Shasta - Trinity Forest Fire Plan

8/3/2019 Shasta - Trinity Forest Fire Plan

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CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF FORESTRY

AND

FIRE PROTECTION

SHASTA TRINITY UNIT

FIRE PLAN

Ken McLeanUnit Chief

Kathleen SchoriDivision Chief Special Operations

Fred Fortes

Battalion Chief - Prevention Bureau

Rick HartleyFire Captain Pre Fire Engineering

12003 Shasta Trinity Unit Fire Plan


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Table of Contents

1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ---------------------------------------------------------------------4

Unit Fire Plan Assessments and Data Layers----------------------------------------------------5

Fire Plan Applications--------------------------------------------------------------------------------6

Unit Fire Plan Responsibilities ---------------------------------------------------------------------6

Key Issues-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------6

2. STAKEHOLDERS------------------------------------------------------------------------------7

Fire Safe Organizations ------------------------------------------------------------------------------7

Resource Conservation Districts -------------------------------------------------------------------8

Watershed Contact List ------------------------------------------------------------------------------8

Government Agencies ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 12

3. UNIT OVERVIEW-----------------------------------------------------------------------------13

Location ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 13

Fire Protection Services---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 17

Mapping analysis used in this document ------------------------------------------------------- 19

Fire Danger Rating Areas ------------------------------------------------------------------------- 21Timber West---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 21Brush Area------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 22Valley Floor (Grass Area) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 23Timber East----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 23 Northeast Plateau ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 24

Fuels---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 25

Fire History------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 35

Historical Fuel Modification ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 39

Ignition Workload Assessment ------------------------------------------------------------------- 41Fire Cause------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 41Unit Wide Incident Data -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 41Fire Incidents by Land Use ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 44

Level of Service -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 45

Fuels Summary -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 51

2003 Shasta Trinity Unit Fire Plan 1


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4. UNIT FIRE PLAN RECOMMENDATIONS---------------------------------------------53

Structure Protection: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 53

Ingress and Egress ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 58Roadside Fuel Breaks ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 59Community Fuel Breaks -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 59Strategically Placed Fuel Breaks----------------------------------------------------------------- 59

Post Fire Rehabilitation---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 60

Mine Damaged Areas------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 60

5. PROJECTS ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------61

Shasta County Projects----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 61

Trinity County Fuels Management Plans ------------------------------------------------------ 61

Other Projects---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 62Evacuation Plans ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 62Trinity County Map Projects --------------------------------------------------------------------- 62Day Bench Fire Safe Council -------------------------------------------------------------------- 62Victoria Project Fire Safe Neighborhood------------------------------------------------------- 62Shasta Forest Village Community Fire Safe Program ---------------------------------------- 63Shingletown Shaded Fuel Break Project-------------------------------------------------------- 64Ponderosa Way Fuel Break----------------------------------------------------------------------- 65Bridge to Bridge Shaded Fuel Break------------------------------------------------------------ 66Eastfork Road Roadside Hazard Reduction-------------------------------------------------- 68French Gulch Shaded Fuel Break---------------------------------------------------------------- 69Oasis Fuel Reduction Project -------------------------------------------------------------------- 70

Education / Inspection Project ------------------------------------------------------------------- 71----------------------------------------------------------------- 72Defensible Space Video Project

Index of Maps

General Topography 13Topography Slope 14Enumerated Population 15Housing Density 16Wildland Fire Protection Responsibility 17Shasta Trinity Fire Stations 18 NFDRS Fire Danger Rating Areas 20Surface Fuels Ranking 28Ladder Fuels Ranking 29Crown Fuels Ranking 30Fuels Total Ranking 31Fuels Timber West 32Fuels Grass & Brush Areas 33Fuels Timber East & NE Plateau 34



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Fire History 1900 2002 36Fire History Prior 10 years 37Fume Damaged Lands in 1939 40Ignitions Initial Attack Success Unit 46Ignitions Fire Workload Unit 47Ignitions Timber West 48Ignitions Grass & Brush 49Ignitions Timber East & NE Plateau 50

Communities at Risk 55Fire Hazard Severity Zones Shasta Co. 56



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1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The Shasta Trinity Fire Management Plan documents the assessment of thewildland fire potential within the Unit. It includes stakeholder contributions, priorities, andidentifies strategic targets for pre-fire solutions. This plan is a living document to beamended as new information is collected.

The goal of this plan is to reduce total cost and losses from wildfire by protectingassets at risk through focused prefire management prescriptions and increasing initial attacksuccess.

This plan utilizes the five strategic objectives and fire plan framework identified inthe California Fire Plan and incorporates them into the planning and implementationprocess. 1

Wildfire Protection Zones. To create wildfire safety zones to reduce citizen andfirefighter risks from future large wildfires.

Initial Attack Success. The fire plan utilizes an assessment process to measurethe level of service provided by the wildland fire protection system. Thismeasure is used to assess the departments ability to provide an equal level ofprotection to lands of similar type as required by the Public Resources code4130. This is measured in terms of a percentage of fires that are successfullycontrolled before unacceptable costs and losses are incurred. Knowledge of thelevel of service will help define the risk of wildfire damage faced by public andprivate assets in the wildlands.

Assets Protected. The plan has utilized a methodology for defining assetsprotected and their degree of risk from wildfire. The assets addressed in the plan

are citizen and firefighter safety, watersheds and water, timber, wildlife andhabitat (including rare and endangered species), rural communities, unique areas(scenic, cultural, and historic), recreation, range, structures, and air quality.Stakeholders for each of the assets at risk are identified. The assessment willenable the Unit and other fire service managers to set priorities for firemanagement project work.

Prefire Management. This aspect focuses on alternatives to protect assets atrisk. Projects include a combination of fuels modification, ignition management,fire-safe engineering activities such as regulation and zoning, educationalprograms, public information and road accessibility, department infrastructure

including fire stations and water systems, alarms, and forest health. Prefiremanagement prescriptions designed to protect these assets will also identifythose who benefit and who should share in the project costs Project priorities willbe determined based on stakeholder input and support.


1 California Fire Plan Executive Summary


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Fiscal Framework. The California Board of Forestry and CDF are developing afiscal framework for assessing and monitoring annual and long term changes inCalifornias wildland fire protection systems. State, local and federal wildlandfire protection agencies, along with the private sector, have evolved into aninterdependent system of prefire management and suppression forces. As a resultchanges to budgeted levels of service of any of the entities directly affects theothers and the services delivered to the public. Monitoring system changes

through this fiscal framework will allow the Board and CDF to address publicpolicy issues that maximize the efficiency of local, state, and federal firefightingresource

Unit Fire Plan Assessments and Data Layers

The unit continues to progress on the Fire Plan. Level of Service assessments have beencompleted and require only annual updating. Initial assessments have been completed forthe fuels, weather and assets at risk.

Review of the fuels data indicate some incorrect fuel typing in the foothill regions ofShasta County. These areas are currently experiencing urban growth increasing the risk of

catastrophic loss from wildfire. Obtaining an accurate fuels inventory of these lands is veryimportant. In addition fuels within Federal Jurisdiction have not been completely validated.The Unit has received a small grant to acquire aerial imagery, which will be invaluable inthe validation of the fuels data within the foothill elevations within Shasta County. Thetimbered areas within the SRA lands of the Unit have been re-evaluated and the fuel type,crown closure, and ladder fuels were updated this year. Resource Management personnelwithin the Unit are assisting in the refinement of this data as individual Timber HarvestPlans are assessed.

The majority of the assets at risk have been identified and partially validated,however other resource values such as historical buildings and historical and cultural siteshave not been completely identified. We are receiving cooperation in this assessment from

Shasta and Trinity County Historical Societies as well as assistance from CDFsArchaeologist.

Population within the Unit is dramatically increasing therefore population densityand structure locations require updating and validation. The Shasta County portions of theUnit have seen the greatest population expansion and will require additional time tovalidate. With assistance from the Trinity County Fire Safe Council and the Trinity CountyPlanning Department, we were able to produce structure and water source location maps forurbanized areas within Trinity County.



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Fire Plan Applications

The Unit has been involved in community prefire management projects since 1992(Shingletown Community Fire Safe) and has a history of fuels management cooperationwith stakeholders involved in CDFs Vegetation Management Program.

Additional fuels management projects have been cooperatively implementedthroughout the Unit. Recent studies of fires burning into treated areas indicate these projectsare successful in reducing fire damage. Continued funding and support are critical to the

success of these projects.Hindrances to the fire plan are concentrated on the financial process that the

Department must follow in order to expend grant monies on projects and the lack of specificfunding for pre-fire fuels management. The continued success of the fire plan requiresstreamlining this process.

