRE EXPOSURE PROTECTION:

 Buildings are now required to be constructed so that they have less chance of catching fire from burning embers from wildfires. Most of the highest wildfire losses take place during hot, windy days or nights when flames spread so fast that many buildings catch fire and overwhelm available firefighting forces. Many buildings ignite when burning embers land on wood roofs, blow in through vents, pile up in cracks, or become lodged under boards. By constructing buildings in a way that reduces the ability of embers to intrude, a major cause of structure ignition is reduced.

Recently adopted building codes reduce the risk of burning embers igniting buildings. Standards are already in effect for roofs, attic vents, siding, exterior doors, decking, windows, eaves, wall vents and enclosed overhanging decks.

Years of experience by the California fire service have led to a new strategy for reducing the chance of building loss or damage due to wildfire, with new regulations that are now mandatory within the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI). It is a two-pronged approach – providing defensible space and constructing a more ignition-resistant structure.

​EXTERIOR WILDFIRE EXPOSURE PROTECTION:

 Buildings are now required to be constructed so that they have less chance of catching fire from burning embers from wildfires. Most of the highest wildfire losses take place during hot, windy days or nights when flames spread so fast that many buildings catch fire and overwhelm available firefighting forces. Many buildings ignite when burning embers land on wood roofs, blow in through vents, pile up in cracks, or become lodged under boards. By constructing buildings in a way that reduces the ability of embers to intrude, a major cause of structure ignition is reduced.

Recently adopted building codes reduce the risk of burning embers igniting buildings. Standards are already in effect for roofs, attic vents, siding, exterior doors, decking, windows, eaves, wall vents and enclosed overhanging decks.

CHAPTER 7A BUILDING CODE LANGUAGE

• CA Building Code Chapter 7A (January 2009 Supplement)
• CA Fire Code Chapters 47
• CA Building Code Testing Standards
• 2010 Title 24 California regulations

FIRE SAFE REGULATIONS

• PRC 4290
• PRC 4291    

• Title 14

Government Code Sections 51175-51189   

General Guidelines for Creating Defensible Space

Building Materials Listings and Manufacturning Process

***NEW WUI PRODUCTS HANDBOOK***

Homeowner's Summary of Fire Prevention Laws

• How to get code questions answered
• Effective Dates of Code
• Information Bulletins
• Reference Materials

http://www.woodsidefire.org/components/com_jce/editor/tiny_mce/plugins/anchor/img/anchor.gif);">What You Need To Know About California’s New Building Codes

Protecting a building from wildfire takes a two-pronged approach:

• Remove flammable materials from around the building
• Construct the building of fire resistant material

The law requires that homeowners do fuel modification to 100 feet (or the property line) around their buildings to create a defensible space for firefighters and to protect their homes from wildfires.

New building codes will protect buildings from being ignited by flying embers which can travel as much as a mile away from the wildfire.  The following ignition-resistant standards are designed to prevent embers from igniting a building:

BUILDING MATERIALS LISTINGS FOR WILDLAND URBAN INTERFACE BUILDING MATERIALS

The Office of the State Fire Marshal's (SFM) Building Materials Listing Program (BML) was originally created to mandate that all fire alarm systems and fire alarm devices be approved and listed by the State Fire Marshal prior to sale or marketing within the state. The program later was expanded to include many other materials such as: roof coverings, fire resistive wall and ceiling-floor assemblies, wall finish materials, fire and non-fire related hardware, insulating products, fire doors, fire dampers, electrical appliances and devices. Each product approval and listing is based upon an evaluation of test results that include an analysis of required product performance and reliability features. All manufacturers that want to list products in California must have those products tested and labeled by a SFM accredited laboratory. If a product does not qualify for listing but meets the standard of the “Materials and Construction Methods for Exterior Wildfire Exposure,” Chapter 7A of the California Building Code will be listed in the WUI Product Handbook.

