Community wildfire protection plan, Butts County, Georgia: an action plan for wildfire mitigation and conservation of natural resources

_________________________
_A Program of the Georgia Forestry Commission
with support from the U.S. Forest Service

Community Wildfire Protection Plan
An Action Plan for Wildfire Mitigation and Conservation of Natural Resources
Butts County, Georgia

August 2016

WILDFIRE PROTECTION PLAN: AN ACTION PLAN FOR WILDFIRE MITIGATION
Prepared by: Robert Hargrove, Chief Ranger, Butts-Monroe County Unit, Georgia Forestry Commission Beryl Budd, Wildfire Prevention Specialist, Georgia Forestry Commission
The following report is a collaborative effort between various entities. The representatives listed below comprise the core decision-making team responsible for this report and mutually agree on the plan's contents.
County Representatives:
G.S. "Gator" Hodges, 1st District, Butts County Commissioner Signature _______________________
Robert Henderson Sr., 2nd District, Butts County Commissioner Signature _______________________
Joe Brown, 3rd District, Butts County Commissioner Signature _______________________
Keith Douglas, Chairman 2016, 4th District, Butts County Commissioner Signature _______________________
Roger McDaniel, Vice Chairman 2016, 5th District, Butts County Commissioner Signature _______________________
Keith Moffett, County Administrator, Butts County Signature _______________________
Local Emergency Service Representatives:
Mike Wilson, Director of Emergency Services, Butts County Signature _______________________
Randy Prince, Deputy Emergency Services Director, Butts County Signature _______________________
Local Georgia Forestry Commission Representatives:
Robert Hargrove, Chief Ranger, Georgia Forestry Commission Signature ________________________
Beryl Budd, Wildfire Prevention Specialist, Georgia Forestry Commission Signature ________________________
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WILDFIRE PROTECTION PLAN: AN ACTION PLAN FOR WILDFIRE MITIGATION

PLAN CONTENTS

PAGE

I. Objectives & Community Collaboration .................................................................. 3 II. Community Background and Wildfire History .......................................................... 5 III. Community Base Maps ........................................................................................ 10 IV. Community Wildfire Risk Assessment.................................................................. 13 V. Southern Wildfire Risk Assessment(SouthWRAP) & Risk Hazards Maps............ 17 VI. Prioritized Mitigation Recommendations ............................................................. 20 VII. Action Plan ........................................................................................................... 23 VIII. Grant Funding & Mitigation Assistance ................................................................. 27 IX. Glossary ................................................................................................................ 28 X. Sources of Information............................................................................ 30
Appended Documents: Butts County Southern Wildfire Risk Assessment Summary Report (SouthWRAP)

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WILDFIRE PROTECTION PLAN: AN ACTION PLAN FOR WILDFIRE MITIGATION
I. OBJECTIVES AND COMMUNITY COLLABORATION
A Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) provides a community with a road map to reduce its risk from wildfire. A CWPP is designed through collaboration between state and local fire agencies, homeowners and landowners, and other interested parties such as city councils, utilities, homeowners associations, environmental organizations, and other local stakeholders. The plan identifies strategic sites and methods for risk reduction and structural protection projects across jurisdictional boundaries.
Comprehensive plans provide long-term guidance for growth, reflecting a community's values and future expectations. The plan implements the community's values and serves to protect natural and community resources and public safety. Planning also enables communities to address their development patterns in the Wildland Urban Interface and determine how they can reduce their risk through alternative development patterns. The formal legal standing of the plan and its central role in local government decision making underscores the opportunity to use this planning process as an effective means for reducing wildfire risk.
The mission of the following plan is to set clear priorities for the implementation of wildfire mitigation in Butts County. The plan includes prioritized recommendations for the appropriate types and methods of fuel reduction and structure ignitability reduction that will protect this community and its essential infrastructure. It also includes a plan for wildfire suppression. Specifically, the plan includes community-centered actions that will:
Educate citizens on wildfire, its risks, and ways to protect lives and properties, Support fire rescue and suppression entities, Focus on collaborative decision-making and citizen participation, Develop and implement effective mitigation strategies, and Develop and implement effective community ordinances and codes.
Wildfire risk reduction strategies are most effective when approached collaboratively involving groups of residents, elected officials, community decision makers, emergency managers, and natural resource managers and when combined with effective outreach approaches. Collaborative approaches make sense as the initial focus of any community attempting to work toward wildfire risk reduction. In all Community Wildfire Protection Plan collaborations, the goal is to cooperatively identify problems and reach a consensus for mutual action. In the case of wildfire mitigation, a reduction in the wildfire risk to the community's lives, houses, and property is the desired outcome.
The collaborative core team convened on July 28, 2009 to assess risks and develop the Community Wildfire Protection Plan. The group is comprised of representatives from local government, local fire authorities, and the state agency responsible for forest management.
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WILDFIRE PROTECTION PLAN: AN ACTION PLAN FOR WILDFIRE MITIGATION
Below are the groups included in the task force: Butts County Government County Fire Department County Emergency Services and Management Board of County Commissioners Georgia Forestry Commission
It was decided to conduct community assessments on the basis of locating high risk communities within the individual fire districts in the county. Butts County Fire Department, Georgia Forestry Commission, Monroe/Butts County Unit, and the Georgia Forestry Commission Wildfire Protection Specialist reconvened for the purpose of completing the following:
Risk Assessments: Assessed wildfire hazard risks and prioritized mitigation actions. The wildfire risk assessment will help homeowners, builders, developers, and emergency personnel whether the area needs attention and will help direct wildfire risk reduction practices to the areas at highest risk.
Fuels Reduction: Identified strategies for coordinating fuels treatment projects.
Structure Ignitability: Identified strategies for reducing the ignitability of structures within the Wildland interface.
Emergency Management: Forged relationships among local government and fire districts and developed/refined a pre-suppression plan.
Education and Outreach: Developed strategies for increasing citizen awareness and action and to conduct homeowner and community leader workshops. Outreach and education programs are designed to raise awareness and improve audience knowledge of wildfire risk reduction needs and practices. In the best cases, education and outreach programs will influence attitudes and opinions and result in effective action.
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WILDFIRE PROTECTION PLAN: AN ACTION PLAN FOR WILDFIRE MITIGATION
II. COMMUNITY BACKGROUND & WILDFIRE HISTORY
Butts County, located between Atlanta and Macon, was carved from parts of Henry and Monroe counties in 1825 by the state legislature and presented to Governor George Troup as a gift. The 187-square-mile county was named for Captain Samuel Butts, a Virginian who was killed in the Battle of Calabee in Alabama during the Creek Indian War of 1811-15. Butts County is one of several bedroom communities for the metropolitan Atlanta and Macon areas. According to the 2010 U.S. census, the county population is 23,655, an increase from the 2000 population of 19,522.
Towns and Communities The county seat, Jackson, was named after U.S. president Andrew Jackson, who had in 1818 spent a few weeks in the area before continuing on to Florida to fight the Seminoles in the First Seminole War. Much of the town, including an earlier courthouse, was burned by Sherman's troops during the Civil War. The current courthouse was built in 1898 and placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. Other incorporated towns in the county are Flovilla and
Butts County Courthouse Jenkinsburg. Flovilla was incorporated in 1885, having changed its name from Indian Springs. One of Butts County's attractions,
the Old Flovilla Schoolhouse (used from 1885 to 1932), is located in the town. William Ferguson Smith, newspaper editor, author, and prime mover behind the development of Butts County, came from Flovilla. Jenkinsburg, incorporated in 1889, was named after William Jenkins, whose 1881 grant of land to the Southern Railroad allowed the company to build track through the town. Pepperton started out as an African American village near a well-known field of red peppers and became a mill town. It was incorporated in 1897 but was annexed by Jackson in 1996 and is now referred to as East Jackson.
Indian Springs State Park Originally inhabited by mound builders and the Creek Indians, the county celebrates the region's first inhabitants with annual festivals and maintains concrete reminders of them, including Indian Springs State Park. Established in 1927, Indian Springs State Park claims to be the oldest state park in the United States. Used for centuries by Native Americans for healing purposes, the sulfur springs for which the park is named were first discovered by white Indian Springs State Park men in 1792, when a U.S. Indian agent, Douglas Watson, came across them. Although he named the area Gunpowder Springs for the water's taste, the springs' reputed restorative powers attracted nineteen centurytravelers. A resort hotel was built at the springs in 1823 by Chief William
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WILDFIRE PROTECTION PLAN: AN ACTION PLAN FOR WILDFIRE MITIGATION