Unit Fire Plan Responsibilities

The primary fire plan responsibilities in the Unit are assigned to the PreventionBureau within the Special Operations Division. The Bureau led by one Assistant Chief, oneBattalion chief, one Fire Captain Specialist-Law Enforcement, two Fire Captain Specialist-

Code Enforcement, one Fire Captain-Prefire Engineer, and one Fire Prevention Specialist.Field Battalion Chiefs are responsible for Community Fire Safe Projects within theirBattalions with assistance from the Fire Prevention Bureau.

Key Issues

Both Shasta and Trinity Counties have a history of large and damaging fires. Thecontinued urbanization of the Units wildland areas significantly increases both the damageand ignition potential. It is imperative that the Unit continues to have accurate and currentassessments. The Unit must also, while working with local government and stakeholders,

incorporate the fire plan analysis into current and future policy decisions when they relate tothe wildland areas.

Significant amounts of the population and their properties are at risk within the Unit.Residents must provide and maintain a defensible space around their properties. Fuels alongexisting roadways should also be maintained in order to ensure safe passage. Fuel breaksand post-fire fuel management are required to help alleviate the risk of fire and help restorea healthy wildland environment To achieve these; education, enforcement, fuelsmanagement and financial assistance should continue to be made available.

It is imperative that CDF and our stakeholders continue to seek funding and methods

to mitigate the current risk as well as any future risks. Pre-fire planning and fuelsmanagement including the Vegetation Management Program and the California ForestImprovement Program should receive specific line item status in the California budget.

Prevention and education efforts must continue and when possible, concentrate onthe reduction or elimination of preventable fire ignitions.



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2. STAKEHOLDERS

Stakeholders are defined as any person, agency, or organization with a particularinterest (a stake) in fire safety and protection of assets from wildfires. The process ofidentifying stakeholders and their interests is an ongoing process and will be continuouslyevaluated through the evolution of future prefire management plans. It is the goal of theShasta Trinity Unit to participate with as many stakeholders as is possible and tocontinually update planning efforts involving stakeholder input.

The Shasta Trinity Unit recognized that residents of Shasta and Trinity Countieshave an interest in fire protection issues. The following Stakeholder groups represent somethat have been identified as having interest associated with the issue of fire protection.Stakeholders within the Unit include Federal and State agencies, Resource ConservationDistricts, Fire Safe Councils and groups, Watershed groups and individual and corporatelandowners.

Fire Safe Organizations

Shasta County Fire Safe Council

Contact: Shasta County Fire Safe Councilc/o Western Shasta Resource Conservation District6270 Parallel Road, Anderson, CA 96007(530) 365-7332

Website: http://www.westernshastarcd.org/fire_safe_council.html

Trinity County Fire Safe CouncilWebsite: http://users.snowcrest.net/tcrcd/index.htm?forest.htm

Day Bench Fire Safe CouncilContact: Kris Bertelson-Wms / Fire Safe Council

[email protected]

Cottonwood Creek Fire Safe Council / Cottonwood Creek Watershed GroupContact: Vieva Swearingen

PO Box 1198Cottonwood, CA [email protected]: (530) 347-6637 Fax: (530) 347-6346

Cow Creek Fire Safe CouncilContact: Shasta County Fire Safe Council

Shingletown Fire Safe CouncilContact: Shasta County Fire Safe Council

http://www.westernshastarcd.org/fire_safe_council.htmlhttp://users.snowcrest.net/tcrcd/index.htm?forest.htmmailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]://users.snowcrest.net/tcrcd/index.htm?forest.htmhttp://www.westernshastarcd.org/fire_safe_council.html


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Fire Safe Organizations

Lakehead Fire Safe CouncilContact: Sharol Schaefer

P.O. Box 244Lakehead, CA [email protected]

VictoriaProjectContact: Shasta County Fire Safe Council

Resource Conservation Districts

Western Shasta Resource Conservation DistrictContact: Western Shasta Resource Conservation District

6270 Parallel Road, Anderson, CA 96007(530) 365-7332

Website: http://www.westernshastarcd.org/

Fall River Resource Conservation District

Fall River Resource Conservation DistrictP.O. Box 83McArthur, CA 96056(530) 336-6591 FAX: (530) [email protected]

Contact: Tim Weaver

Trinity County Resource Conservation DistrictWebsite: http://users.snowcrest.net/tcrcd/index.htm?forest.htm

Watershed Contact List

Battle CreekContact: Sharon Paquin-Gilmore - Watershed Coordinator

Battle Creek Water ConservancyP.O. Box 606Manton, CA 96059(530) 474-3368 FAX (530) [email protected]

Website: http://www.battle-creek.net/

mailto:[email protected]://www.westernshastarcd.org/http://www.westernshastarcd.org/mailto:[email protected]


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Bear CreekContact: Leslie Bryan Watershed Coordinator

Western Shasta Resource Conservation District6270 Parallel RoadAnderson, CA 96007-4833(530) 365-7332 ext. 211 FAX (530)365-7271

[email protected]: http://www.westernshastarcd.org

Churn CreekContact: Mary Schroeder District Manager

Western Shasta Resource Conservation District6270 Parallel RoadAnderson, CA 96007-4833(530) 365-7332 ext. 202 FAX (530)[email protected]

Website: http://www.westernshastarcd.org

Clear Creek UpperContact: Jack Bramhall Assistant Projects Manager

Western Shasta Resource Conservation District6270 Parallel RoadAnderson, CA 96007-4833(530) 365-7332 ext. 213 FAX (530)[email protected]

Website: http://www.westernshastarcd.org/UCC%20WG.htm

Clear Creek Lower

Contact: Jack Bramhall Watershed CoordinatorWestern Shasta Resource Conservation District6270 Parallel RoadAnderson, CA 96007-4833(530) 365-7332 ext. 211 FAX (530)[email protected]


Cottonwood CreekContact: Vieva Swearingen - Coordinator

Cottonwood Creek Watershed Group

P.O. Box 1198Cottonwood, CA 96022530 347-6637mailto:[email protected]

Website: http://www.cottonwoodcofc.org/ccwg/ccwg.htm



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Cow CreekContact: Bob Harris, President Cow Creek Watershed Management

P.O. Box 158Whitmore, CA 96096(530) [email protected]

Website: http://www.westernshastarcd.org/cowcreekwg.htm

Fall RiverContact: Tim Weaver

Fall River Resource Conservation DistrictP.O. Box 83McArthur, CA 96056(530) 336-6591 FAX: (530) [email protected]

Keswick Basin

Contact: Mary Schroeder District ManagerWestern Shasta Resource Conservation District6270 Parallel RoadAnderson, CA 96007-4833(530) 365-7332 ext. 202 FAX (530)[email protected]


McCloud RiverContact: George Stroud

McCloud River CRMPThe Nature ConservancyMcCloud River PreserveP.O. Box 409McCloud, CA 96057(530) 926-4386

Pit RiverContact:

Alliance

(530) 233-4314 FAX: (530) [email protected]

Mark SteffekPit River WatershedNorth-Cal-Neva RC&D

806 W. 12th

StreetAlturas, CA 96101

Website: http://www.californiarcandd.org/nocarc&d.htm

mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]


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Shasta WestContact: Leslie Bryan Watershed Coordinator

Western Shasta Resource Conservation District6270 Parallel RoadAnderson, CA 96007-4833(530) 365-7332 ext. 215 FAX (530)365-7271

[email protected]: http://www.westernshastarcd.org

Contact: MarSquaw Creek

y Schroeder District ManagerWestern Shasta Resource Conservation District6270 Parallel RoadAnderson, CA 96007-4833(530) 365-7332 ext. 202 FAX (530)[email protected]


Stillwaontac

onservation District

FAX (530)365-7271

ter CreekC t: Mary Schroeder District Manager

Western Shasta Resource C6270 Parallel RoadAnderson, CA 96007-4833(530) 365-7332 ext. [email protected]


Sulfurontac :

tion Group

Fax: (530) 247-1601

CreekC t John McCullah - Sulfur Creek CRMP

Sacramento Watersheds Ac225 Locust St., Suite 203Redding, CA 96001Phone: (530) [email protected]

Website: http://www.watershedrestoration.org/

Upper oContact:

3819 Sacramento Avenue, Dunsmuir CA 96025530-235-2012

Website: www.riverexchange.org

SacramentUpper Sacramento River Exchange

mailto:[email protected]://www.westernshastarcd.org/mailto:[email protected]://www.westernshastarcd.org/mailto:[email protected]://./bak/%20http:/www.westernshastarcd.org/UCC%20WG.htmhttp://./bak/%20http:/www.westernshastarcd.org/UCC%20WG.htmhttp://./bak/%20http:/www.westernshastarcd.org/UCC%20WG.htmmailto:[email protected]://www.westernshastarcd.org/mailto:[email protected]://www.westernshastarcd.org/mailto:[email protected]


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Government Agencies

Federal

United States Forest ServiceLassen National Foresthttp://www.fs.fed.us/r5/lassen/

Shasta Trinity National Forest

http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/shastatrinity/

Bureau of Land Managementhttp://www.shastacascade.org/blm/redding/redding.htm

State

State Fish & Game601 Locust RdRedding, CA 96001

Department of Forestry and Fire Protection875 Cypress AveRedding, CA 96001(530) 225-2418

Water Quality Control board415 Knollcrest Dr.Redding, CA

Local

Shasta CountyCity of ReddingCity of AndersonCity of Shasta LakeShasta County Fire DepartmentTrinity County



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3. UNIT OVERVIEW

The Shasta Trinity Unit is located at the northernend of the Sacramento Valley. It encompassShasta County and portions of eastern TrFederal l dLassen NBureau o he

NUnit.