WUI BUILDING MATERIALS TESTING STANDARDS

• Testing Standards CA SFM 12.7A-1, Exterior Wall Siding and Sheathing
• Testing Standards CA SFM 12.7A-2, Exterior Windows
• Testing Standards CA SFM 12.7A-3, Under Eaves
• Testing Standards CA SFM 12.7A-4, Decking
• State Fire Marshal Building Materials Listing Web Page

The new building standard for the Fire Hazard Severity Zones will be enforced by the Building Official as projects go through the plan checking process. To best assist them in determining if a product meets the code requirements, the State Fire Marshal's BML Program is accepting applications for materials that meet the new code. These materials will be listed on the SFM BML website and the Wildland Urban Interface Building Codes page of the Wildland Hazards and Building Codes website section. The SFM listing service provides building authorities, architectural and engineering communities, contractors, and the fire service with a reliable and readily available source of information.

Since the materials under Wildland Urban Interface Building Codes (except wood shakes and shingles) are not required by law to be listed by the SFM, the listing for these products are strictly voluntary. Materials not listed by the SFM may still qualify for use provided they met all the requirements under Chapter 7A. If not listed on the SFM site, all documentation and testing certificates showing compliance must be submitted to the building official having jurisdiction for final approval.

EFFECTIVE DATES OF CODE:

On September 20, 2007 the Building Standards Commission approved the Office of the State Fire Marshal’s emergency regulations amending the California Code of Regulations (CCR), Title 24, Part 2, known as the 2007 California Building Code (CBC).

“701A.3.2 New Buildings Located in Any Fire Hazard Severity Zone.

New buildings located in any Fire Hazard Severity Zone within State Responsibility Areas, any Local Agency Very-High Fire Hazard Severity Zone, or any Wildland-Urban Interface Fire Area designated by the enforcing agency for which an application for a building permit is submitted on or after January 1, 2008, shall comply with all sections of this chapter. New buildings located in any Fire Hazard Severity Zone shall comply with one of the following:

1. State Responsibility Areas.
New buildings located in any Fire Hazard Severity Zone within State Responsibility Areas, for which an application for a building permit is submitted on or after January 1, 2008, shall comply with all sections of this chapter.

2. Local Agency Very-High Fire Hazard Severity Zone.
New buildings located in any Local Agency Very-High Fire Hazard Severity Zone for which an application for a building permit is submitted on or after July 1, 2008, shall comply with all sections of this chapter.

3. Wildland-Urban Interface Fire Area designated by the enforcing agency.
New buildings located in any Wildland-Urban Interface Fire Area designated by the enforcing agency for which an application for a building permit is submitted on or after January 1, 2008, shall comply with all sections of this chapter.

HOW TO GET CODE QUESTIONS ANSWERED

Information Bulletins” and formal state building standards “Code Interpretations” pertaining to wildfire protection building codes are available from the Office of the State Fire Marshal.

Project specific questions should be addressed by the agency having jurisdiction of the project. They may have more restrictive requirements in local ordinances.

WUI INFORMATIONAL BULLETINS:

• Revised Effective Date of Wildland-Urban Interface Building Standards in Local Responsibility Areas (61K PDF)
• Enforcement of Building Code (36K PDF)
• Plan Review Bulletin (29K PDF)

WUI REFERENCE MATERIALS:

New Building Standards have been adopted for areas within local jurisdiction Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones and in the State Responsibility Areas (SRA). Phase I of the standards are already in effect. Phase II standards will go into effect January 1, 2008.

• Nine Point Criteria Analysis, Phase I
• Nine Point Criteria Analysis, Phase II
• Building Code Interpretations

A wildfire-safe home must be an ember-ignition-resistant home, so that even if the flames do not reach your home, it will be able to withstand exposure to embers that may have been blown a mile or more in front of a wildfire.  To provide maximum wildfire protection for your home, a combination of near-home vegetation management, appropriate building materials, and related design features must be used. These points are summarized the excellent Univesity of California publication, "Home Survival in Wildfire-Prone Areas: Building Materials and Design Considerations."