McIntosh, whose Creek Indian mother had married one of the early Scots settlers,

Captain William McIntosh, in Georgia. The younger William McIntosh was educated

in Savannah, where his father lived, and joined Andrew Jackson's forces during the War

of 1812(1812-15), gaining the rank of brigadier general. McIntosh, the Creeks'

spokesman during negotiations over land distribution, signed away all Creek lands in

Georgia to the U.S. government in 1825, to the distress of the Creek Leaders. The

agreement took place in a conference room (later called the Treaty Room) in his own

hotel. The Treaty of Indian Springs, as it is now called, led to his murder three months

later by angry Creeks who felt betrayed by him.

Chief McIntosh's hotel and the medicinal springs remained a

popular resort until the Great Depression. Their success was

fostered by the construction of the Flovilla and Indian Springs

Railroad in 1889. The hotel was placed on the National Register

of Historic Places in 1973. Nearby is the Indian Springs Chapel,

built in the late 1890s. It functioned as a Baptist Church until

1992, when it was given to the Butts County Historical Society for

preservation. Also located within the park are an Indian museum,

Chief McIntosh Hotel

housed in a building constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps, and Idlewilde (also known as the Rastello House),

another historic building. Idlewilde was built around 1907 on land originally purchased

by Robert Grier Bryans, a great-grandson of Robert Grier. Grier, an amateur

astronomer, contributed to and likely founded Grier's Almanac. The park's offices are

located in a house built by Grier's sisters and later sold to Willis B. Powell, a good friend

of U.S. president Franklin D. Roosevelt, who stayed there occasionally. It has been on

the National Register of Historic Buildings since 1999.

Economy and Employment The economy of Butts County started moving from agriculture to industry quite early, with tanneries, hat-making establishments, and candle-making factories among the earliest manufacturing ventures. The transition from agriculture was boosted by the ease of transportation (including a number of early ferries) along the local rivers as well as the harnessing of water power to run processing mills. Waterwheel-powered mills were built on nearly every waterway within reach of county residents. One of the first
Indian Springs Gristmill was a gristmill built by Parker Lindsay in the 1840s at a location known as Seven Islands. The railroads crisscrossing the area
beginning in 1882 promoted increased industrialization. An example of this was the Pepperton Cotton Mills, established in 1896. In 1908 the construction of the Lloyd Shoals Dam on the Ocmulgee River was begun, leading to a steady supply of hydroelectric power in the county by 1910. This local power source resulted in the further industrialization of the county's economy. Among the large businesses brought to the area were several soft drink bottling plants and the Jackson Ice Corporation (1920). Although the area did not escape the economic hardships brought by the Great Depression in the 1930s, the wartime economy of the 1940s helped it to regain its footing, and today it retains a diversified industrial base. As

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WILDFIRE PROTECTION PLAN: AN ACTION PLAN FOR WILDFIRE MITIGATION

with many small rural towns, Jackson's downtown has had a hard time competing with the nearby malls and chain stores.