Year 2000 national census data indicates that176,392 people live within the unit boundary; 161,555 inShasta County and 14,837 in Trinity County ( A January2003 Shasta County survey indi172,000). In Shasta County 111,000 people live within the boundaries of incorporated cities ordistricts located in Local Respolocated within State Responsibi l poc n FederalResponsibility Area. (2000 census Population and housing density maps follow).

Location

The Unit is located at the ex th theSacramento River bisecting the Unit. The Unit includes portions of the Great Valley, theSouthern Modoc Plateau. The Eastern slopesof Shasta County gently rise across the toe of the Southern Cascade Range towards the ModocPlateau while to the Wes and N s to s.So unty are partially located in theNort Co t Ran

es most ofinity County.

ands administered by the Shasta Trinity anational Forest, Bureau of Land Management,f Indian Affairs, Bureau of Reclamation, and t

ational Park Service adjoin and are contained within the

cates a population of

nsibility Areas. The majority of Trinity Countys population islity Areas or smal kets of private land withi

treme northern end of the Sacramento Valley wi

Cascade and North Coast Ranges, portions of the

t orth the land abruptly rise the Klamath Mountainuthern Trinity County and the southwest corner of Shasta Co

h as ge.

mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]


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The Topography Slope map indicates the variable nature of the geomorphic regions thatintersect within the Unit.

Trinity Alps

West Redding area



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Political Boundaries

Besides the County boundaries, three incorporated cities lie within the boundaries ofthe Shasta Trinity Unit, Anderson, Redding, and the City of Shasta Lake. The remainingcommunities within the Unit are not incorporated.

Thirty-four Independent Special Districts provide services to portions of theunincorporated areas of Shasta County.

2 Resource Conservation Districts 6 Community Service Districts

1 Irrigation District 3 Mosquito Abatement Districts1 Hospital District 10 Fire Districts8 Cemetery DistrictsFourteen dependent special districts called County Service Areas (CSAs) provide

other services. CSA 1 provides funding for fire protection for all the unincorporated areaswithin Shasta County that are not in a Fire District.

Seventeen Special Districts provide services to Trinity County.

Fire Protection Services

Wildland fire protection areas within the Unit are administered by the California Dept. of

Forestry and Fire Protection, the United States Forest Service, and the National Park Service-Whiskeytown National Recreation Area. (Lassen National Park is administered by theLassen Modoc Unit.)

The State Responsibility Area of the Unit is divided into six field battalions.



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During declared fire season, the Shasta Trinity Unit staffs nineteen fire engines,three dozers, eleven hand crews, one Air Tactical Supervisor aircraft and two Airtankers.

Redding City Fire Department, 10 fire districts, and the Shasta County FireDepartment provide local fire protection responsibility for improvements within Shasta

County.5 fire districts, 4 community service districts and 3 volunteer fire companies and onePUD provide local responsibility fire protection within Trinity County.

Shasta County Trinity County

CDF CDF

USFS USFS

WNPS Coffee Creek Volunteer Fire Company

Anderson Fire Protection District Douglas City Fire Protection District

Burney Fire Protection District Down River Volunteer Fire Company

City of Redding Hayfork Fire Protection District

Cottonwood Fire Protection District Hawkins Bar Community Service District

Fall River Fire Protection District Hyampom Community Service DistrictHappy Valley Fire Protection District Junction City Fire Protection District

McArthur Fire Protection District Lewiston Fire Protection District

Millville Fire Protection District Trinity Center Community Service District

Shasta County Fire Department Salyer Community Service District

Shasta College Fire Protection District Post Mountain Public Utility District

Shasta Fire Community Service District Weaverville Fire Protection District

Shasta Lake Fire Protection District Wildwood Volunteer Fire Company



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Mapping analysis used in this document

The Department has adopted ESRI2 Graphical Information System (GIS) softwareproducts for the mapping and analysis needed for the California Fire Plan. Along withmapping surface features a grid pattern is used to facilitate analysis. Sectioning a UnitedStates Geological Survey (USGS) 7.5 minute quadrangle map with a 9 by 9 grid patterncreates 81 cells. Each cell is approximately 450 acres and is called a Q81

st. Data such as fuel

type, assets at risk, ignitions, and etc is collected and stored for each cell. Each Q81st

includes a Planning Belt Identification (PBID) that designates the cell as Interior Conifer,Brush, Grass, Woodland, Barren/Rock/Other, Desert, and Costal Conifer. The Unit can bedivided into Planning Belts when mapped using the PBID.

The current fuel and Q81st PBID are in error in the foothill regions of Shasta County.The fuel errors are most prevalent in western Shasta County, to the east and north ofRedding. Most of the area is currently listed as woodland or grasslands. This area washistorically woodlands with some timber but was converted into brushlands as a result ofearly 20

thcentury copper mining. In addition, much of the woodland areas east of Redding

have sufficient brush to create a significant ladder fuel problem and they exhibit brush fuelmodel fire behavior and are treated as brush in the Danger Rating System.

The CDF Direct Protection Area (DPA) within the Unit is divided into five distinctareas when fuel type is combined with topography, National Fire Danger Rating Systemareas, and modified to match existing Wildland Fire Response Area boundaries. These FireDanger Rating Areas reflect historical average burning conditions and have been used forfire dispatch and planning in the Unit since 1991.

The Emergency Command Center uses the areas to determine the Fire DangerRating and Dispatch Levels for the Unit based on daily weather observations. The FireDanger Rating Areas are similar to, but not the same as the planning belts identified in theUnits Q-81 data.

Many assessments of the Unit display the Q81st

data utilizing the Fire Danger RatingAreas in order to be consistent with local fire dispatch policy and to more accurately reflectfuel types.

Areas of the Unit not included in the NFDRS areas are in the USFS and Direct ProtectionArea and are mostly in the Interior Timber planning belt.

The following map indicates the NFDRS Zones.


2 http://www.esri.com/index.html


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Fire Danger Rating Areas

Timber West

This area is the Douglas-fir/Ponderosa Pine forest of the CDF Direct Protection Areain Trinity County. It is in the Interior Conifer Q81st Planning Belt. The area is managed fortimber production, therefore logging slash is a common fuel component. Sufficientundergrowth of ceanothus and manzanita is present to require consideration of a live fuel

component. The larger communities within this area are Hayfork, Lewiston, andWeaverville. Smaller communities exist as well as various areas of urbanization. Most ofthe urbanization lies in the lower elevations of Trinity County in valleys or along streams.

Trinity County has experienced several catastrophic fires in recent history, damanot only valuable timberlands, but also causing significant structure and private propertyloss.

Indicates a General Assessment of Fire Danger Potentialbased on historic weather

Timber West Trinity River Remote Automated Weather Station

ging

ing Index (BI) reflected on this and the following graphs is a measure of fire

d Component (SC)which rates the forward rate of spread, and the Energy Release Component (ERC), which is

imated potential available energy relea r unit area in the flaming zone of a fire.generally, is ten times the flame length fire (BI of 40 = 4 foot flame length.

3

The Burnintensity. It is represented by a number that relates to the potential amount of effort neededto contain a single fire in a particular rating area. It combines the Sprea

the est sed peThe BI of the


3http://www.fs.fed.us/r2/fire/drgloss.htm Common terms - National Fire Danger Rating System (NFDRS)


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Brush Area

The mid elevations (1,000 2,000 ft.) surrounding the Sacramento Valley aremerged into the brush area. The area is typically chaparral with chamise and manzanitaThese elevations include oak woodland fuels with a high mixture of brushy fuels.Communities include the City of Shasta Lake, Mountain Gate, Shasta, Keswick, and FrenGulch.