Preparing and maintaining adequate defensible space will guard against flame contact and radiant exposures from nearby vegetation—but because of the likely ember exposure to your home during a wildfire, you cannot ignore building material and design considerations. Similarly, if you ignore your defensible space (i.e., you do not have it or do not maintain it), the wildfire will produce maximum ember, flame, and radiant exposures to your home.  It is very unlikely that even hardened buildings can survive such exposure, as a weak link will likely exist somewhere in the building enclosure. 

There is a direct link between home survival, the vegetation management required in developing adequate defensible space around the home, and the building materials and design used to construct the home. The area where your vegetation should be managed (i.e., your defensible space) will depend on the particular topography and siting of the home on the property. Information included in this publication is focused on the home and is intended to provide information to help you make “fire wise” decisions regarding material choices and design decisions, whether you are building a new home or retrofitting your existing house. A considerable amount of information has been published in recent years on defensible space and vegetation management. Check with your local cooperative extension office or fire department for information appropriate to your area.

Read more about hardening Your Home against wildfire...

Hundreds of fires are started each year by power tools.   If you live in a wildland area, use extreme caution during fire season.  Lawn mowers, string trimmers, chain saws, grinders, welders, and tractors can all start fires if not used properly.

Mowing:  Striking  rocks can create sparks  and start fireas in dry grass. Use caution, mow only early in the day (before 10AM, when the weather is calm, cool, and moist). 

Spark Arresters:  In wildland areas, spark arresters are required on all portable, gasoline-powered equipment. This includes  tractors, harvesters, chainsaws, weed-trimmers and mowers.

Keep the exhaust system, spark arresters  and mower in proper working order and free  of carbon buildup.  Use the recommended grade of fuel, and don’t top it off.

Visit www.firesafesanmateo.org for more information on creating defensible space!

From earthquakes and hurricanes to flooding and rising sea levels, natural disasters can strike anywhere and at any time. No region of the country is immune from the impacts and rising costs of disaster damage. In light of this stark reality, the National Building Museum presents a multimedia exhibition titled Designing for Disaster, a call-to-action for citizen preparedness—from design professionals and local decision-makers to homeowners and school kids. The exhibition explores strategies local leaders are currently pursuing to reduce their risks and build more disaster-resilient communities. The exhibition will open May 11, 2014 and remain on view through August 2, 2015.

Natural disasters can impact any of us, anywhere, at any time. In 2012, the financial toll in the United States alone exceeded $100 billion, and the loss of life and emotional toll is immeasurable. No region of the country is immune—112 events in 32 states were declared natural disasters in the U.S. during 2012.

The National Building Museum's exhibition, Designing for Disaster, examines how we assess risks from natural hazards and how we can create policies, plans, and designs yielding safer, more disaster-resilient communities.

DESIGNING FOR DISASTER

The One Less Spark, One Less Wildfire Weather Forecaster Toolkit with fire weather reporting ideas for all media is available and ready for use.

Components of the Toolkit include:

• Ideas for newspaper (traditional and on-line) , radio, and television weather reporters to connect forecasts with fire danger
• Examples of weather reports containing fire safety messages
• Commonly used terminology to enhance understanding thereby accurately describing terms to the public while forecasting
• Examples of messages that can be used during weather reporting to help the public understand fire weather terminology
• Short, simple, and catchy phrases that can be easily inserted into forecasts
• Links to websites to further enhance wildland fire weather information.

Sponsors include:  California Wildfire Coordinating Group Prevention Subcommittee. Member agencies of the CWCG include; US Forest Service, CAL FIRE, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Cal OES, Caltrans, CAL Fire Safe Councils, Bureau of Land Management and National Park Service . 