Places and People Points of interest, in addition to Indian Springs, include the J. R. Carmichael House in Jackson and several recreational facilities: High Falls State Park; Lloyd Shoals Dam Reservoir, also called Jackson Lake; High Falls State Park; and Piedmont National Wildlife Refuge, which was established in 1939 and protects 35,000 acres of loblolly pine and hardwood forest habitat for the wildlife living there. Recurring events sponsored by the Butts County Historical Society as fundraisers for their projects include the Dogwood Festival in April, the Annual Invitational Fine Arts Festival in May, the Freedom Celebration in July, the Native American Festival in September, Civil War Days, the "Home for the Holidays" celebration, and the Scottish Festival. Notable residents of Butts County include Clarence Lemar Burpee, a railway man born in Jackson in 1894, who became a commanding officer in the 703rd Railway Grand Division of the Allies during World War II (1941-45). As assistant chief of transportation in the Military Railways Division of the European Theater of Operations in 1944-45, he achieved the rank of brigadier general and was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal and Legion of Merit. John Head, a veteran journalist and newspaper editor, was raised in Jackson. Head serves as chair of the Penn Foundation and has authored two books, We Were the Land's: The Biography of a Homeplace (1999) and Standing in the Shadows: Understanding and Overcoming Depression in Black Men (2004). His brother Fred was the first African American elected to the Butts County Commission. Courtesy of the New Georgia Encyclopedia

Wildfire History The following table outlines fire activity in Butts County for fiscal years 2006-2015. In FY 2007 and 2011, years of extreme drought, the statewide average was influenced by large wildfires in the Okefenokee and Southeast Georgia. These record breaking large wildfires caused the statewide average size to be greatly increased. During the same 10 year period the State also experienced two record breaking years of low wildfire occurrence, 2010 and 2015, due to above average precipitation throughout Georgia. Butts County average size wildfire was consistently below the statewide average size.

Fiscal Year 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006

Number of Fires 6 10 10 11 13 13 13 25 37 42

Acres 25.70 13.95 25.05 13.93 50.94 38.29 16.46 30.27 120.20 102.24

Average size 4.28 1.40 2.51 1.27 3.92 2.95 1.26 1.21 3.25 2.43

Statewide average size 4.50 5.02 4.75 4.98 16.16 3.56 3.90 4.56 18.64 3.93

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WILDFIRE PROTECTION PLAN: AN ACTION PLAN FOR WILDFIRE MITIGATION

Wildland fire traditionally has not been a serious problem in Butts County when compared to some counties in Georgia. The table below reflects the wildfire activity during fiscal year 2016 (July 2015 thru June 2016). FY 2015 and 2016 were record low years for wildfire activity in Butts County and Statewide due to above average precipitation through most of the year. In 2016 there were only eight wildfires burning 8 acres and in 2015 six wildfires burned 25.70 acres.

County = Butts

Cause

Fires

Campfire

Campfire

0

Children

Children

1

Debris: Escaped Prescribed Burn Debris: Escaped Prescribed Burn

0

Debris: Other

Debris: Other

0

Debris: Residential, Leafpiles, Yard, Etc

Debris: Residential, Leafpiles, Yard, Etc

3

Incendiary

Incendiary

0

Lightning

Lightning

0

Machine Use

Machine Use

0

Miscellaneous

Miscellaneous

0

Miscellaneous: Other

Miscellaneous: Other

2

Miscellaneous: Power lines/Electric fences

Miscellaneous: Power lines/Electric fences

0

Miscellaneous: Structure/Vehicle Miscellaneous: Structure/Vehicle

Fires

Fires

2

Railroad

Railroad

0

Smoking

Smoking

0

Undetermined

Undetermined

0

Totals for County: Butts Year: 2016

8

Acres
0.00 4.10 0.00 0.00 2.10 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 1.40
0.00

Fires 5 Yr Avg
0.80
1.00
1.00
0.20

Acres 5 Yr Avg
2.22
2.07
2.99
3.96

2.00 1.92

0.40 0.20 0.20 0.16 1.20 2.05 0.20 0.07 0.60 0.42

0.40 1.01

0.40

0.40 0.08

0.00

0.20 0.01

0.00

0.20 0.05

0.00

0.20 0.12

8.00

9.00 17.33

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WILDFIRE PROTECTION PLAN: AN ACTION PLAN FOR WILDFIRE MITIGATION The following graphs indicate the average number of fires and acreage burned during fiscal years 2005 through 2015. During this time Butts County averaged 15 wildfires annually burning an average of 44 total acres.
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WILDFIRE PROTECTION PLAN: AN ACTION PLAN FOR WILDFIRE MITIGATION The pie chart below indicates by percentage the causes of wildfires from 2005 through 2015. The primary cause was careless debris burning accounting for 44%. Debris burning typically accounts for about 50% of Georgia's wildfires. The Secondary cause was machine use causing 18% followed by incendiary (arson) accounting for 14%.
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WILDFIRE PROTECTION PLAN: AN ACTION PLAN FOR WILDFIRE MITIGATION
III. COMMUNITY BASE MAPS
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WILDFIRE PROTECTION PLAN: AN ACTION PLAN FOR WILDFIRE MITIGATION 12