Most of the lands to the northwest of Reddingwere void of vegetation by the

.

ch

arly

h

fires (fuel models 5 and 6)4. The

rush in these areas now has sufficient dead fuel and fine fuel to sustain large and damaging

untains

s have a single

ccess road. Some subdivisions were developed with Fire Emergency Access roads,howeve

he brush area east of Redding is generally located in rangeland. Howeverurbaniz town,

ed

e

1900s due to copper mining and smelter operations. This area now consists of mostly brusfields that are 50 years old or older. There have been few significant fires in this area, as thebrush did not contain sufficient dead material to sustain thebfires (fuel model 4).

The lands to the west of Redding located at the base or lower levels of the moare covered mostly in brush or oak woodland with a heavy brush understory.

Most of the land west of Redding is highly urbanized which creates a high threat tolife and property from wildfire. Subdivisions that were developed prior to 1982 often havenarrow one-lane roads and no community water systems. Often the structure

ar many of these roads are not maintained and are overgrown to the point of being

impassable.Communities in the Brush Area, west of Redding, include Igo, Centerville, Shasta,

Keswick, The City of Shasta Lake, and portions of the City of Redding.

Tation in the brush area exists in the western edge of the communities of Shingle

Whitmore, Oak Run, Round Mountain, and Montgomery Creek. This area has experiencsignificant fires in the past and with the current urbanization can expect future fires to bemore damaging.

Brush Area ArbuckleRemote Automated Weather Station


for Estimating Fire Behavior H.E. Anderson4 Aid to Determining Fuel Models


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Valley Floor (Grass Area)

This is the south-central part of the Unit extending from the Sacramento Riveroutwards to an approximate elevation of 1000 feet. This is the most urbanized area of theUnit and includes the cities of Anderson, Redding, and the communities of Bella Vista,Cloverdale, Millville, Olinda, and Palo Cedro. The area is typically grassy woodland withblue oak, valley oak, gray pine, and annual grasses. There are also large areas covered bybrush types.

Significant fires have occurred on the valley floor. Because the primary fuel isannual grasses, each year the fire danger is recurring.

Valley Floor Redding Remote Automated Weather Station

Timber East

The Timber East area is the forested area east of Redding. The area extends from the 2,000-foot elevation of the Sacramento Valley to Highway 89. The majority of the area ismanaged for timber production. Slash and brush are part of the fuel component.

Several communities exist within this zone including, Shingletown, Whitmore, Oak Run,Round Mountain, Montgomery Creek, and Burney.Significant damaging fires have occurred in this area resulting in large structure and

timber loss.

Timber East WhitmoreRemote Automated Weather Station



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Northeast Plateau

The Northeast Plateau is the area of CDF DPA east of highway 89. Much of the arean sagebrush, juniper and Ponderosa Pine. Large tracks of agricultural lands

99E and

is high elevatioare in the Fall River Valley.

The larger communities in this area are Cassel, Fall River, and McArthur withsignificant urbanization occurring outside of these communities.

With the exception of the irrigated Fall River Valley, the area has experienced

damaging fires. The most significant fires were located to the north of Highway 2east of Highway 89. Large and damaging fires have also occurred along Highway 89 southof the SRA lands near and around the communities of Hat Creek and Old Station.

Northeast Plateau Soldier Mountain Remote Automated Weather Station



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Fuels

withs

r Estimating Fire Behavior (Anderson, Hal; 1982)

tem that includes seven principal characteristics: fuel loading, fuel size

ndpography determine how fire behaves.

classes, expressed in tons per acre.

ls such as grasshave a higher surface-area-to-volume than larger fuels such as logs.

ontal Continuity:

Horizontal distribution of fuels at various levels or planes. Continuousibuted

The ability to predict fire behavior and rate fire danger became possiblethe development of fuel models for specific similar types of fuels. The fuel modelused in this assessment are those developed by the United States Department ofAgricultural - Forest Service5 and are described in Aid to Determining Fuel Modelsfo

Understanding the current fuel situation in the unit is paramount indetermining the fire risk to assets. Fuel is any organic material that is living or dead,in or on the ground or above ground level that can ignite and burn. Fuels are usuallyclassified into four groups; grasses, brush, timber and logging slash. The fuel bed isa complex sysand shape, compactness, horizontal continuity, vertical arrangement, chemicalcontent and moisture content.6 The combined effects of fuel, weather, atoDefinitions

Fuel Loading:The mass of fuel per unit area, live and dead, grouped by particle size

Fuel Size and Shape:The surface-area-to-volume ratio. Typically small flat fue

Fuel Compactness:The spacing between fuel particles. Closely compacted fuels have lesssurface area exposed, restrict oxygen, and inhibit convective and radiant heattransfer.

Fuel Horiz

horizontal fuels allow the fire to spread easier than sparsely distrhorizontal fuels.

Fuel Vertical Arrangement:The relative height of fuels located above the ground. This is the ladder fuelcomponent.

Chemical Content:Chemicals makeup of individual fuel. Some fuels contain chemicalcompounds thats are more volatile than others.

Moisture Content:The amount of water in fuel expressed as the percentage of the oven-dry

weight of the same fuel.

5 Albini, Estimating Wildfire Behavior Effects and Rothermel How to Predict the Spread and Intensity ofForest and Range Fires.


6 Intermediate Wildland Fire Behavior S-290


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The following four maps indicate the fuel rankings for surface, ladder and

ere reassessed in 2002. The fuels were not reassessed in theons

should be elevated. An

d. The Brush Zone shown on the Grass and Brush Zone fuel map indicatesr the

crown fuels. The fourth map calculates a total fuel ranking which totals the fuels andslope factor. The crown and ladder fuels in the timber belts within the StateResponsibility Area wUSFS protection area and have a lower ranking on these maps. Sample evaluatiindicate that the crown and ladder scores in the USFS DPAadditional three maps indicate the surface fuel types of the Unit.

The Units brush belt fuel types and fuel ranking are in error. Sampling of theBrush Zone indicates that the crown and ladder fuels are at a higher volume thanindicategrass in many areas where brush has become the primary surface fuel. A goal fofire plan is to ground truth the brush and grass fuel zones.Mapping the statescurrent fuel data indicates a lower fuel ranking than actually exists in portions of

the Brush and Grass Zones.

The following guidelines are used to rank the Q81st

fuels. The rankingconsiders both the spatial continuity of the fuel attribute and how much area of the

Q81st

cell is covered.

Ladder Fuel

Continuity

% of Q81 Area

Not Present < 30% Ladder Fuel >99%Canopy


Present,Spatially Limited

> 30% Ladder FuelCanopy

1 - 25%

Present,Spatially Extensive

> 30% Ladder FuelCanopy

> 25%

Crown FuelContinuity

% of Q81 Area

Not Present < 50% Overstory Canopy >99%

Present,Spatially Limited

> 50% Overstory Canopy 1 - 25%

Present,Spatially Extensive

> 50% Overstory Canopy > 25%

The fuel hazard ranking system is based on estimates of potential fire behavior associatedwith the particular fuel type: and as such have a direct relationship to the characteristics rate of spread, fireline intensity, heat intensity, heat per unit area, etc.- that are a result of

that fuel complex burning under a particular set of weather conditions. The idea is toprovide a basic means of stratifying the landscape into areas of low, medium, and highhazard as it is related to fire behavior potential.7

7 Appendix VIII of the Unit Vegetation-based Products of the California Fire Plan


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Fire History

The study of the Shasta Trinity Units fire history is not only a view of the past butalso a representation of what can be expected from future fires in similar locations andconditions. Mapping of historical fires often indicates a pattern of fire behavior in aparticular area that can be utilized when planning fuelbreaks or fire safe zones.

The fire plan process utilizes the fire history data to help evaluate fuel conditions. Asnew fire perimeters and information are collected the fuel data layer is changed to represent

the effects of the fire. Previous burned areas are aged to represent changes in fuel volumeand maturity.

The majority of large fires within the Shasta Trinity Unit have been documentedsince 1910. Local historical information provides other snippets of fire history such as:

The third (Buzzard Roost Hotel) was destroyed along with the town in araging forest fire in 1926 is the caption of a historical photograph stored at theShasta Historical Society 8 Office.

