Captain Cal

LCSSW Recap, Part 1

The Last Chance Survival Simulation Workshop (LCSSW), held over two sessions on February 26 and March 4, clearly struck a nerve in Olivenhain. Residents turned out in force to learn how to help ensure their safety in case they found themselves trapped by a wildfire. The workshop, conceived and presented by Rex Hambly of the Bureau of Land Management, was abridged from its usual daylong format. But the consensus was that the mini-workshops presented in Olivenhain were extremely valuable, and some attendees were already clamoring for more.

The first workshop began with two dramatic case studies from the 2017 Tubbs fire in Santa Rosa, one where someone perished and the other where two people survived, against the odds. Hambly advised making plans so you know what is in the area if you find yourself in an extreme situation.

Next, retired CAL FIRE chief Pete Scully gave an overview of fire behavior to help attendees understand the dynamics and make informed life-and-death decisions if they are unable or unwilling to leave when an evacuation is ordered and find themselves in danger. He described the three types of heat—conduction, radiation, and convection—and stressed that convection is the biggest concern in wildland fire because the air becomes heated and expands. Some 90-97% of the energy of a fire is generated through convection, he said, and it’s why smoke rises. His advice: “If you have to take shelter, don’t hunker down by big dead things, and the closer you are to the ground, the better off you will be. Try not to be downwind of the fire.”

Scully also explained the wildland fire triangle, composed of the three elements that drive fires: fuel, weather, and topography. Remove any one of them, he said, and the fire will go out.

Fuel is anything that burns, and there are basically two types, living and dead. Living is more seasonal; in spring, for example, live plants have the highest moisture content, and that moisture must be “cooked out” for them to burn. Once the plants drop their flowers, however, they start to lose moisture, and by summertime and later into fire season, they are apt to burn more readily.

Large fuels, like trees, tend to burn longer and hotter but slower. Smaller fuels give off less heat and burn for a shorter time. In a field, for example, once the grass burns, the fire will have passed (though it will still be hot and smoky). The closer together fuels are, the more effective the heat transfer and more uniformly a fire will burn. If bushes are sparser, the fire will have more trouble moving from bush to bush.

In a late summer fire, you might want to take your chances in grass, Scully said. “Six-inch grass can kill you if you’re unprotected,” he explained. “But the fire’s passage through the grass is a quick process. If everything is burning and there is no good place to go, look for nice, green fuel.”

Wind is by far the biggest factor that affects fire behavior. Fire will go in the direction the wind is blowing, and the faster the wind blows, the faster it brings the heat to the fuel. Moreover, it also blows burning things like embers and creates spot fires. “You won’t outrun it,” he said. “Try to find a road that will get you around it.”

In terms of topography, look at how steep a slope is. Fire burns faster uphill, but if the wind is more powerful than the slope, the fire will burn downhill. “You don’t want to be above the fire,” he said.

If, however, fire is coming up the hill, and you are on top of the hill, you will be better off if you can get to the other side.

Topographic features to avoid include canyons, drainages, and chutes, which increase the velocity of wind and have a chimney effect. “If you have to stop, you don’t want to park in a drainage,” Scully said. “You want to be on higher ground, like a ridge.”

Another consideration is the aspect of a slope. A south-facing slope gets sun all the time, whereas a north-facing slope hardly gets any sun. Northern slopes are cooler but have bigger brush. Southern ones are much drier, with more flashy fuel, which will burn faster. “You might be better off on a north slope,” Scully said, “but with extreme fires, all bets are off.”

He stressed that these guidelines are not cut and dried, and people are going to have to make some decisions. Each of us looks at our options every day, and we already do risk analyses, he said; it’s just a matter of putting everything together. He noted that you can go online and research all this information, but having a basic knowledge of fire behavior can help you make critical decisions.

His recommendation, however, is that unless your house is really secure or if you have a refuge area on the property, when you’re told to evacuate, do it. “People get in trouble when they decide to stay with their house,” he said.

AB 3074, which was passed in 2020 and became law in January 2021, introduced “Zone 0,” a five-foot ember-resistant zone required around structures located in a Fire Hazard Severity Zone (FHSZ). (Most of Olivenhain is in a Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone.)

Zone 0 is the horizontal area within the first five feet around the structure and any outbuildings and attached decks, and stairs. The zone also includes the area under attached decks and stair landings. To be most effective, the zone should incorporate a 6-inch vertical area between the ground and the start of the building’s exterior siding.

The law was a response to more frequent, more intense, and larger wildfires. In the last ten years, 1 of every 8 acres has burned; 173 lives have been lost; and a third of the 20 most destructive wildfires in California's history have taken place. Over 43,000 structures have been destroyed, many because of ember accumulation. Zone 0, which is based on science, will help prevent that.

Best practices for Zone 0 include:

• Removing all dead and dying weeds, grass, plants, shrubs, trees, branches and vegetative debris from roofs, gutters, decks, porches, stairways, etc.
• Removing combustible mulch or bark
• Replacing natural fiber doormats
• Relocating firewood, lumber, storage containers, and propane tanks at least 30’ away
• Relocating garbage/recycling containers
• Removing branches within 10’ of a chimney
• Removing limbs that overhang buildings
• Removing all plants, shrubs and flammable materials that are adjacent to or below decks, balconies, stairs, windows, combustible siding and vents
• Limiting combustibles on top of decks
• Creating separation of wooden gates, fences, and arbors from the structure

Enforcement of the Zone 0 law will begin when the State Fire Marshal approves vegetation clearance requirements. For new construction, enforcement will take effect immediately upon approval of final clearance requirements. For existing structures, enforcement will take effect one year after approval of the final requirements. Although the dates have changed several times, it is now anticipated that Zone 0 will be required for new construction in 2025 and for existing structures in 2026. 

Source: CAL FIRE

There are many ways you can help make our community safer from wildfire by becoming an Olivenhain Fire Safe Council volunteer. Bring your ideas, talents, skills and connections!

Opportunities include:

EVENTS AND PROGRAMS: Brainstorm with us to create, plan, set up and staff events. We especially need volunteers to help with our monthly booth at the Cardiff farmers market at MiraCosta College.

FUNDRAISING: Help with outreach to businesses and neighbors. Identify grant opportunities, promote employer matches, develop and assist with fundraising events.

NEIGHBORHOOD AMBASSADORS: Be the point person in your neighborhood to identify unique needs and vulnerable residents and keep your neighbors informed in the event of a wildfire or other emergency. If you live in a community with an HOA, leverage the HOA structure to make your community safer through structure hardening and defensible space projects. Contact Lou Obertreis for more information.

SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS: Do you have special skills and knowledge of relevant industries? We could use your help when there is a need for information, services or referrals (e.g. , insurance agents, lawyers, accountants/bookkeepers, Realtors, contractors, tradespeople, handymen, videographers, writers, PR professionals, artists, graphic designers, etc.).

OTHER IDEAS? Let us know!

Click here to find out more or sign up as a volunteer.

The Olivenhain Fire Safe Council relies on donations to carry out its mission of enhancing wildfire prevention, safety and preparedness for all residents, through ongoing outreach, education and collaborative interventions, projects and activities. Help us build capacity by making a generous tax-deductible contribution. (Check to see if your employer will match your donation.)

To donate through PayPal, click here.

To donate by check, make checks payable to Olivenhain Fire Safe Council and mail to Olivenhain Fire Safe Council, 2240 Encinitas Blvd., Ste. D, #165, Encinitas, CA 92024.

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