WILDFIRE PROTECTION PLAN: AN ACTION PLAN FOR WILDFIRE MITIGATION 13

WILDFIRE PROTECTION PLAN: AN ACTION PLAN FOR WILDFIRE MITIGATION
IV. COMMUNITY WILDFIRE RISK ASSESSMENT
The Wildland-Urban Interface
There are many definitions of the Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI), however from a fire management perspective it is commonly defined as an area where structures and other human development meet or intermingles with undeveloped wildland or vegetative fuels. As fire is dependent on a certain set of conditions, the National Wildfire Coordinating Group has defined the wildland-urban interface as a set of conditions that exists in or near areas of wildland fuels, regardless of ownership. This set of conditions includes type of vegetation, building construction, accessibility, lot size, topography and other factors such as weather and humidity. When these conditions are present in certain combinations, they make some communities more vulnerable to wildfire damage than others. This "set of conditions" method is perhaps the best way to define wildlandurban interface areas when planning for wildfire prevention, mitigation, and protection activities.
There are three major categories of wildland-urban interface. Depending on the set of conditions present, any of these areas may be at risk from wildfire. A wildfire risk assessment can determine the level of risk.
1. "Boundary" wildland-urban interface is characterized by areas of development where homes, especially new subdivisions, press against public and private wildlands, such as private or commercial forest land or public forests or parks. This is the classic type of wildland-urban interface, with a clearly defined boundary between the suburban fringe and the rural countryside.
2. "Intermix" wildland-urban interface areas are places where improved property and/or structures are scattered and interspersed in wildland areas. These may be isolated rural homes or an area that is just beginning to go through the transition from rural to urban land use.
3. "Island" wildland-urban interface, also called occluded interface, are areas of wildland within predominately urban or suburban areas. As cities or subdivisions grow, islands of undeveloped land may remain, creating remnant forests. Sometimes these remnants exist as parks, or as land that cannot be developed due to site limitations, such as wetlands.
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WILDFIRE PROTECTION PLAN: AN ACTION PLAN FOR WILDFIRE MITIGATION
The Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) reflects housing density depicting where humans and their structures meet or intermix with wildland fuels. For the Butts County project area, it is estimated that 26,617 people or 99 percent of the total project area population (26,993) live within the WUI.
Wildland Urban Interface Hazards Firefighters in the wildland urban interface may encounter hazards other than the fire itself, such as hazardous materials, utility lines and poor access.
Hazardous Materials Common chemicals used around the home may be a direct hazard to firefighters from flammability, explosion potential and/or vapors or offgassing. Such chemicals include paint, varnish and other flammable liquids; fertilizer; pesticides; cleansers; aerosol cans, fireworks, batteries and ammunition. In addition, some common household products such as plastics may give off very toxic fumes when they burn. Stay OUT of the smoke from burning structures and any unknown sources such as trash piles.
Illicit Activities Marijuana plantations or drug production labs may be found in wildland urban interface areas. Extremely hazardous materials such as propane tanks and flammable/toxic chemicals may be encountered, as well as booby traps.
Propane tanks Both large (household size) and small (gas grill size) liquefied propane gas (LPG) tanks can present hazards to firefighters, including explosion. See the "LPG Tank Hazards" discussion for details.
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WILDFIRE PROTECTION PLAN: AN ACTION PLAN FOR WILDFIRE MITIGATION
Utility lines Utility lines may be located above and below ground and may be cut or damaged by tools or equipment. Don't spray water on utility lines or boxes.
Septic tanks and fields Below-ground structures may not be readily apparent and may not support the weight of engines or other apparatus.
New construction materials Many new construction materials have comparatively low melting points and may "off-gas" extremely hazardous vapors. Plastic decking materials that resemble wood are becoming more common and may begin softening and losing structural strength at 180 F, though they normally do not sustain combustion once direct flame is removed. However, if they continue to burn they exhibit the characteristics of flammable liquids.
Pets and livestock Pets and livestock may be left when residents evacuate and will likely be highly stressed, making them more inclined to bite and kick. Firefighters should not put themselves at risk to rescue pets or livestock.
Evacuation occurring Firefighters may be taking structural protection actions while evacuations of residents are occurring. Be very cautious of people driving erratically. Distraught residents may refuse to leave their property, and firefighters may need to disengage from fighting fire to contact law enforcement officers for assistance. In most jurisdictions firefighters do not have the authority to force evacuations. Firefighters should not put themselves at risk trying to protect someone who will not evacuate!
Limited access Narrow one-lane roads with no turn-around room, inadequate or poorly maintained bridges and culverts are frequently found in wildland urban interface areas. Access should be sized-up and an evacuation plan for all emergency personnel should be developed.
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WILDFIRE PROTECTION PLAN: AN ACTION PLAN FOR WILDFIRE MITIGATION
Risk Assessments:
Following a meeting of Butts County officials and representatives of the Georgia Forestry Commission on July 28, 2009 assessments were made of communities at risk within the county. Areas designated for assessment were selected using the Southern Wildfire Risk Assessment (SouthWRAP) Communities at risk layer and supported by local knowledge. It should be noted that not all communities within the SouthWRAP layer were assessed. The SouthWRAP information was used to assist local fire departments in locating areas that could be assessed. In all 18 areas were assessed using the Georgia Forestry Commission Form 140 for Woodland Community Wildfire Hazard Assessment. One community was recognized as being at high risk, nine were designated as moderate and eight were classified as being low. Information on these areas is presented in tabular form in a document entitled `Risk Summary for Areas of Concern Butts County, Georgia. This table is located below and is color coded to coincide with risk hazard rating. These communities represent a portion of communities at risk in Butts County. Other opportunities for Community assessment exist within the county and should be pursued as time and manpower allows.
Risk Summary for Areas of Concern Butts County

Community Name or Location
Weavers Lake Rd./High Falls Lake Peppy Lane and Redberry Rd. Chapel Mill and Fenner Rd. Hwy 36 and Fincherville Chapel Mill and Panola Rd. Southern Shores and Old South River Rd. Goens Rd (Goens Rd. and Colwell) Hamlin Rd. and Lunsford Rd. Barnes Rd. (Barnes Rd. and Hwy 16W) Morningside and Dawn Court
Harbour Shores Rd. (Lee Maddox Rd) Hwy 36 E and Newton County Line Whitetail Hills Subdivision Mabry Rd. Keys Ferry (Keys Ferry & Fincherville) Deerfield Subdivision (Deerfield Cir. & 36W) Forest Glenn Estates (Glade Rd. and Dr.) Butrill (Butrill Rd. and West Ball Rd.)