An October 1870 fire started in the vicinity of the Fritz and Thather mills inShingletown and burned approximately ten square miles of land as well as localhomesteads. A 1917 fire in the Shingletown area also destroyed the village of

Plateau and burned approximately 4 sections of land.9

Some evidence of historic destructive fires exists. A brush field covering

approximately forty square miles located east of Lassen Volcanic National Park, wasnoted by immigrants using the Nobles Route into Shasta County and called TheChute or the Manizanita Chute.

10

8 Shasta County Historical Society 1449 Market St. Redding9 The Covered Wagon 1970 Shasta County Historical Society10 The Covered Wagon 1970 Shasta County Historical Society

Undocumented 1940s fire southwest ofRedding

Shingletown Ridge burn scars


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The following 1900 2002 Fire History Map indicates that the Shasta Trinity Unithas experienced many large and damaging fires during the last century.


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Fire history within the Unit shows that a large and damaging fire can occur almostanywhe

tures

re within the Unit. Recent large fires within the Unit have destroyed almost 2000structures.

Date Fire Name Acres Struc

August 1992 Fountain 63,960 636

July 1999 Lowden 1945 43

September 1999 Canyon 2,580 230

October 1999 Jones 26,200 954

August 2001 Oregon 1694 33

Both the Jonesbrush.Fountain Fire started in grass and brush lands and quickly spread into timber. The Lowdenand Oregon fir

ge

fires. A other private assets.

three outbuildings, two cars,and wood fencing. (note: drystanding grass immediatelynext to properties. Main house

no dama

and Canyon fires burned mostly in woodland areas covered by grass and

These were fast moving fires causing the majority of the damage in one day. The

es burned in timber.

The destruction of structures and other properties is not confined to large acrea

lmost every year relatively small vegetation fires damage or destroy homes and

This five-acre fire destroyed

with garden and lawn receivedge.)



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Historical Fuel Modification

In addition to fire damage, many of the fuels within the Unit have been modified by humanactivity. In Western Shasta County, thousands of acres of land became barren because of coppermining activities that occurred between 1896 and 1919. A large amount of wood was cut to fuelcopper smelting operations. The fumes resulting from smelting the heavy sulfide ores killed anddamaged vegetation as far south as agricultural lands in the south of the county. In 1910, USFS

Forester John D. Coffman reported on areas of complete devastation and that Pine species were themost sensitive to the smelter operations whereas Black Oak and Poison Oak were the least. In1921, State Forester E. N. Munns in a report to the legislature estimated that 180,000 acres offorestland had been damaged by smelter operations.11

Early smelting operations utilized open air roasting that destroyed all the vegetation within aradius of several miles of Keswick12 Even when the open air roasting was replaced by mechanicalroasting, fume damage continued to destroy vegetation and damage agricultural crops as far awayas Corning. By 1910 litigation and declining copper prices led to the cessation of most smelting.

Vegetation killed by smelter operations created a large fire hazard resulting in 275 fires in the

Kennett area between 1929 and 1936. Some of these fires are shown on the 1900 to Present FireHistory map.

Land devoid of vegetation suffered a high amount of erosion estimated at 35 millioncubic yards of soil in ten to fifteen years in the Kennett area. In 1922 E.N. Munns planted twenty-five experimental plots of various plants for erosion control with minimal success. Between 1932and 1938 reforestation efforts also occurred.13 Until the construction of Shasta Dam, eroded soilswashed down the Sacramento River. After the construction of Shasta and Keswick Dams, it wasfeared erosion would reduce water storage capacity. Starting in 1946 an erosion control programwas started which included check dam construction, broadleaf plantings and watershedreforestation. These efforts continued through the mid 1960s and were successful in slowing the

erosion.

Today, much of the landscape is covered in brush, however several areas have small stands oftimber. On north facing slopes and in drainages pockets of pine exist.Unfortunately much of thisland is primed for burning which has the potential to lose the last 80 years of regeneration. South ofthe town of Keswick much of this land has become urbanized.

The Cow Creek Watershed Fuels Plan14 indicates that fuels in eastern Shasta County wereremoved for smelter fuel in mining operations, possibly for the Ingot Smelter as well as lumbermilling operations. Kristofors work does not include any environmental information concerningthe Ingot Smelter but does state that it was never included in any litigation perhaps because of its

remote location and that air currents carried fumes away from populated areas. Looking at the fuelsmap of the Ingot area indicate expanses of brush fields surrounding the Ingot mine that wouldindicate similar environmental damage.

11 The Copper Mining Era in Shasta County, California, 1896 1919, An Environmental Impact Study,g.97 Kris Vidar Kristoforsp

12 Ibid pg.40Ibid pg.101http://wim.shastacollege.edu/

13

14



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15


15 The Copper Mining Era in Shasta County, California, 1896 1919, An Environmental Impact Study, pg.96 Kris Vidar Kristofors


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Fire Cause

tremely import rmine how fir aused, where fir ur, and e Unit is meeting t ments goal of ning 95 percent o wildfires

s. Determin l trends can di Unit to specific ntion

e that causal tr e location whe ajority of fires o can helpre prevention a re efforts migh e the greatest r

nition workload ent is derived f ta collected from CDFsmergency Activity Reporting System (EARS). This fire reporting system utilizes theational Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Standard 901 coding convention. CDF has

is

ignitions that have caused a vegetation fire. The Shastarinity Unit collects data for all ignitions including non-vegetation fires such as structure or

tate Responsibility Area (SRA) fires.causes in the two data sets

hrt

2001 2002 Totals 10 yr avg.

Ignition Workload Assessment

It is ex ant to dete es are c es occwhether th he Depart contai f all at 10 acres or les ing causa rect the preve

efforts to change

end. Th re the mt c

ccure .determine wh

The ignd pre-fiassessm

produrom da

sult

ENhistorically classified fire causes into twelve General Causes while the NFPA causal datacollected as causal factors. EARS reports extrapolate the causal factors into the twelvegeneral causes. This results in some differences in fire cause totals.

The Fire Plan data only usesTvehicle fires. Many of these ignitions could have spread to the wildland vegetation, but

suppression activity contained the fire to the original material ignited. This Unit dataincludes only S

This plan utilizes both sets of ignition data. Percentage ofvery nearly mirrors one another. There is a discrepancy in tThis is partially because many of the non-vegetation type fiand that the Unit equipment-use combines several causes inUnit Wide Incident Data

Ears Fire Cause data extrapolated from NFPA 901 causal factor data.

SHU 10 Year Vegetation Fire Cause

General Cause Number of fires by cause

19931994199519961997199819992000

Undetermined 26 31 14 18 15 26 41 30

e Equipment-Use category.es are equipment-use causedo one.

39 31 271 8.78%

40 42 73 13 30 9 333 10.79%

4 3 10 2 4 6 61 1.98%

27 29 23 12 20 30 276 8.94%

45 10 44 19 35 35 313 10.14%

36 44 74 22 35 29 426 13.80%

28 45 57 41 43 37 448 14.52%

29 6 18 8 16 14 195 6.32%

28 25 62 31 31 26 367 11.89%

26 18 27 18 24 29 286 9.27%

3 0 3 3 0 1 1 12 0.39%

1 6 2 7 11 16 11 98 3.18%

284 253 439 207 294 258 3086

Lightning 15 78 13 20

Campfire 8 7 6 11

Smoking 35 39 30 31

Debris 27 41 27 30

Arson 44 47 51 44

Use of Equipment 47 49 43 58

Playing with Fire 22 34 28 20

Misc. 42 49 41 32

Vehicle 31 43 25 45

Railroad 0 1 0

Powerline 6 17 11 1

303 436 289 323


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Unit Fire Cause data including non-vegetation fire data.

5 Year Shasta-Trinity SRA Fire Cause

eFIRE CAUSE 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 Totals Avg # % Caus

LIGHTNING 46 78 13 38 14 189 37.80 9.02%

CAMPFIRE 9 13 7 3 8 40 8.00 1.91%

SMOKING 35 25 15 19 19 113 22.60 5.39%DEBRIS BURNING 18 52 29 43 33 175 35.00 8.35%

ARSON 55 109 44 50 56 314 62.80 14.99%

EQUIPMENT USE 167 170 147 175 173 832 166.40 39.71%

PLAYING W/ FIRE 17 36 24 30 19 126 25.20 6.01%

OTHER/MISC. 50 77 59 69 51 306 61.20 14.61%

TOTALS 397 560 338 427 373 2095 419 100.00%

Comparison of Unit fire cause data and EARS data. Unit data includes non-vegetation firesand combines Vehicle, Railroad, and Powerline caused fires as Equipment use.

