Fuel breaks saved lives during the Camp Fire. They can spare California from future devastation
In the relentless battle against wildfires in California, it’s clear that agencies and landowners must prioritize and implement wildfire prevention measures while continuing to build and maintain firefighting resources.
Fuel breaks have emerged as an effective approach to wildfire suppression, and it’s vital these projects move forward expeditiously on private and public lands. If strategically placed, these areas of reduced vegetation can slow the spread of wildfires, buying wildland firefighters more time to get ahead of rapidly developing wildfires.
Fuel breaks are critical buffers to protect infrastructure such as homes, roads and powerlines. When weather allows, fuel breaks can serve as an effective drop zone for aerial fire retardants. They are also a safe place for firefighters to navigate the landscape.
Fuel breaks have proven their efficacy in several instances, but to those of us who call Stirling City, home, one example is forever seared in our memory. In November 2018, the Camp Fire tragically burned over 150,000 acres, killed 85 people and destroyed over 18,000 structures – a harrowing reminder of how wildfire prevention measures can be the difference between life and death.
As the Camp Fire raged closer to our community, Cal Fire and volunteer firefighters quickly leveraged existing fuel breaks to connect new containment lines, further protecting our community. The U.S. Forest Service, Butte County officials and private landowners had worked together to implement fuel breaks long before the Camp Fire tragedy, and it ultimately saved our community.
Through these proactive measures and combined quick actions, a nearby elementary school, countless homes and lives were likely spared. I personally watched an enormous DC-10 plane drop retardant on the west side of our town, directly on the shaded fuel break built only a couple of years prior by the landowner.
Our neighbors in Paradise had also completed fuel breaks and a community wildland preparedness plan. Unfortunately, due to the incredibly speed of the wildfire, their community faced catastrophic loss.
One success, though, was a fuel break installed east of Paradise Lake. The fire came up from Feather River to the ridge but slowed once it reached that shaded fuel break, making it easier to stop. That fundamental fuel break is credited with saving upper Magalia and beyond.
While fuel breaks are a crucial component of our wildfire prevention and suppression strategies, we must view them as one part of a comprehensive approach to wildfire management. Incorporating fuel breaks with fire retardants, prescribed burns and strategic community planning can maximize our ability to prevent future catastrophes.
We must arm ourselves with every potential resource.
Many Californians still remember the Camp Fire like it was yesterday, and we know all too well that tomorrow is never promised. This is why we must do everything we can to plan and implement projects that lower wildfire risks and protect our homes and properties.
John Hawkins is a retired forestry worker and a Butte County volunteer firefighter. He leads Stirling City’s Firewise USA community, which focuses on wildfire preparedness.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Fuel breaks can spare California from future wildfire devastation