The Toolkit is attached and can also be downloaded from:    http:/www.preventwildfireca.org/OneLessSpark/. Please give us feedback about your thoughts and use of the Toolkit.

Appropriate manipulation of the landscape can make a significant contribution towards wildfire survival.  Firescaping integrates traditional landscape functions and needs into a design that reduces the threat from wildfire.

In addition to meeting a homeowner’s aesthetic desires and functional needs, firescaping includes vegetation modification techniques, planting for fire safety, defensible space principles, and use of fire safety zones.

Three factors determine wildfire intensity:  topography, weather and fuels (vegetation).  Property owners can control the fuel component through proper selection, placement, and maintenance of vegetation.  Careful planning and firescape design can diminish the possibility of ignition, lower fire intensity, and reduce how quickly a fire spreads – all factors which will increase a home’s survivability during a wildfire.  

In firescaping, plant selection is primarily determined by a plant’s ability to reduce the wildfire threat.  Other considerations may be important such as appearance, ability to hold the soil in place, and wildlife habitat value.

Minimize use of evergreen shrubs and trees within 30 feet of a structure, because junipers, other conifers, and broadleaf evergreens contain oils, resins, and waxes that make these plants burn with great intensity.  

Choose “fire smart” plants - typically plants with a high moisture content, larger leaves, low growing, with stems and leaves that are not resinous, oily or waxy.  Deciduous trees are generally more fire resistant than evergreens because they have a higher moisture content when in leaf, and a lower fuel volume when dormant.  

Placement and maintenance of trees and shrubs is as important as actual plant selection.  When planning tree placement remember their size at maturity. Keep tree limbs at least 10 feet from chimneys, power lines and structures, and separate canopies so no trees touch.  Do not plant shrubs beneath trees.

Firescape design uses driveways, lawns, walkways, patios, parking areas, areas with inorganic mulches, and fences constructed of nonflammable materials such as rock, brick, or concrete to reduce fuel loads and create fuel breaks. Fuel breaks are a vital component in firescape design.  While bare ground can not burn, it is not promoted as a firescape element due to aesthetic and soil erosion concerns.

When designing a firesafe landscape, remember that less is better.  Simplify visual lines and groupings.  A firesafe landscape lets plants and garden elements reveal their innate beauty by leaving space between plants and groups of plants.   In firescaping, open spaces are as important as the plants.

Learn more about firescaping here...

Adapted from http://wildfiretoday.com/2014/04/18/the-true-cost-of-wildfire/

A recent conference in Glenwood Springs, Colorado explored The True Cost of Wildfire.

Usually the costs we hear associated with wildfires are what firefighters run up during the suppression phase.  The National Incident Management Situation Report provides those numbers daily for most ongoing large fires. But other costs may be many times the cost of suppression, including the value of structures burned, crops and pastures ruined, economic losses from decreased tourism, medical treatment for the effects of smoke, salaries of law enforcement and highway maintenance personnel, counseling for victims, costs incurred by evacuees, infrastructure damage and shutdowns, rehabilitation of watersheds, forests, flood and debris flow prevention, and repairing damage to reservoirs filled with silt.  And of course there can not be a value placed on the lives that are lost in wildfires.  In Colorado alone, fires since 2000 have killed 8 residents and 12 firefighters.

The total cost of a wildfire can be mitigated by fire-adaptive communities, hazard fuel mitigation, fire prevention campaigns, and prompt and aggressive initial attack of new fires with overwhelming force by ground and air resources. Investments in these areas can save large sums of money. And, it can save lives, something we don’t hear about very often when it comes to wildfire prevention and mitigation; or spending money on adequate fire suppression resources.Below are some excerpts from a report on the conference that appeared in the Grand Junction Sentinel:

[Fire ecologist Robert] Gray said the 2000 Cerro Grande Fire in New Mexico ended up having a total estimated cost of $906 million, of which suppression accounted for only 3 percent.Creede Mayor Eric Grossman said the [West Fork Complex] in the vicinity of that town last summer didn’t damage one structure other than a pumphouse. But the damage to its tourism-based economy was immense.“We’re a three-, four-month (seasonal tourism) economy and once that fire started everybody left, and rightfully so, but the problem was they didn’t come back,” he said.