EARS UNIT #

Undetermined 8.78%

Lightning 10.79% 9.02%

Campfire 1.98% 1.91%

Smoking 8.94% 5.39%

Debris 10.14% 8.35%

Arson 13.80% 14.99% EARS equipment

Use of Equipment 14.52% 39.71%

Playing with Fire 6.32% 6.01%

Misc. 11.89% 14.61%

27.36% adjusted:Vehicle, Railroadand Powerlineincluded

Vehicle 9.27%

Railroad 0.39%Powerline 3.18%

Unwanted vegetation fires damaged approximately 51,695 acres of land during thelast ten years (1993 2002 inclusive), causing an estimated $55,675,700 property loss. Useof equipment was the leading fire cause during this time period.

properly maintained and compliant with PublicResources Cod

he remaining equipment types causing vegetation fires varies from small-motorizedtools to heavy equipment with no specific equipment causing a substantial number of fires.

ire cause in the Unit. Historically one or two years mayof arson caused fires and the following years have minimal arsonfforts including arrest and conviction of arsonist.

The majority of equipment-use caused fires result from lawn mowers cutting drygrass. 53% of mower caused fires resulted from sparks when a mower blade struck a rock.Mower engine exhaust caused 47%; both faulty exhaust systems and exhaust contact withvegetation.

Efforts are under way to educate persons not to mow on hot dry afternoons when firestart conditions are highest. These education efforts should continue as well as efforts toensure equipment exhaust systems are

e 4442.T

nd leading fArson is the seco

experience a high number


activity due to prevention e


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Miscellaneous fire causes are those fires started by events or activities that cannotbe logically placed in any of the other cause classes.

Debris burning caused fires still account for a sizable amount of fire incidents.These usually result because of inadequate clearance, weather conditions, a lack ofattendance or a combination of these factors. Since the mid 1980s a statewide debris burnsuspension has been in effect during the active fire season. This has resulted in fewer debrisburn escapes. In 2004 the Air Quality Management Board will institute a ban on incineratorusage that may impact ignitions. There is a possibility of fewer ignitions because of reduced

debris burning but also a potential of more escaped fires as some people may burn refuse inopen fires in an attempt to avoid the incinerator use ban. Current fire prevention methods tocontrol debris burn escapes are homeowner education and enforcement of the burnsuspension and regulations.

Vehicle-caused fires are the result of the vehicle burning and spreading to thewildland or fires caused by the operation or some mechanical failure of vehicles. These firesusually start along the road edge. (Some of the vehicle fires in this data set may be fires thatwere confined to the vehicle.)

Smoking-caused fires are generally located along the roadside. Education andawareness programs should continue and possibly target specific areas. Roadside fueltreatments may often slow the fire spread.

Undetermined fires are those where no specific causal factor was discovered afterinvestigation. Most often multiple fire causes cannot be eliminated and the fire is given anunidentified cause until further investigation can pinpoint the exact cause.

Playing with fire is a fire caused by children or adults with diminished mentalcapacity and do not understand the consequences of their actions. Involved children arecounseled following FEMAs Juvenile Fire Setters /Arson Prevention Program guidelines

Powerline-causedfires may be started by vegetation touching the powerline, fallenwires, animals or other objects coming in contact with the wires, or mechanical failure oftransmission connectors and equipment. Utility companies clear the vegetation near thepowerlines in accordance with Public Resources Code 4293 4296.

Campfire-caused fires are not a major cause of vegetation fires, however they have

caused fires within the Unit resulting in substantial damage.Railroad fires are those fires caused by railroad equipment. The Unit has enforced

railroad right of way clearance that has kept these fire starts at a minimum.Lightning causes numerous fires throughout the year. Wildland vegetation,

structures, and improvements such as power poles are affected. The majority of lightningcaused vegetation fires are contained while small, however severe weather and the totalnumber of ignitions can lead to large fires.



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Fire Incidents by Land Use

The majority of fires originate in the wildlands, along side roads, or on residentialdland fires are not necessarily located in a remote area but are often fires that

tart outside the perimeter of residential property or open areas within the wildland urbaninterfac f

on 22%,and sm on,

property. Wils

e. Plotting fire locations on Unit maps shows what one would expect; the majority ofires occur where the majority of people are concentrated

Approximately 22% of fires starting on domestic properties resulted from

equipment-use, followed by debris burning, 21%,miscellaneous, 18 %, and playing withfire, 11%. Leading fire causes along roads are vehicle and equipment-use, 35%, ars

oking, 17%. Wildland fires causes follow the trend with equipment-use and arsleading the causes.

# Fires by Land Use Shasta Trinity 4 year Totals

Domestic 100 72 92 69 333 23.32%

Ranch/Farm 29 12 26 14 81 5.67%

Dump 3 3 2 8 0.56%Road 135 90 111 106 442 30.95%

Railroad 3 2 2 6 13 0.91%

Electric 4 0 0 2 6 0.42%

Utilities 0 0 1 2 3 0.21%

Forest Industry 5 7 3 12 27 1.89%

Recreation 8 4 4 3 19 1.33%

Commercial-Industry 4 2 5 6 17 1.19%

Wildland 205 79 117 68 469 32.84%

Non-Wildland 5 0.35%2 0 3 0

Other 1 1 2 1 5 0.35%

total 499 272 368 289 1428 100.00%

1999 20 01 2002 total00 20

Land Use deter d a ec , F 6 1 2

Acreage by l e as it y

mine by Unit D ily Fire R ord C1 SHU 999 200

Fue Typ Sh ta Trin y 4 ear Totals

1999 200 1 20 r. l f ty0 200 02 4 y tota % uel pe

Timber 1 29 7 6 11 7%,707 2,74 27 5, 0 11.8

Woodland 30 2 15 3 26 3%,327 305 48 3 1, 7 72.6

Brush 4 40 6 1 60 2%,907 53 21 5, 4 13.0

Grass 343 6 9 05 6%1 1 47 75 1, 8 2.4

Ag-Prod 7 2 0 9 2%0 0.0

37,291 537 4,244 976 43,048 100.00%

Data from U 2nit Daily Fire Record, FC16 SHU 1999 - 200



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Level of Service

The Calif ng the level ofservice provided by the fire d l level of protection to

ar type, as required b li ou Co 30rcentage of fires that are successfull contr led be re un cepta e cost is incurred.

System success is defined as in tial att k (IA fires t t arecting the initial attack tem bility resp d to er i e

gnificant unallocated res rces ergency fund).

evel of Service (LOS) ra is d rmin by d ing nu r essy the total number of fire

nual number of fir w sm d e uished by in a

otal number of fires

ornia Fire Plan defines an assessment process for measuriepartments ability to provide an equa

lands of simil y Pub c Res rces de 41 . This measurement is the16pe y

iolac

fo)

acha

blmanaged without either

adversely affe sys s a to on oth ncid nts or expending si ou (em

A L ting ete ed ivid the mbe of succ fulinitial attack fires b s.

An es that ere all an xting itial ttack

TSuccess rate =

0 = cce ate er *10 Su ss r in p cent

Planning Belt Success Rate

Initial Attack Success Rate 19932002By Q81 Planning Belts

Grassrush .8%

oodland .3%

.2%

Initial A Succes ate 1993 2002By Shasta - Trinity DRS Zones

atePlanning Belt ccess R

ber W 4.9%

rushimber East

95.8%B 93

W 96

Interior Conifer 95

ttack s R

NF

Su

Tim est 9

Valley Floor 96.1%

B 94.4%T 96.7%

NE Plateau 96.4%

in the Fire WorkloadMap a

re than one fire (note total ignitions per Q81st).

Initial attack success and failures are plotted on the following five maps utilizing theQ 81st grid pattern. The number of ignitions per Q 81st cell appears

nd the close up NFDRS Zonal Maps.The fire locations designated on the following maps are located in the center of the

section where the fire occurred and do not pinpoint the exact fire location. Each point mayrepresent mo


16 California Fire Plan Appendix B


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Fuels Summary

The vegetation in the Unit has been modified since the introduction of non-native settlers. Earlysurvey reports and settler communications indicate that both the oak woodland and timberlands weremore open. Ladder fuels were limited probably because of low intensity natural and Native Americancaused fires. Historical information indicates that major fuel modification occurred within the Unitbecause of mining, logging, and farming.

By the 1870s large damaging fires occurred, not just within the Unit but also throughout theUnited States, most notably the fires in the Great Lakes region. The Peshtigo fire claimed 1300 lives andburned over 1,100,000 acres and an unnamed fire in Michigan burned an estimated 1,200,000 acres andkilled over 200 people. The Great Lakes regions fuels had been heavily modified and hundreds of firesstarting in slash destroyed millions of acres and killed over 2000 people1718.

