CHAPTER 10 – HAZARDS AND HAZARDOUS MATERIALS - sacog

Impact HAZ-8: Expose people or structures to a significant risk of loss, injury, or death
involving wild land fires, including where wild lands are adjacent to urbanized areas or
where residences are intermixed with wild lands.
A. Regional Impacts
Wildfires can cause significant damage to people and property because they can spread quickly
across large areas. The proposed MTP/SCS could pose a hazard if it results in the loss, injury, or
death and damage to property adjacent to wild lands where residences are intermixed with wild
lands. Fire threats are depicted in Figure 10.9.
Regional development could include a variety of land uses, ranging from residential to
commercial or industrial uses, to provide increased goods and services to the region. Specific,
parcel-level land uses are unknown, but regional development could increase the number of
structures adjacent to wild lands. The threat of wildfires from development of areas within CAL
FIRE’s responsibility, which include non-federal lands in unincorporated areas with watershed
value, is addressed through compliance with Title 14 of the C.C.R., Division 1.5 to minimize
exposing people and structures to loss, injury, or death and damage. Title 14 sets forth the
minimum development standards for emergency access, fuel modification, setback, signage, and
water supply, which help prevent damage to structures or people by reducing wildfire hazards.
In addition, wildfire prevention is a shared responsibility between federal, state, and local
agencies. Federal lands fall under Federal Responsibility Areas, and all incorporated areas and
other unincorporated lands are classified as Local Responsibility Areas.
Therefore, the potential for wild land fire hazard impacts related to land use changes from
implementation of the proposed MTP/SCS at the regional level are considered less than
significant (LS) for Impact HAZ-8. No mitigation is required.
The proposed MTP/SCS projects involve the expansion or extension of the transportation
system, which may increase the threat of adverse impacts from wild land fires. Transportation
improvements that expand the transportation system and extend it to new areas expose more
urban-adjoining land uses to risks associated with wild land fires.
Transportation improvements, especially capacity improvements, generally improve the
transportation network to move people more efficiently, in case there is a need to evacuate due
to a wildfire. The threat of wildfires from transportation improvements within CAL FIRE’s
responsibility, which include non-federal lands in unincorporated areas with watershed value, is
addressed through compliance with Title 14 of the C.C.R., Division 1.5 to minimize exposing
people and structures to loss, injury, or death and damage. Title 14 sets forth the minimum
development standards for emergency access, fuel modification, setback, signage, and water
supply, which help prevent damage to structures or people by reducing wildfire hazards. In
addition, wildfire prevention is a shared responsibility between federal, state, and local agencies.
Federal lands fall under Federal Responsibility Areas, and all incorporated areas and other
unincorporated lands are classified as Local Responsibility Areas.
MTP/SCS 2035
Sacramento Area Council of Governments
Draft Environmental Impact Report Chapter 10 – Hazards and Hazardous Materials – Page 10-70