A lot of the consequences can play out over years or even decades, Gray said.He cited a damaging wildfire in Slave Lake, in Alberta, Canada, where post-traumatic stress disorder in children didn’t surface until a year afterward. Yet thanks to the damage to homes from the fire there were fewer medical professionals still available in the town to treat them.“You’re dealing with a grieving process” in the case of landowners who have lost homes, said Carol Ekarius, who as executive director of the Coalition for the Upper South Platte has dealt with watershed and other issues in the wake of the 2002 Hayman Fire and other Front Range fires.

The Hayman Fire was well over 100,000 acres in size and Ekarius has estimated its total costs at more than $2,000 an acre. That’s partly due to denuded slopes that were vulnerable to flooding, led to silt getting in reservoirs and required rehabilitation work.“With big fires always come big floods and big debris flows,” Ekarius said.Gray said measures such as mitigating fire danger through more forest thinning can reduce the risks.

The 2013 Rim Fire in California caused $1.8 billion in environmental and property damage, or $7,800 an acre, he said.“We can do an awful lot of treatment at $7,800 an acre and actually save money,” he said.Bill Hahnenberg, who has served as incident commander on several fires, said many destructive fires are human-caused because humans live in the wildland-urban interface.“That’s why I think we should maybe pay more attention to fire prevention,” he said.

Just how large the potential consequences of fire can be was demonstrated in Glenwood Springs’ Coal Seam Fire. In that case the incident commander was close to evacuating the entire town, Hahnenberg said. “How would that play (out)?” he said. “I’m not just picking on Glenwood, it’s a question for many communities. How would you do that?” He suggested it’s a scenario communities would do well to prepare for in advance.

The chart below from EcoWest.org shows that federal spending per wildfire has exceeded $100,000 on an annual basis several times since 2002. Since 2008 the cost per acre has varied between $500 and $1,000. These numbers do not include most of the other associated costs we listed above.

1. Equipment Use Safety

• Never mow or trim dry grass on a Red Flag Warning Day. (Mow before 10 a.m. on a day when it’s not hot and windy).
• Never use lawn mowers in dry vegetation.
• Spark arresters are required in wildland areas on all portable gasoline powered equipment.

2. Campfire Safety

• Before starting a campfire, make sure you have a campfire permit and that they are permitted on the land you are visiting.
• Afterwards, ensure that your campfire is properly extinguished.

4. Vehicle

• Never pull over in dry grass.
• Ensure trailer chains don't drag on the ground.
• Make sure your vehicle is properly maintained. 
• Have proper tire pressure to avoid driving on wheel rim.
• Never let your brake pads wear too thin.

  5. Other

• Make sure cigarette butts are properly extinguished.
• Never burn landscape debris like leaves or branches on NO Burn Days or when it's windy or areas where not allowed.
• Target shoot only in approved areas, use lead ammunition only, and never at metal targets.
• Report any suspicious activities to prevent arson.

For more fire prevention tips visit www.firesafesanmateo.org or www.PreventWildfireCA.org.

Recent wildfire events throughout the world have highlighted the consequences of residential development in the wildland-urban interface (WUI) including hundreds to thousands of homes burned during a single wildfire to, more tragically, firefighter and homeowner fatalities. Despite substantial investments in modifying wildland fuels near populated areas, losses appear to be increasing. In this article, US Forest Service Researchers examine the conditions under which WUI wildfire disasters occur and introduce a wildfire risk assessment framework. By using this framework, the authors examine how prefire mitigation activities failed to prevent significant structure loss during the Fourmile Canyon fire outside Boulder, CO. In light of these results, the authors suggest the need to reevaluate and restructure wildfire mitigation programs aimed at reducing residential losses from wildfire.