An excerpt from The Marinette and Peshtigo Eagle printed Saturday October 14, 1871 gives aclue to wildfire survival.

The whole country is scene of devastation and ruin that no language can paint or tongue describe.There is only one family of any note in the entire bush that has escaped. This is the fine farm of

Mr. Abram Place in the upper bush. He having an immense clearing and protected also by theroads was enabled to save his house, barn and nearly all of his stock and supplies. His house hasbeen an asylum for the suffering ones of that region, and he has rendered them all the assistance inhis power.

One of the results of the 1870 fires was a national effort to control unwanted vegetation fires. The1905 USFS Handbook states Every ranger or guard must go to and fight every fire he sees or hears of atonce, unless he clearly can not reach it, or is already fighting another fire19 By the early 1900s effortswere made within the Unit to control all unwanted fires.

As vegetation reclaimed the modified or denuded lands all fires were extinguished which helped

promote todays fuel loading. Now many of the open woodlands of the valley floor and foothills arecongested with decadent brush fields. A tightly closed canopy has replaced the timberlands openness andcontains sufficient ladder fuels to create a tinderbox. Most of the land within the Unit, where large fireshave occurred in the last 100 years, has also been reclaimed by impenetrable brush and forest. Landsburned as recently as thirty years ago have returned to the flammable conditions that existed the day of thefire.

The exceptions to this are those lands where the landowner, private or governmental, has made aconcerted effort to thin the regenerating vegetation via manual or mechanical fuel removal of by the useof prescribed burning. This thinning and maintenance can be the impetus to break the cycle of large anddevastating fires within the Unit.

17 The Great fires of 1871 in the Northwest I.A. Lapham http://www.library.wisc.edu/etext/WIReader/WER0133.html18 History& Ecology of Fire in Michigan http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,1607,7-153-10367_11851-24038--,00.html19 1905 USFS Handbook pg.68 (www.lib.duke.edu/forest/usfscoll/publications/1905_Use_Book)


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Vegetation within the boundary of the 1972 Swasey Fire.

These Swasey Drive fuels are fuel model 4 below a young pine and oak canopy. A fire burning in thesefuels will likely destroy all of the vegetation including the grey pines and oaks.

1992 Fountain Fire Reforestation.

This is a single age plantation with some hardwood in the drainage. This particular section has receivedsome thinning. The entire plantation will require subsequent maintenance to protect it from fire. Asmaintenance continues this will return to a healthy forest. Areas of this fire not maintained have alreadyaged into a hazardous condition.



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4. UNIT FIRE PLAN RECOMMENDATIONS

With the exception of the most urbanized areas of Redding and Anderson, and irrigatedagricultural lands, the entire Unit is susceptible to devastating vegetation fires. Every community withinthe Unit is at risk. Local fire history indicates that a running grass fire can be as destructive tocommunities as brush or timber fires.

The following recommendations are listed by priority based on stakeholder and fire agency input.

Individual Watershed Groups, Fire Safe Councils, Communities, and Community Groups have setlocalized priorities for fire-safe improvements in their affected areas. Those priority lists are located in theindividual fire plans that are listed in the projects section.

The fire risk in the Unit is two-fold. One is the fire ignition and the other is the fuel

condition. In order to reduce total cost and losses from wildfire we must reduce the fire ignitionsand reduce the fuel loading.

To reduce the number of fire ignitions a concerted effort must occur to reduce the number ofhuman caused fires through education and enforcement. For instance a 50% reduction of equipment usecaused fires would result in nearly 100 fewer fires each year.

Targeted fuel modification is required to protect individual assets, allow safe ingress and egress,help slow incipient fire spread, provide fire safe zones, and to help slow large fire progress.

Structure Protection:

The protection of life and property, most often structures, is the primary concern of firefightersand stakeholders. The primary method to protect the structure asset is for residents to provide adefensible space around their property!

The California Public Resource Code 4291(a) requires a minimum 30 foot clearance around allbuildings. 4291(b) requires clearance up to 100 feet around buildings because of extra hazardous

conditions or where a firebreak of only 30 feet around such building or structure is not sufficient toprovide reasonable fire safety.

Those lands in Shasta County, located in a very high Fire Hazard Severity Zone, are required tohave a minimum 100-foot clearance. Properties in Trinity County are required only the minimum 30foot clearance, however it is highly recommended that the higher standard be adopted.



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igharies. In the Fall of 2000, representatives from CDF, Forest

Service

Shasta TrinityCommunities at Risk

h GlenburnHat Creek

Palo CedroPitville

ShastaShingletown

Congress, through the FY2001 Appropriation Bill called for a list of all urban wildlandinterface communities, as defined by the Secretaries, within the vicinity of Federal lands that are at hrisk from wildfire, as defined by the Secret

, Bureau of Land Management and the National Park Service developed criteria to selectcommunities at risk.

The communities in the following list and the designated areas on the Communities at Risk Mapwere selected by this validation process and submitted for inclusion in the National listing ofCommunities at Risk in March of 2001.

AndersonBella Vista

Big BarBig BendBurneyBurnt RancCassel

Douglas CityFall River Mills

Forest GlenFrench GulchGibson

Mountain GateO'Brien

Oak RunOld StationOno

CastellaCentervilleCentral ValleyCloverdaleCoffeeCottonwood

HayforkHyampomIgoJunction CityKeswickLakehead

PlatinaReddingRedding RancheriaRound Mountain

Covington MillDana

DayDel LomaDenny

LamoineLewiston

McArthurMillvilleMontgomery Creek

SimsTrinity Center

WeavervilleWhitmoreWildwood

Boundaries for the Communities at Risk were created using 1990 census tracts. The 1990 Censusdid not include names for communities without a Post Office thus many named communities within theunit are contained within the boundary of an adjacent community (example: Jones Valley is included withBella Vista)



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Development and construction standards must be considered. Future standards should consider

creased building setback from property lines as well as building placement on ridge tops,

ing or

in

canyons, or any other location where fire intensity is increased by topography. The type of

construction and construction material also affect a structures defensibility and should be

considered. County General Plans should consider the fire hazard potential when develop

modifying land use zones.

An additional problem for defensible space around structures is the land adjoining developed

parcels. Greenbelts are often created when subdivisions are developed in the wildland areas. Thesegreenbelts are often in drainages below ridge-top development and are most often too steep fordevelopment.

spreading vegetation fire.

Most often extremely flammable fuel conditions exist in these greenbelts and the fuels abut the

developed property lines. Structures built with a 30-foot setback from the property line do not haveadequate clearance from the fuel in the greenbelt.Fuel maintenance standards should be considered for the greenbelts in future and existing

developments.

Ridge top home with inadequatesetback or clearance. This structure

received direct flame contact from the



60/74

Ingress and Egress

ublic and private roads often provide inadequate clearance for safe passage during fires. Narrowone-lane roads have historically hampered fire department access while residents exit because there isinadequate room for vehicles to pass.

ays

etation

burns it will not provide safe passage.

Current driveway standards require a 16-foot roadwayriving surface. A 16-foot wide

ar fuels as in this photograph, wouldstill not provide safe passage.

adway clearance standards or recommendations should be developed based on fuel

type and topography in order to provide safe ingress and egress. Fuel clearance along roadways

lso be maintained

hroughout the Unit many Emergency Fire Escape Roads have been built in order to provide asecond access for use in the event of a wildland fire. Unfortunately these roads were not built to anyparticular standard nor were there any requirements to maintain the roads after construction. Most of theseroads have become overgrown with brush or blocked by fences and are impassable. Their condition issuch that if a person tried to use the road to escape an encroaching fire could trap them. A method mustbe developed to provide maintenance for these roads and second access issues must be resolved for

future development in order to protect residents lives.

Drivew

and dr

P

Resident fatalities in wildland fires in California have historically occurred on narrow roadwlocated in thick vegetation. Fire equipment access to structures is hampered because of inadequateclearance along roads and driveways.

Clearance here is adequate for passage of a singlepassenger vehicle. However when this veg

with a 12-foot ddriveway, in simil

y and ro

eways must a .

a

iv

Limited Driveway Clearance Excellent Driveway Clearance

T



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Fuel Breaks

Shaded fuel breaks provide an area where fire spread will slow and allow firefighter access. Whena rapidly moving fire burns into a shaded fuel break, the fire will often change from a fast running crownfire in brush or timber to a slower ground fire.

