Glendale (PDF) - Hazard Mitigation Web Portal - State of California
Glendale (PDF) - Hazard Mitigation Web Portal - State of California
Glendale (PDF) - Hazard Mitigation Web Portal - State of California
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Natural <strong>Hazard</strong>s <strong>Mitigation</strong> PlanCity <strong>of</strong> <strong>Glendale</strong>, <strong>California</strong>Section 7 – Wildfires• <strong>California</strong> Fire Plan: The 1996 <strong>California</strong> Fire Plan is a cooperative effort between the<strong>State</strong> Board <strong>of</strong> Forestry and Fire Protection and the CDF (<strong>California</strong> Board <strong>of</strong> Forestry,1996). This system ranks the fire hazard <strong>of</strong> the wildland areas <strong>of</strong> the <strong>State</strong> using fourmain criteria: fuels, weather, assets at risk, and level <strong>of</strong> service (which is a measure <strong>of</strong>Fire Department’s success in initial-attack fire suppression). The <strong>California</strong> Fire Planuses GIS data layers to conduct the initial evaluations, and local CDF Ranger Units arethen tasked with field validation <strong>of</strong> the initial assessment. The final maps use a Fire Plangrid cell with an area <strong>of</strong> approximately 450 acres, which represents 1/81 <strong>of</strong> the area <strong>of</strong> a7.5-minute quadrangle map (called Quad 81). The fire hazard <strong>of</strong> an individual cell isranked as moderate, high or very high. This system is expected to replace the current<strong>State</strong> Responsibility Areas process, but at the time <strong>of</strong> this writing, the <strong>California</strong> FirePlan has not been implemented. For additional information regarding this system referto http://www.fire.ca.gov/FireEmergencyResponse/FirePlan/FirePlan.asp.• FireLine System: The Insurance Services Office (ISO) developed a program used bythe insurance industry to identify those areas where the potential loss due to wildfire isgreatest (ISO, 1997). ISO retained Pacific Meridian Resources <strong>of</strong> Emeryville, <strong>California</strong>to develop the FireLine s<strong>of</strong>tware, which uses satellite-imagery interpretation to evaluatethe factors <strong>of</strong> fuel types, slope and roads (access) to develop the risk rating. Mostinsurance companies that provide insurance services to homeowners in <strong>California</strong> nowuse this system. This s<strong>of</strong>tware is only available through ISO. Updated versions <strong>of</strong> thissystem are being developed that include the factors <strong>of</strong> elevation, aspect, and relativeslope position.• National Fire Plan: Funding for the National Fire Plan was authorized by Congress inOctober 2000 in response to the wildfires <strong>of</strong> that year. The plan is a cooperative effort<strong>of</strong> the US Department <strong>of</strong> Agriculture’s Forest Service, the Department <strong>of</strong> the Interior,and the National Association <strong>of</strong> <strong>State</strong> Foresters. National Fire Plan maps showcommunities that are within the vicinity <strong>of</strong> federal lands that are at high risk fromwildland fire. The plan uses hazardous fuel reduction treatment techniques (includingprescribed fire alone, mechanical treatment alone, mechanical treatment plus prescribedfire, and other/wildland fire use, such as allowing lightning-caused fires to burn) toreduce the impact <strong>of</strong> wildland fire on communities within the urban-wildland interface.For additional information refer to http://www.fireplan.gov/.A major component <strong>of</strong> the National Fire Plan is funding for projects designed to reducefire risks in developed areas and at the urban/wildland interface. A fundamental step inrealizing this goal was the identification <strong>of</strong> areas that are at high risk <strong>of</strong> damage fromwildfire. Federal fire managers authorized <strong>State</strong> Foresters to determine whichcommunities were under significant risk for wildland fire on Federal lands. The CDFundertook the task <strong>of</strong> generating the state's list <strong>of</strong> communities at risk. With<strong>California</strong>'s extensive Wildland-Urban Interface situation, the list <strong>of</strong> communitiesextends beyond just those on Federal lands. The CFA has identified 1,264 firethreatenedcommunities in <strong>California</strong>, one <strong>of</strong> which is <strong>Glendale</strong>. For additionalinformation refer to http://www.cafirealliance.org/.• FARSITE, BEHAVEPlus and FlamMap: These are PC-based programs that can beused by local fire managers to calculate potential fire behavior in a given area using GISdata inputs for terrain and fuels. The purpose <strong>of</strong> these models is to predict fire behavior.Data inputs that can be used in the analyses include elevation, slope, aspect, surface fuel,canopy cover, stand height, crown base height and crown bulk density.2006 PAGE 7 - 9