ABSTRACT

Recent fire seasons in the western United States are some of the most damaging and costly on record. Wildfires in the wildland-urban interface on the Colorado Front Range, resulting in thousands of homes burned and civilian fatalities, although devastating, are not without historical reference. These fires are consistent with the characteristics of large, damaging, interface fires that threaten communities across much of the western United States. Wildfires are inevitable, but the destruction of homes, ecosystems, and lives is not. We propose the principles of risk analysis to provide land management agencies, first responders, and affected communities who face the inevitability of wildfires the ability to reduce the potential for loss. Overcoming perceptions of wildland-urban interface fire disasters as a wildfire control problem rather than a home ignition problem, determined by home ignition conditions, will reduce home loss.

“If our problem statement is defined a keeping wildfires out of the WUI, it is unobtainable, and large wildfires and residential disasters will continue, and likely increase.  Fuel treatments do not stop fires (just change behavior), and treatment alone without Home Ignition Zone [HIZ] treatment means that the inevitable wildfire exposure will result in structure loss……..By contrast, if the problem is identified as a home ignition, mitigation of the HIZ is the most cost-effective investment for reducing home destruction, and this can be augmented with other investments.”

 (Calkin etal, 2013 p 5-6).

Tthe MidPeninsula Regional Open Space District Board of Directors approved a new 40-year Vision Plan January 29, 2014.  Among the Vision Plan's priorities are Fire Management, Fire Risk Reduction, and Fire Risk Reduction on open space properties in San Mateo County.

The Vision Plan includes a slate of 25 tier-one regional open space projects ranging from opening preserves and building trail connections to improving water quality, protecting the coastline, restoring forestlands, and creating wildlife corridors in an increasingly urbanized region.

A complete list of the approved Vision Plan Priority Actions can be found at www.openspace.org/imagine.

Fire Safe San Mateo County is proud of its strong working relationship with "MidPen" and looks forward to a continued partership in reducing the risk of wildfire on MidPen lands and the adjacent San Mateo County communities.

Today the California Fire Safe Council announced grants for 38 projects spanning 30 counties in California and Nevada that support CFSC’s efforts to support fire risk reduction activities by landowners and residents in at-risk communities. CFSC received 84 applications, and awarded 38 grants.

Fire Safe San Mateo County was awarded $58,580 with a match of $65,200 for education and fuel reduction. The grant will help fund and expand an existing chipper program, providing additional vegetation removal and chipping county wide, and will fund a variety of related print and web based communication tools. No other proposals in San Mateo County were funded

California Fire Safe Council (CFSC) is pleased to announce its 2014 Grants Clearinghouse Awards. Executive Director Margaret Grayson announced grants for 38 projects spanning 30 counties in California that support CFSC’s efforts to support fire risk reduction activities by landowners and residents in at-risk communities in California and Nevada. The decisions that have been made are preliminary funding decisions at this time based on funding and the next steps in the Clearinghouse.

CFSC received 84 applications totaling $8 million in grant requests and over $10 million in matching dollars. The projects are being funded by grants from the Cooperative Fire Program of the U.S. Forest Service, Department of Agriculture, Pacific Southwest Region, through the California Fire Safe Council.

Click here to view the grant summary report on the 2014 Grant Awards and the list of preliminary funded projects.

With the change in seasons, fall is an excellent time to focus “inward” on the areas closest to your home, according to the latest issue of the Firewise “How-To” Newsletter.

In the Home Ignition Zone (HIZ), debris can accumulate creating a greater risk in the event that embers or flames come near.  While the Home Ignition Zone typically includes property within 150 feet of your home, concentrating on the areas closest to your home – 0 to 5 feet from structures – can make a tremendous difference when it comes to preventing the risk of fire.

For more safety tips and to read the full story, check out the Fall 2013 issue of the Firewise “How-To” Newsletter. 