Number of
Homes 55 19 22 86 13 37 6 18 19 69 12 150 147 39 30 35 88 46

Hazard Rating
131 128 104 104 101 101 99 95 84 80 74 62 58 58 57 57 42 38

Risk Category
High Moderate Moderate Moderate Moderate Moderate Moderate Moderate Moderate Moderate
Low Low Low Low Low Low Low Low

Jurisdiction
Butts County Station 5 Butts County Station 5 Butts County Station 5 & 7 Butts County E3, JFD E111 Butts County Station 5 Butts County Station 3 Butts County Station 7 Butts County Station 3 Butts County Station 7 Butts County Station 3 Butts County Station 5 Butts County Station 3 Butts County Station 3 Butts County E3, JFD E11 Butts County Station 3 Butts County Station 5 Butts County Station 7 JFD E1-E11

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WILDFIRE PROTECTION PLAN: AN ACTION PLAN FOR WILDFIRE MITIGATION
V. SOUTHERN WILDFIRE RISK ASSESSMENT & HAZARD RISK MAPS

The Southern Wildfire Risk Assessment tool, developed by the Southern Group of State Foresters, was released to the public in July 2014. This tool allows users of the Professional Viewer application of the Southern Wildfire Risk Assessment (SWRA) web Portal (SouthWRAP) to define a specific project area and summarize wildfire related information for this area. A detailed risk summary report is generated using a set of predefined map products developed by the Southern Wildfire Risk Assessment project which have been summarized explicitly for the user defined project area. A risk assessment summary was generated for Butts County. The SouthWRAP (SWRA) products included in this report are designed to provide the information needed to support the following key priorities:

Identify areas that are most prone to wildfire

Identify areas that may require additional tactical planning, specifically related to mitigation projects and Community Wildfire Protection Planning

Provide the information necessary to justify resource, budget and funding requests

Allow agencies to work together to better define priorities and improve emergency response, particularly across jurisdictional boundaries

Define

wildland

communities and identify

the risk to those

communities

Increase communication

and outreach with local

residents and the public to

create awareness and

address

community

priorities and needs

Plan for response and

suppression

resource

needs

Wildland Urban Interface map from the Butts County SWRA Report

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WILDFIRE PROTECTION PLAN: AN ACTION PLAN FOR WILDFIRE MITIGATION
Wildland Interface Risk Map from the Butts County SWRA report and graph below indicates WUI Risk Index acreage.
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WILDFIRE PROTECTION PLAN: AN ACTION PLAN FOR WILDFIRE MITIGATION Community Protection Zone map (above) and Fire Intensity Scale map (below)
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WILDFIRE PROTECTION PLAN: AN ACTION PLAN FOR WILDFIRE MITIGATION
VI. PRIORITIZED MITIGATION RECOMMENDATIONS

The following recommendations were developed during follow-up meetings with County and State fire response agencies. A priority order was determined based on which mitigation projects would best reduce the hazard of wildland fire to communities and infrastructure. The following priorities were considered.
Community Hazard and Structural Ignitability Reduction Wildland Fuel reduction or modification Improvements to capabilities of Wildland response agencies Public Education regarding risk of wildland fire

Proposed Community Hazard and Structural Ignitability Reduction Priorities

Hazard Lack of defensible space
Access problems for initial attack

Mitigation Improve defensible space around structures in communities at risk
Improve access problems

Method All departments should examine structures in communities at risk in their response areas. Improvements to defensible space as referenced in Firewise guidelines should be conveyed to residents through media or direct contact. All County response agencies and the Georgia Forestry Commission should closely examine access in all communities identified to be at risk. When problems are identified corrective measures should be made.

Proposed Community Hazard and Structural Ignitability Reduction Priorities

Hazard Structural Ignitability
Local Codes and Ordinances

Mitigation Reduce structural ignitability
Improve and amend to codes and ordinances pertaining to infrastructure and community protection from wildland fire.
21

Method Citizens in communities at risk should be educated regarding methods to reduce structural ignitability as referenced in Firewise guidelines. This can be accomplished through media or direct contact. Examine all existing codes and ordinances for problems regarding direct conflicts to wildland safety or lack of needed codes or enforcement. The International Wildland-Urban Interface Code (IWUIC) was adopted in Georgia in 2014.

WILDFIRE PROTECTION PLAN: AN ACTION PLAN FOR WILDFIRE MITIGATION

Proposed Wildland Fuel Reduction or modification Priorities

Hazard
Fuel Hazards near Communities at risk

Mitigation
Prescribed Burning

Fuel continuity

Permanent and

near communities semi-permanent

at risk

Fire breaks

Fuel Hazard in public or shared spaces

Fuel Modification or reduction

Method
Determine Communities at risk where Prescribed burning would be appropriate to use. Seek cooperation from adjacent landowners. Find funding to cover cost of burning. Prioritize burn compartments and execute. Determine communities at risk where prescribed burning is not appropriate or desired. Install fire breaks and modify fuel continuity near these communities. Determine where hazards exist. Determine appropriate method for modification or reduction. Chipping, raking and piling, County pick-up, Organized Community Clean-up days could be beneficial.

