‘When you can’t get out,’ then what? Wildfire concerns in Tuolumne County

For the first time since 2004, Tuolumne County residents have the opportunity to contribute to the creation of a community wildfire protection plan, or CWPP.

In California, where the threat of wildfire season seems to grow each year, the conversation — conducted during a series of workshops with county and fire officials — is seen as a necessary step for the county to get a share of federal money, as well as other resources.

“Our hope for this plan is it will provide a framework for us to identify our most critical priorities and priority landscapes, so that we can work collaboratively together,” said Sean Hembree, an analyst with the Tuolumne County Office of Emergency Services. “We don’t want this just to be a document that goes on a shelf somewhere and doesn’t get addressed again until it’s time for the update.”

At the first of the workshops, hosted by Twain Harte Bible Church, residents told county leaders their concerns. For some, their chief worry is evacuation.

“When you can’t get out, where can you go?” Nan Fuller, a resident, asked in a breakout group.

Issues raised by others included maintenance, road closures and gaps in communication with residents

The plan’s main objectives include removing fuels like dry vegetation, supporting community and individual efforts to prepare for fires and maintaining environmental health.

What a protection plan must be and do

The Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 gives communities with a protection plan priority access to federal money. The plan must be based on collaboration between local and state representatives with the input of federal representatives and other stakeholders. It also must prioritize reducing fuel like overgrown vegetation and describe ways for community members to decrease the flammability of structures.

“CWPPs have sort of been evolving since that original (forest restoration) act, they’re becoming like these vehicles for more than just the original intent,” said Darlene Rini of the engineering and consulting firm Jensen Hughes. “We’re trying to get more understanding of the community side and the different variety of vulnerabilities and risks.”

In 2004, residents contributed to the creation of the North Half Tuolumne County CWPP, which only partially covered the county. This plan will cover the entire county, carving it into six planning units.

Rini said the divisions were created using “a combination of populated areas and major topographic features,” such as watersheds and transit corridors.

Planners already have engaged with key agencies, including Cal Fire, the U.S. Forest Service and the Tuolumne Band of Me Wuk Indians. This summer’s four workshops are intended to draw public input from residents.

Summer and fall temperatures will continue to increase, increasing the fire risks countywide, according to projections from Jensen Hughes.

Highlighting concerns and finding solutions

Residents from various neighborhoods expressed concerns over evacuation routes. Consultants from Jensen Hughes said concerns over those routes, as well as egress and funding, are common themes across CWPPs. They said informing the public of evacuation routes is a primary objective in developing the countywide plan.

“The county is addressing egress and ingress improvements for our county. Of course, there’s a very high cost for widening the roads or creating secondary evacuation routes,” Hembree said. “However, we are looking into the opportunities that we have to improve our health and safety,” including modifications to local laws that would make evacuation easier.

In addition, Hembree said the county is pursuing grants that would assist with roadside brush removal, which would “prevent excessive heat for evacuating traffic and allow first responder access.”

One workshop participant said vacationers may not know how to get out during a fire as they are unfamiliar with local routes. During the 2013 Rim fire, access to Yosemite National Park through Highway 120 was closed and some park visitors were confused about the fire’s impact. Later, during the 2018 Donnell fire, visitors at Pinecrest could see smoke coming from the Ferguson fire, another major burn.

Hembree said Tuolumne County’s high number of tourists does complicate evacuations. “Many of the visitors aren’t even necessarily aware that they’re within Tuolumne County and wouldn’t necessarily know how to access good information in an emergency incident,” he said. “So we’re looking at better ways to reach out to that population and make sure that they’re safe and don’t create complications for evacuating or egress scenarios.”

Residents also raised concerns over management of vacant lots, shelters for communities and improved communication with the public.

Participants emphasized the need for residents to comply with fire safety standards, such as maintaining 100 feet of defensible space — a corridor around buildings clear of dry vegetation. The National Fire Protection Association’s Firewise USA program helps communities organize and prepare for fires by providing information on such things as vegetation management, creating emergency responder access and construction with fire-resistant roofing, siding and decks.

For firefighters, “our three main concerns, always, it’s going to be life safety, property preservation and then environment preservation,” said Jacob Johnston, a fire captain who attended with a group of firefighters from the Cal Fire station in Standard.

Johnston said some community members have expressed concern with the cost of fire-protection efforts. “We have all these great ideas, but how do we fund it and how do we maintain that over time?” Rini said. “It’s always easy enough to get funding in the short term, but a lot of these programs need long-term funding and that’s still a big challenge.”

Fire hazards are expected to be high this season because some parts of the county have more grass and other vegetation from the wet winter. This new vegetation will dry out as temperatures rise, creating more fuel.

“We would like people to sign up for our community emergency alert (www.tuolumnecounty.ca.gov/1170/Emergency-Alerts), where they can access the best and most current information on what the public should be doing, where there are areas that need to be evacuated, where there are areas that maybe can wait so that those critical areas have road access to leave the community or the area,” Hembree said.

The final report of the CWPP will be done by December, but it may take longer for the main agencies to sign off on it. Residents can contribute to the plan at cwpp.tuolumnefiresafe.org or by emailing cwpp@tuolumnefiresafe.org.