From the Ashes of Paradise: Community Plans Forged in Wildfire

Challenge

Butte County has a unique geography. It extends from the floor of a valley into a high-mountain region. The landscape is made up of ridge lines that separate the county’s communities. Canyons split the county into seven regions, the jagged terrain limiting access across the ridges. Communication and outreach are difficult and time-consuming efforts for residents and officials. The physical differences in the county caused the need for custom strategies for each community.

Wildfire is not confined by municipal or geographic boundaries. Between 2017 and 2018, two disasters would show where combined efforts were needed most.

Solution

Butte County has a long history of mitigation and emergency management outreach with its citizens and community partners. In 1931, the Butte County Fire Department formalized a cooperative agreement with CAL FIRE (the California Division of Forestry at the time). This agreement laid the foundation for the current resource sharing model. The Butte County Fire Safe Council (BCFSC) was founded in 1998 and has facilitated cooperation between the many governmental and non-governmental entities in the county.

CA FIRE’s Butte Unit Fire Captain Mallinger said “since the Fire Safe Council’s inception, there has been a close partnership with the local fire agencies, including CAL FIRE, that has yielded many of the benefits mentioned in this document.” BCFSC is an umbrella organization that brings together representatives from local Fire Safe Councils and FIREWISE communities. By sharing resources, the two agencies benefit from cost savings and operational efficiencies.

In the summer of 2017, the Fire Safe Council sent out evacuation plans to residents. These plans were prompted by the Humboldt Fire in 2008, which cut off evacuation roads in the town of Paradise. New construction and a paved road for northbound travel were part of the updated evacuation plans. Only a few weeks after these were sent out, the Wall Fire erupted on July 7. The Wall Fire was the first of several other significant wildfire disasters that year. Residents were better prepared and more resilient during this disaster. This time, they had access to these well-planned evacuation procedures and routes.

Just over a year later, the town of Paradise received a fire prevention and safety grant for public education about evacuation routes. This work was to include creating an evacuation video, informational magnets and signs. Local officials had started to work on the grant but did not have time to complete the projects. Two months later, on Nov. 8, the most destructive wildfires in California’s history hit: the Camp Fire. This inferno ripped through Paradise, California. It destroyed much of the town and the nearby unincorporated Butte County community of Magalia. The Camp Fire also devastated the unincorporated communities of Concow and Butte Creek Canyon. This fire caused at least 85 deaths.

In the wake of the calamity, the county began to update its hazard mitigation plan (HMP). Supporting the plan’s update were the BCFSC and CAL FIRE. Their ongoing public outreach from years past paved the way to engage the still-weary public. The planning team also formed ties with the Upper Ridge Community Council. This let planners send out notices and materials through the council’s large network of email address lists. Staff from the county’s office of emergency management attended in-person meetings along with the public. These actions helped rebuild trust. Many residents felt comfortable in giving feedback about the plan update.

The robust public engagement process helped the planning team create realistic actions based on each community’s needs, goals and existing plans. For instance, Paradise had several projects in both the Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) and the plan related to nature-based resiliency, land acquisition and structural retrofits. The planning process also aligned with a key goal in CAL FIRE’s 2018 Strategic Fire Plan: “Improve the availability and use of consistent and shared information on hazard and risk assessment.”

For over 13 years, CAL FIRE’s Butte Unit worked with local partner agencies and stakeholders. This included working with the BCFSC to align the local unit’s Fire Plan with the locally derived Butte County CWPP. These connections between the county, state and public will help put the actions of each plan into place more quickly and successfully.

Butte County has a culture of outreach and communication that allows it to carry out many mitigation projects. It has created wildfire safety zones; manages timber and vegetation; and reduces fuel. The county has already cleared wild and overgrown areas in what they call “patchwork mitigation.” It also recognizes that reaching out to local youth maintains unity in emergency management planning and leads to a more resilient future. The BCFSC created “Wildfire in the Foothills,” a presentation series designed for sixth-grade classes, as well as the Wildfire Ready Raccoon, a mascot geared for younger children. They also created the Paradise Grazing Festival. This is a family-friendly event to highlight the efficient and sustainable use of goats to reduce flammable plant material.

Much of this success comes from the almost century-long partnership between CAL FIRE and Butte County Fire Department. This partnership has helped bring Butte County together.

Key Takeaways

Butte County did not let geography slow down its work to mitigate the impacts of wildfire. Calli-Jane West, the executive advisor of the BCFSC, spoke about this on the Level Up Podcast. She explained that the combined efforts of agencies made this work succeed. A long history of strong communication and coordination led to timely actions. These actions, in turn, helped keep residents safe.

Key local champions: The county promoted joint efforts by communities in isolated geographies. It created a space to bring all the key players together. This made planning efforts more cohesive.
Relationships: The long-standing cooperation between CAL FIRE, Butte County Fire Department and BCFSC helped keep everyone informed. This resulted in more effective outreach to communities. Having everyone on the same page can save lives and property.
Integrating mitigation: This work can be a part of many community policies and programs. The county used its mitigation plan as a base. It then used those goals and actions to build on the general and evacuation plans.

From the Ashes of Paradise: Community Plans Forged in Wildfire

Challenge

Solution

Key Takeaways

Related Documents and Links