Prescribed burning is a best management practice for the reduction of hazardous fuel accumulation. The Georgia Forestry Commission can provide a prescribed burning plan, installation of fire breaks, and can assist with burning and equipment standby when personnel are available.

Proposed Improvements to capabilities of Wildland Response Agencies Priorities

Problem or need
Lack of qualification or training
Equipment needs

Improvement or
solution
Provide training opportunities
Improve or acquire Wildland fire equipment

Details
Examine training records of all wildland responders to insure training and qualifications match expected duties. Insure that all wildland responders have Basic Wildland Certification. Locate and secure funding for enhanced training from state and federal agencies. Determine specific equipment needs to bring all wildland response equipment to NWCG Standards. Provide appropriate PPE to all County wildland responders. Provide wildland hand tools to County departments. Investigate needs for improvements to all wildland water handing and supply (dry hydrants, brush trucks, hose, etc.)

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WILDFIRE PROTECTION PLAN: AN ACTION PLAN FOR WILDFIRE MITIGATION

Proposed Public Education Priorities

Educational Priority Increase public awareness concerning Firewise principles and fire prevention through direct contact Increase public awareness concerning Firewise principles and fire prevention through use of media

Responsible party County, State, and municipal governments
County, State, and municipal governments

Increase public awareness concerning Firewise principles and Individual responsibility through formal certification

County, State, and municipal governments

Method
Conduct Firewise meetings by each fire response jurisdiction assisted by Georgia Forestry Commission (state). Encourage communities to seek Firewise Community USA certification. Conduct door to door campaign in hazardous communities.
Use PSA's in local newspapers and local radio stations. Utilize Firewise displays in local post offices and banks. Seek use of local EMC newsletter for Firewise message. Create poster sized notices for use in common public places (stores, post offices, etc. adjacent to high hazard areas advising residents about the hazard and how to protect themselves and their property. Distribute public notices concerning Firewise at local sporting events and other public gatherings. The City of Flovilla, one of the first Firewise Communities in Georgia, has been certified since 2008. Indian Springs State Park and High Falls State Park were certified as Firewise Communities in 2014. Continue seeking formal firewise certification for selected communities in the extreme or high risk category as determined in the risk assessments.

In 2014 Indian Springs State Park received National Certification as a Firewise Community. Pictured here is former Chief Ranger Jenny Lynn Bruner completing a Community Risk Assessment of structures in the Group Camping area.
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WILDFIRE PROTECTION PLAN: AN ACTION PLAN FOR WILDFIRE MITIGATION

VII. Action Plan

Steps to implement Community Hazard and Structural Ignitability Priorities

Hazard
Lack of Defensible Space Access problems
Structural Ignitability
Codes and Ordinances

Specific Action and Responsible Party
Using the risk summary each department should conduct inspections of communities at risk in their jurisdiction or area of response for lack of defensible space. Findings will be conveyed to residents and treatment methods will be recommended in accordance with Firewise principles. Using the County risk maps the Georgia Forestry Commission and Butts County Fire officials should visit all identified communities at risk for the purpose of locating and resolving access difficulties. This inspection should extend into the wildland adjacent to the communities at risk looking for hindrances to suppression tactics Butts County Fire officials should examine structures for structural ignitability concerns at the time when the communities at risk are inspected for lack of defensible space. Using Firewise guidelines for reducing structural ignitability, (a checklist from the Firewise web site could be used) structures should be assessed and findings conveyed to residents. This could be through use of media or by direct contact. The Georgia Forestry Commission should provide assistance to Butts County and municipal Fire Marshalls regarding County codes and ordinances for gaps and oversights which could cause problems in the wildland fire arena. Examples include proximity of propane tanks to structures, accumulations of debris, road widths in new developments, lack of proper identification pertaining to address or street names etc. Use International Wildland Urban Fire Interface Code, which was adopted in Georgia in 2014.

Steps to implement Fuel Reduction or Modification Priorities

Hazard

Specific Action and Responsible Party

Hazardous

The Georgia Forestry Commission will prioritize prescribed burning projects

Wildland Fuel adjacent to Communities at risk where burning is determined to be

Accumulations appropriate. As the Flovilla community is in an area of high fire occurrence in

the county it would be appropriate to pursue burning projects in natural and

plantation pine stands nearby.

Wildland fuel The Georgia Forestry Commission supported by Indian Springs State Park

continuity near personnel should determine locations and install permanent firebreaks to

communities at protect communities around Indian Springs Community, as well as State Park

risk

facilities.

Hazardous

Using the risk summary, Fire departments could conduct community clean up

Fuel

days in communities at risk in their respective jurisdictions aimed at reducing

Accumulations hazardous fuels and hindrances to suppression in shared community space.

in communities Residents would be provided with guidance and access to disposal

and hindrances alternatives for materials removed.

to suppression

Steps to implement improvements to wildland response capability

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WILDFIRE PROTECTION PLAN: AN ACTION PLAN FOR WILDFIRE MITIGATION

Improvement needed
Improve training and qualification of Butts County Wildland firefighters
Improve or acquire wildland firefighting equipment

Responsible Party and specific action
Chief Ranger Robert Hargrove, District Ranger Willie Boston of the Georgia Forestry Commission and Butts County Fire Chief should examine all training records for persons identified as wildland firefighters. All personnel should be certified Georgia Basic Wildland Firefighters or higher in qualification. Additional training and qualification should be sought for personnel identified in Butts County who are assigned specific Incident Command System (ICS) functions. Sources for available funds for training should be sought at Local, State, and Federal levels. All stations for Butts County Fire Departments should inventory their present equipment relating to their wildland capability. Funding sources should be investigated from available grants or other sources. Needs for job specific wildland responses should be examined by Chief Ranger Robert Hargrove and Butts County Fire Chief.

