Hometown Wildfire Safety Collaborative
working Together To Make our hometowns safe
This collaborative has come together to advance Wildfire resiliency in Lake County, California. This Collaboration includes three components to improve community wildfire resilience
Dynamic Fire Pathways Analysis
This component of the partnership utilizes computer modeling of predictive wildfire pathways to inform priority planning for the fire resiliency projects. This science-based approach to identifying projects will supplement and refine the list of projects in the 2023 Lake County Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) by identifying the most effective and strategic locations for treatment.
Financial Investment in lake County fire resilience
PG&E provided a $500,000 financial contribution to CLERC to support the Northshore Fire Protection District’s Hogback Ridge Fuels Crew. This investment has supported increased wages and crew growth to improve efficiency of work and stability of employment.
Biomass Utilization
A wood management partnership utilizing a Carbonizer to collectively reduce the cost of managing wood waste, and create biochar (a climate-positive wood product) to be deployed in Lake County at strategic locations.
How this Project got started
Addressing the challenge of fire resiliency is a ubiquitous necessity, encompassing a multitude of complexities. No single entity—be it an agency, organization, or community—possesses the comprehensive capability to address all aspects of this imperative task. Determining the true priority areas for intervention becomes a formidable challenge, compounded by uncertainties regarding the willingness of landowners to undertake the necessary work.
The intricacies involved in fire resiliency work make sustained efforts difficult, necessitating a strategic and coordinated approach. The current predicament arises from years of suppressing wildfires in landscapes adapted to such occurrences. Consequently, the repercussions of this suppression are now manifesting during periods of weather extremes, causing widespread devastation.
Recognizing this pressing issue, Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) and the California Fire Chiefs Association took proactive measures to address the broader challenge facing the entire state. In collaboration with the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, they secured funding to engage Xylo Plan in the development of a sophisticated software solution. This software is designed to comprehensively analyze the myriad factors influencing the movement of fires through landscapes.
How this collaborAtive came together
Lake County-specific Dynamic Fire Pathways Analysis
Through scientific modeling and analysis, this innovative software provides a holistic understanding of the vulnerabilities of various communities to wildfires. The outcome of this endeavor is the ability to pinpoint areas where fire resiliency efforts can yield the most significant impact. By adopting a large-scale landscape approach, we aim to optimize the utilization of available resources and strategically prioritize interventions to mitigate the risks posed by wildfires across California.
During the collaborative efforts of PG&E, The Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, California Fire Chiefs Association, and Xylo Plan in developing the fire analysis software, the Northshore Fire Protection District engaged in ongoing discussions with PG&E regarding fuel reduction projects in Lake County. Lake County, having endured numerous wildfires in the past decade, faced significant challenges and an extensive workload in the realm of fire resiliency.
When the opportunity arose to pilot the innovative Dynamic Fire Pathways Analysis, Lake County emerged as the ideal candidate for statewide implementation. As a region profoundly impacted by wildfires, Lake County possessed a small rural community that had experienced devastation but was equipped with established organizations, agencies, and fuel crews actively engaged in fire resiliency projects. Moreover, they demonstrated a willingness to promptly adopt and implement this new analytical solution. The application of the Dynamic Fire Pathways Analysis in Lake County served as a crucial step, providing the scientific insights necessary to effectively prioritize and guide their ongoing fire resiliency efforts.
A critical consideration emerged as we worked on these numerous fire resiliency projects—how to effectively manage the generated waste. In response to this challenge, PG&E leveraged its network to establish a connection with a service offering mobile Carbonizer machines. These machines have the capability to transform wood debris into biochar.
Biochar, a stable solid with a high carbon content, is derived from organic waste material or biomass through partial combustion in the presence of limited oxygen. This environmentally friendly solution not only addresses waste disposal but also contributes to enriching soils and sequestering carbon in the earth, mitigating its release into the atmosphere. Leveraging such innovative technology reflects our commitment to sustainable practices in the pursuit of comprehensive fire resiliency initiatives.
The Plan - The Dynamic CWPP
In 2023, Lake County adopted a Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) that encompasses a multitude of proposed fire resiliency projects strategically distributed throughout the region. However, the challenge lies in prioritizing these projects, a task requiring substantial research and analysis. Our strategy going forward involves integrating the 2023 Lake County CWPP with the Dynamic Fire Pathways Analysis, identifying areas of convergence to establish priority zones for implementing fire resiliency projects. This integrated approach is aptly named Dynamic CWPP.
This dynamic framework allows for the annual updating of the model, reflecting completed work and any changes in landscapes. Consequently, emerging priority areas can be identified as work is accomplished in previous priority zones. By adopting the Dynamic CWPP, our community gains the ability to concentrate resources in the most effective and impactful manner, ensuring a targeted and adaptive approach to fire resiliency initiatives.
The Partners and their roles
Clear Lake Environmental Research Center (CLERC)
Coordinate review and implementation of various projects identified in the 2023 Lake County CWPP and the Dynamic Fire Pathways Analysis. Coordinate transportation of woody biomass to feed the Carbonator
Northshore Fire protection district (NFPD)
Implementation of the various projects identified in the CWPP and Dynamic Fire Pathways Analysis will be carried out by the Hogback Ridge Fuels Crew, a division of the NFPD
Lake COunty fire chiefs associations
The fire chiefs of all the districts within Lake County will review and provide feedback on local fire resiliency projects.
California Fire chiefs association
Supported the development of the Dynamic Fire Pathways Analysis used to generate the Lake County specific scenarios from which the list of strategic fire resilience projects were generated.
USDA Forest Service
Provides funding to CLERC and the Hogback Ridge Fuels Crew for implementation of numerous CWPP projects in Lake County
Gordon and Betty MOore Foundation
Provided funding for the Dynamic Fire Pathways Analysis and treatment recommendations.
Pacific Gas and Electric Company
Built partnerships and provided resources to establish the Hometown Wildfire Safety Collaborative