They are called grass fires, forest fires, wildland fires, or by a variety of names. Yet, no matter the name, they pose an evolving threat to lives and property in an increasing number of communities across the United States.

Homes near natural areas, the wildland/urban interface (WUI), are beautiful places to live. These pristine environments add to the quality of life of residents and are valued by community leaders seeking to develop new areas of opportunity and local tax revenue, but these areas are not without risk. Fires are a part of the natural ecology, living adjacent to the wilderness means living with a constant threat of fires. Fire, by nature, is an unpredictable and often uncontrollable force.

The concept of fire-adapted communities (FACs) holds that, with proper community-wide preparation, human populations and infrastructure can withstand the devastating effects of a wildland fire, reducing loss of life and property.

This goal depends on strong and collaborative partnerships between agencies and the public at the State, Federal, and local levels, with each accepting responsibility for their part.

Your Role in Fire-Adapted Communities frames the FAC concept and current efforts to define its scope, explain the roles that groups can adopt to improve their fire safety, and provide guidance on future steps. The U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) believes that by reviewing the roles and responsibilities each group can adopt now, communities will become better prepared to realize the FAC goal in the future.

Download the U.S. Fire Administration "Your Role in Fire-Adapted Communities" Handbook.

As part of its commitment to enhancing public safety, NFPA makes its codes and standards available online to the public for free. Online access to NFPA's consensus documents conveniently places important safety information on the desktops of traditional users as well as others who have a keen interest. NFPA is committed to serving the public's increasing interest in technical information, and online access to these key codes is a valuable resource.

To review codes and standards online:

• View the full list of NFPA's codes and standards.
• Select the document you want to review.
• Select the edition of the document you want to review.
• Click the "Free access" link (under the document title)
• You will be asked to "sign-in" or create a profile to access the document in read-only format.

‘By suppressing fires ... we’re saving the landscape for the worst conditions,’ a fire researcher says. ‘We need to choose good fire over bad fire, and if we understand spread we can make better choices.’

...Fire has always been a part of the natural ecology — many plant species evolved in direct response to it and couldn’t survive without it; when the sap of some pine cones melts, for example, seeds are released. But the reflexive practice of putting out all fires, which has dominated national policy for so many decades, has turned much of the American West into a tinderbox. On June 30, in the deadliest incident in wild-land firefighting in decades, 19 of the country’s most highly trained, highly skilled firefighters died in a fire near Yarnell, Ariz. While awaiting the findings from a federal investigation (expected this month), many have asked whether unexpected changes in the wind’s direction and speed, which abruptly exposed the men to the fire, were simply the most immediate factors contributing to their deaths. The Phoenix New Times, for instance, reported that the team should not have been deployed at all that day because its members may have already reached the maximum number of consecutive days they were allowed to be in the field. What’s clear, however, is that the buildup of flammable materials in the area and the ongoing drought in the Southwest contributed to the fire’s intensity. And it was a fire the firefighters were combating there in order to protect a housing subdivision on the outskirts of town...

...We probably wouldn’t be as concerned about fires that are getting bigger and spreading farther, of course, were it not for the increasing intrusion of people and buildings into fire-prone landscapes. This development creates what fire experts call the wild-land-urban interface, or WUI (pronounced WOO-ee), and from Bozeman, Mont., to Laurel Canyon in California, more and more of us want to live there, with forested views and coyotes for neighbors — but without the fire. About 80,000 wildfires in the United States were designated for suppression each year between 1998 and 2007, and only an average of 327 were allowed to burn. Yet trying to put out all those fires leads inevitably to more intense, more dangerous and more expensive fires later on. The accumulation of dead wood and unburned “ladder fuels” — what ecologists call lower vegetation that can carry fire to taller trees — turn lower-intensity fires into hotter fires that kill entire stands of trees that otherwise might survive.

Read more of this excellent article in the New York Times Magazine September 22, 2013 Online.