Roadside Fuel Breaks

Roadside Fuel breaks provide multiple purposes:1. Thirty percent of the Units fires start along roadways. If the fuel along these roadways has

been modified the incipient fire will spread with less intensity. Therefore the fire may besmaller when fire crews arrive. A typical fuel treatment would be to thin brush and timber andmow or treat grass located at the road edge or within the road easement.

2. Fuel break width should be contingent upon the fuel type, fuel height and topography. Roadwidth provides additional fuel break width.Constructing fuel breaks along roadways is often easier and less expensive because of easyaccess to the fuel.

2. Roadside fuel breaks provide a safer ingress and egress.

Community Fuel Breaks

Fuel breaks built around the outside perimeter of a community provide protection fromimpinging wildland fires and slow fire spread from fires starting in and around residences.Greenbelt fuel breaks should also be considered to help alleviate the problems listed in theStructure Protection section.

Strategically Placed Fuel Breaks

Shaded fuel breaks can be strategically placed along ridge-tops to help confine a wildland fireto one side of a ridge. Fuel breaks can also be placed to separate one fuel type from anothersuch as separating brush fields from timberlands.

Fuel break maintenance must be a consideration with each fuel break project. Finding

reliable funding for fuel break maintenance should be as important as the construction.



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5. PROJECTS

Information concerning local fire safe and watershed planning projects can be founfollowing websites:

Shasta County Proj

d at the

ects

Shasta County Watershed Information Model

http://wim.shastacollege.edu/

Cottonwood Creek Watershed Fuels Management Planhttp://wim.shastacollege.edu/catalog.aspx?ws=5&act=Fuels%20Management%20Plan&format=Document

Cow Creek Fuels Watershed Management Planhttp://wim.shastacollege.edu/catalog.aspx?ws=6&act=Fuels%20Management%20Plan&format=Document

Lower Clear Creek Watershed Fuels Management Plan

http://wim.shastacollege.edu/watersheds.aspx?ws=8

Upper Clear Creek Watershed Fuels Management Planws=17&act=Fuels%20Management%20Plan&fhttp://wim.shastacollege.edu/catalog.aspx?

ormat=Document

Shasta West Fuels Management Planhttp://wim.shastacollege.edu/catalog.aspx?ormat=Document

http://www.nps.gov/whis/exp/fireweb/firehom

ws=13&act=Fuels%20Management%20Plan&f

Inwood / Bearcreek Organization

http://www.inwoodbearcreek.org/index.html

Whiskeytown National Recreation Area.htmepage

Trinity County Fuels Management Plans

http://www.tcrcd.net/



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Other Projects

eveloped for Shingletown and the West Redding (Shasta) area.

in these areas

Trinity County Map Projects

Trinity County has experienced several large urban interface fires in recent years. Mostrecently the 1999 Lowden fire and the Oregon Fire of 2001 caused substantial structure andproperty destruction.

Initial attack forces assigned to thesmagnitude and intensity so additional resources were ordered. The additional resources respondedto Trinity County from throughout the stateaway. The out of area fire equipment opera ity County roads, water systems or the location of structures.

With this in mind, structure / water source location maps were created for several of thelarger communities. Copies of these maps will be given to incoming fire equipment to help themlocate and protect threatened properties.

.the Shasta Trinity Units Pre-Fire office and included

details of the Trinity County communities located within State Responsibility Area. TrinityCounty GIS Department has taken over the project and extended detailed map coverage to thoseareas not included in the initial map book.

These mapping projects should be continually maintained.

Day Bench Fire Safe Council

The Day Bench Fire Safe Council was formed in June of 2001 and serves the residentsliving in the vicinity of the Day Bench located on the Eastern Shasta County boundary. The areaserved includes portions of Shasta, Lassen and Modoc counties. They have completed some fuelremoval demonstration sites and evacuation plans. The Lassen - Modoc Unit has been the mainCDF contact with this Fire Safe Council.

strict of the Lassen Na a fuelsreduction project for the Day Bench. In addition the Bureau of Land Management has planned to

use some prescribed fire for fuel reduction on their lands located in the Day Bench area.

Section 4291 of the Public Resources Code(PRC 4291).

Evacuation Plans

Evacuation plans were dThe plans included wildfire safety tips as well as designated evacuation collection points. Mapswere included that showed the location of the evacuation collection points. The plans weredistributed to residents residing

e fires were quickly overwhelmed by the fires

. The closest of these are located one to two hourstors were not familiar with Trin

Previous road maps for Trinity County were not very detailed nor were they indexed.Responding fire equipment often did not know where to find individual roads in Trinity CountyAn indexed map book was created in

The Hat Creek Ranger Di tional Forest has also proposed

Victoria Project Fire Safe Neighborhood

The Victoria Project is a neighborhood effort to reduce and/or eliminate the densevegetation from around the homes within the Victoria Drive and Highland Circle areas.Local residents organized, coordinated, and managed this project. The project goal is to ensurethat homes within the project area meet or exceed



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Shasta Forest Village Community Fire Safe Program

generate community-wide involvement in thereduction of fuels in and around the individualresidences of this subdivision. Brush and otherladder fuels was cut by the individual property

owners and moved to street side for pick-up by

k

assist with over 200property owners participating annually. The

oa local co-generation plant for electricity

begins the w Day and participants are asked to donate $10.00 per pile to help offsetcosts. To date, over 5 million pounds of vegetation

has bee.

For the last several years, the number of participantsand the amleveled offseek wayscosts. The residents of the Shingletown Ridge area

continue and fullye changes in

the program are to be expected.

Top Picture: Cut it down!

Middle Picture: Load it up!!

Bottom Picture: Haul it off!!!

In 1993, the Fire Safe Program began in theShasta Forest Village. The primary goal was to

CDF personnel. This program has grown toinvolve the entire ridge from Viola to BlacButte Road. Over twenty-five volunteerneighborhood coordinators

material collected is chipped and transported t

generation. The annual program normallyeek after Memorial

n removed as a result of the Community FireSafe Program

ount of vegetation removed annually have. The program will need to evolve andto increase participation and decrease

are eager to see this programunderstand that in order to do so, som



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Shingletown Shaded Fuel Break Project

nt fuel reduction in and

t

Forest Village,

Ridgeunder-

The original proposal called for treatment of 4.2

r

ll

hanced, and visually the corridor has a park-like appearance.

The f

a) Retained vegetation canopy (over-story trees) of 50-70 percent crown closure.

e layer of litter and duff of at least 2 of ground cover.on was cut and piled by California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CDF) fire

cr

oject was $119,637.

EMA Hazard Mitigation grants, which funded$56,209 of thepercent of the

Top Picture:

Bottom Pictur

The 1995 Shingletown Area Fire Defense Planidentified the need for significaaround the developed areas of Shingletown. TheShingletown fuel break is an effort to create a 300-foowide shaded fuel break to separate two subdivisions,Woodridge Lake Estates and Shasta

from the larger undeveloped wildland areas. Theproject was designed to reduce the potential fire-causing catastrophic damage in the Shingletownarea. Brush and non-commercial trees in thestory were removed from the corridor.

miles, a very ambitious goal considering monetaryconstraints, inclement weather, and competition fo

fire crew time. However, in the spring of 2001, our goal was successfully accomplished. The fuelloading was dramatically reduced, fire equipment can access the area, health of the remaining trees wi

be en

ollowing measures were utilized to reduce any potential impact to environmental and culturalresources:

b) Retained basc) All vegetati

ews and either burned or transferred to a chipper site for ultimate use in co-generation plants.d) Riparian zones and potential archaeological sites were delineated and no mechanized activity

occurred in these zones.

The original project budget estimate was $70,870.However, the final cost of the prShasta County Fire applied for and received twoF

cost. This was approximately 47total.

Before thinning

e: After thinning



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Ponder

(CCC) originally established the PonderosaWay Fuel Break in conjunction with theconstruction of Ponderosa Way. This fuelbreak is one of the oldest continuously

The intent of the fuel break was to separatelarge tracts of privately owned timber from

elevation non-commercial

Maintenance of this fuel break hasn on going since its original construction

removal over the years. Treatments haveincluded cut, pile, and burn, cut and scatter,

roduction of low intensity ground

ove unwanted vegetation.

Local records n the fuel break in the late 1960s.Since the estabof the fuel break. This year alone, crews from Sugarpine spent over 20 days on the Ponderosa Way FuelBreak, or over 2,400 man-hours.

Bottom Picture: After

osa Way Fuel Break

The Civilian Conservation Corps

existing fuel breaks in the state of California.

the lowervegetation.

beeand cons

Shasta - Trinity Forest Fire Plan

Documents