Steps to educate or inform the Public regarding wildland fire prevention and

responsibilities

Opportunity

Responsible Party and Specific Action

Improve Public

Prior to the onset of fire season(s) Rangers of the Georgia Forestry

Education through Commission and Butts County Fire personnel should conduct Firewise

direct contact

meetings in conjunction with normally scheduled fire department

meetings. People living in or near extreme and high risk communities

should be invited to these meetings by use of door to door campaigns or

by mailbox flyers. Notices regarding these meetings could be placed in

local post offices or stores near communities at risk. A Firewise display

should be acquired and utilized at this meeting. Local news media

should be invited to these meetings.

Improve Public

Prior to the onset of fire season(s) or during periods of particularly high

Education through fire danger use of the media should be stepped up by personnel of the

use of media

Georgia Forestry Commission. This should include use of all available

media in the County. PSA's should be run weekly during periods of high

to extreme fire danger. Signs or poster boards could be developed for

display in public spaces near communities at risk advising residents that

they live in areas that are susceptible to wildland fire and directing them

to sources of information regarding wildland fire safety. Firewise

materials should be provided to the local building permit office for

distribution to new home builders and developers.

Improve Public

The Georgia Forestry Commission along with Butts County Fire

Education through Department continue pursuing Firewise Community USA certification for

Firewise certification additional communities. The City of Flovilla, Indian Springs State Park,

and High Falls State Park Firewise certification should be maintained.

