CLEARLAKE >> Mayor Russ Cremer welcomed Fire Marshal Autumn Lancaster, to discuss and consider a community wildfire protection plan for the Lake County Fire Protection District at their regular city council meeting January 16.
Lancaster first explained what a community wildfire protection plan is. “It’s a plan that identifies and addresses the risk of wildfire in the community,” she said. “It can help us clarify priorities, such as: life, property, infrastructure and valued recourses.,” she said. She added that this Clearlake plan is actually the first fire district specific community wildfire protection plan in the county. The content includes an overview that comprises recent hazard severity maps, buoy maps, fire history map and critical facilities at risk.
In the plan’s Appendix A, priorities include specific communities the project is in, specific area the treatment is in, prescribed treatment and the priority level in terms of a stated timeline. As an example, in a live project at Woodland Community College, Clear Lake Environmental research Center (CLERC) has been administering wildfire defense grant funds to utilize the Hogback Ridge fuels crew to complete a vegetation abatement project throughout Lake County. This led to improving defensible space to rise to the level of the National Fire Protection Association 44 standards, by the Hogback Ridge crews, who cleared out hazardous vegetation fuels still remaining in the area around Clearlake Middle School and Woodland Community College.
Lancaster also discussed plans included under Appendix D, which is unique to Lake County. “What it does, is make this plan more shovel ready,” Lancaster said. “It provides a scope of work in the broader projects identified in Appendix A.” Scopes of work are based upon Lake County’s hazardous vegetation Ordinance, Public Recourses Code 4291 NFPA. “Panorama Dr. is the secondary means of access to Jago Bay. It is located nearby Clearlake Highlands and Clearlake Park
Panorama Dr. had been impassable following winter storms. CLERC was able to use community wildfire defense grant funds to abate hazards. Lancaster screened slides of Panorama Drive, which included before and after work done under guidelines of the Healthy Forest Restoration Act, which governs the Community Wildfire Protection Plan. The city, county, State Forestry Agency and CAL FIRE all approved.
“So, were asking the Clearlake City Council to join us on this cooperative effort,” Lancaster said. Mayor Cremer then asked if the plan and initiatives already undertaken cover all of the Lake County Fire Protection District area, and not just the city of Clearlake. Lancaster answered in the affirmative.
“I’ll entertain a motion,” Cremer stated. Responding, Vice Mayor Dirk Slooten replied, “I’ll move that we approve a Wildfire Protection Plan, on behalf of the Lake County Fire Protection District,” he said. Mayor Cremer and Council Member Tara Downey seconded the motion. The board approved unanimously.
The Clearlake City Council meets at 6 p.m. First and third Thursdays of each month at the Clearlake City Hall Council Chambers located at 14050 Olympic Drive in Clearlake.
