Meetings/20181111

Barbara & Kevin O'Riley ( rinders - 610 Madrone ) hosted a meeting to discuss approaches to tree maintenance and thinning in the Canyon.

Rich Samson, Battalion Chief for CalFire, was presenter. He described himself as a forester and as an enforcer for forestry issues in our region.

Originally presented as a forum for talking about comprehensive tree-thinning with a neighborhood cost-sharing aspect, Mr Samson rapidly directed the discussion to fire safety.

The first thing I have in my notes is his dispelling the notion that 'we don't have any fires around here.' He points out that in the 60's 36,000 acres burned above Pescadero. He said the Gazos fire in January, and the recent 100' square fire off Cloverdale should of dispelled the notion that we're somehow immune to fire.

So since we're going to have a fire in the Canyon (or above ) what does he see as the communities priorities?

1. access and escape. Big engines will have a hard time getting in here as it currently stands. The small engines ( ?wildcats? ) are only operational during the dry seasons, and are mothballed the rest of the time. ( I think he said this is a statewide decision, so some regions may still be well suited to the small all terrain engines but won't have them available )
2. the canyon needs turnouts. these need to be engineered to support a loaded water truck, and to be about as big as a city bus. As the route in is essentially 1-way the trucks won't be coming in if they see smaller vehicles blocking the road.
3. the canyon road system needs 30 circles to turn the trucks in. If a branch of the roads doesn't end in such a turn around the truck isn't going in.
4. quick dips for drainage are bad for standard fire trucks. The lack the clearance of the little trucks. He cited the dip up on Madrone as you head to the dead end, after the Fern bridge.
5. the trucks need clearance from vegetation. they need a 15' high top clearance which is 10' across. They need 10 feet on either side of the road, so in the end one needs to clean a trapezoid shape for fire engine access. his phrase 'everything you see that's green will be on fire' he repeated a number of times, as he outlined the difficulties he sees in the Canyon's road system.
   1. he suggested we find a contractor who has a 'masticator' or flail cutter. These are the mowers-on-arms you've seen the County use along the roads. These would be used to en-mass cut back vegetation from roadways.

after thoroughly alarming us with this he moved on to clearing

• fire is a 'contagion' condition - just clearing your lot is nice but doesn't help you if your neighbor's is full of fuel.
• examine everything holistically.
• clear the big trees of limbs up to at least 15 feet. This is to deter a ground fire from becoming a crown fire.

1. the water company should consider cutting side routes around some of the larger trees, and removing close stumps.