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WILDFIRE PROTECTION PLAN: AN ACTION PLAN FOR WILDFIRE MITIGATION
Timetables for Actions
Steps to implement Community Hazard and Structural Ignitability Priorities
Steps to examine communities at risk for defensible space and structural ignitability should begin as soon as practical with existing work schedules. This should occur prior to the time when most citizens begin fall or spring cleanup projects in order for recommendations regarding improvements to defensible space and reduction of structural ignitability to coincide with these seasonal actions.
Pre-planning to examine access and suppression problems should take place as soon as possible by fire department jurisdiction.
Codes and Ordinances should be examined as soon as possible.
Steps to implement Fuel Reduction or Modification Priorities
The prescribed burn project to reduce fuels near the Flovilla Community should
take place in late winter to early spring of 2017. Any other priority burn projects or installation of pre suppression fuel breaks should take place during this same window.
Steps to reduce fuels in communities at risk should coincide with steps to
improve defensible space and reduce structural ignitability at the earliest possible opportunity as manpower and schedules permit.
Steps to implement improvements to wildland response capability
Cooperation between state and local wildland suppression forces regarding
improvements to training and equipment should begin immediately.
Steps to educate or inform the Public regarding wildland fire prevention and responsibilities
Direct contact with residents in Communities at risk should take place as soon as possible.
The use of media should coincide with the above action. The certification of additional high risk communities should begin as soon as
scheduling and manpower permits. Continue mitigation efforts with City of Flovilla, Indian Springs State Park, and
High Falls State Park to maintain their Firewise Community certification.
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WILDFIRE PROTECTION PLAN: AN ACTION PLAN FOR WILDFIRE MITIGATION
Assessment of Actions
Reduction of Community hazard and structural ignitability
Direct measurement of the number of communities assessed would be the appropriate measure of success
Any meetings that result in cooperation between wildland departments should be logged along with minutes of those meetings. Goals should be set and reviewed after each meeting.
Any changes to or additions to codes and ordinances would be an obvious measure of success.
Steps to implement Fuel Reduction or Modification Priorities
Acres burned would be the appropriate measure for fuel reduction. A direct measure of linear feet of firebreaks would be an appropriate measure for pre suppression breaks.
Fuel reduction in communities at risk would be measured by the number of communities affected and number of projects completed.
Steps to implement improvements to wildland response capability
A direct measure of the number of capabilities or qualifications gained would be the appropriate measure of success.
Any equipment acquired or any equipment brought up to national standards would be the appropriate measure of success.
Steps to educate or inform the Public regarding wildland fire prevention and responsibilities
Direct measurement of the number of persons contacted, literature distributed, public notices posted, news articles published, radio programs aired, etc. would be the best measure of success. Additional communities certified as a Firewise USA community would be an obvious measure of success.
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WILDFIRE PROTECTION PLAN: AN ACTION PLAN FOR WILDFIRE MITIGATION
VIII. GRANT FUNDING AND MITIGATION ASSISTANCE
Community Protection Grant: US Forest Service sponsored prescribed fire program. Communities with "at-risk" properties that lie within ten miles of a National Forest, National Park Service or Bureau of Land Management tracts may apply with the Georgia Forestry Commission to have their land prescribe burned free-of-charge. Forest mastication, where it is practical with Georgia Forestry Commission equipment, is also available under this grant program.
FEMA Mitigation Policy MRR-2-08-01: through GEMA Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) and Pre-Disaster Mitigation Program (PDM).
1. To provide technical and financial assistance to local governments to assist in the implementation of long term, cost effective hazard mitigation accomplishments.
2. This policy addresses wildfire mitigation for the purpose of reducing the threat to all-risk structures through creating defensible space, structural protection through the application of ignition resistant construction and limited hazardous fuel reduction to protect life and property.
3. With a completed registered plan (addendum to the State Plan) counties can apply for pre-mitigation funding. They will also be eligible for HMGP funding if the county is declared under a wildfire disaster.
Georgia Forestry Commission: Plowing and prescribed burning assistance, as well as forest mastication, can be obtained from the GFC as a low-cost option for mitigation efforts.
The Georgia Forestry Commission Firewise Community Mitigation Assistance Grants Nationally recognized Firewise Communities can receive up to $5000 grants to help address potential wildfire risk reduction projects. Grant submission can be made through local Georgia Forestry Commission offices or your Regional Wildfire Prevention Specialist.
The International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) and American International Group, Inc. (AIG) offer grants to assist local fire departments in establishing or enhancing their community fuels mitigation programs while educating members of the community about community wildfire readiness and encouraging personal action.
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WILDFIRE PROTECTION PLAN: AN ACTION PLAN FOR WILDFIRE MITIGATION
IX. GLOSSARY
Community-At-Risk A group of two or more structures whose proximity to forested or wildland areas places homes and residents at some degree of risk.
Critical Facilities Buildings, structures or other parts of the community infrastructure that require special protection from an approaching wildfire.
CWPP The Community Wildfire Protection Plan.
Defensible Space The immediate landscaped area around a structure (usually a minimum of 30 ft.) kept "lean, clean and green" to prevent an approaching wildfire from igniting the structure.
Dry Hydrant - A non-pressurized pipe system permanently installed in existing lakes, ponds and streams that provides a suction supply of water to a fire department tank truck.
FEMA The Federal Emergency Management Agency whose mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards.
Fire Adapted Community A community fully prepared for its wildfire risk by taking actions to address safety, homes, neighborhoods, businesses and infrastructure, forest, parks, open spaces, and other community assets.
Firewise Program A national initiative with a purpose to reduce structural losses from wildland fires.
Firewise Community/USA A national recognition program for communities that take action to protect themselves from wildland fire. To qualify a community must have a wildfire risk assessment by the Georgia Forestry Commission, develop a mitigation action plan, have an annual firewise mitigation/education event, have dedicated firewise leadership, and complete the certification application.
Fuels All combustible materials within the wildland/urban interface or intermix including, but not limited to, vegetation and structures.
Fuel Modification Any manipulation or removal of fuels to reduce the likelihood of ignition or the resistance to fire control.
Hazard & Wildfire Risk Assessment An evaluation to determine an area's (community's) potential to be impacted by an approaching wildland fire.
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WILDFIRE PROTECTION PLAN: AN ACTION PLAN FOR WILDFIRE MITIGATION
Healthy Forests Initiative - Launched in August 2002 by President Bush (following passage of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act by Congress) with the intent to reduce the risks severe wildfires pose to people, communities, and the environment. Home Ignition Zone (Structure Ignition Zone) - Treatment area for wildfire protection. The "zone" includes the structure(s) and their immediate surroundings from 0-200 ft. Mitigation An action that moderates the severity of a fire hazard or risk.
National Fire Plan National initiative, passed by Congress in the year 2000, following a landmark wildland fire season, with the intent of actively responding to severe wildland fires and their impacts to communities while ensuring sufficient firefighting capacity for the future.
National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) - An international nonprofit organization established in 1896, whose mission is to reduce the worldwide burden of fire and other hazards on the quality of life by providing and advocating consensus codes and standards, research, training, and education.
National Wildfire Preparedness Day Started in 2014 by the National Fire Protection Association as a day for communities to work together to prepare for the fire season. It is held annually on the first Saturday in May.
Prescribed Burning (prescribed fire) The use of planned fire that is deliberately set under specific fuel and weather condition to accomplish a variety of management objectives and is under control until it burns out or is extinguished.
Ready, Set, Go - A program fire services use to help homeowners understand wildfire preparedness, awareness, and planning procedures for evacuation.
Southern Group of State Foresters Organization whose members are the agency heads of the forestry agencies of the 13 southern states, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.
Stakeholders Individuals, groups, organizations, businesses or others who have an interest in wildland fire protection and may wish to review and/or contribute to the CWPP content.
Wildfire or Wildland Fire An unplanned and uncontrolled fire spreading through vegetative fuels.
Wildland/Urban Interface - The presence of structures in locations in which the authority having jurisdiction (AHJ) determines that topographical features, vegetation, fuel types, local weather conditions and prevailing winds result in the potential for ignition of the structures within the area from flames and firebrands from a wildland fire (NFPA 1144, 2008 edition)
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WILDFIRE PROTECTION PLAN: AN ACTION PLAN FOR WILDFIRE MITIGATION
X. SOURCES OF INFORMATION
Publications/Brochures/Websites: FIREWISE materials can be ordered at www.firewise.org Georgia Forestry Commission www.georgiafirewise.org Examples of successful wildfire mitigation programs can be viewed at the website for
National Database of State and Local wildfire Hazard Mitigation Programs sponsored by the U.S. Forest Service and the Southern Group of State Foresters www.wildfireprograms.com Information about a variety of interface issues (including wildfire) can be found at the USFS website for Interface South: www.interfacesouth.org Information on codes and standards for emergency services including wildfire can be found at www.nfpa.org Information on FEMA Assistance to Firefighters Grants (AFG) can be found at www.firegrantsupport.com Information on National Fire Plan grants can be found at http://www.federalgrantswire.com/national-fire-plan--rural-fire-assistance.html Southern Wildfire Risk Assessment website SouthWRAP www.SouthernWildfireRisk.com Fire Adapted Communities www.fireadapted.org Ready, Set, Go www.wildlandfirersg.org National Wildfire Preparedness Day www.wildfireprepday.org
Appended Documents:
Butts County Southern Risk Assessment Summary Report (SouthWRAP)
All files that make up this plan are available in an electronic format from the Georgia Forestry Commission.
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WILDFIRE PROTECTION PLAN: AN ACTION PLAN FOR WILDFIRE MITIGATION
P. O. Box 819 Macon, GA 31202 1-800-GA-TREES GaTrees.org
The Georgia Forestry Commission provides leadership, service, and education in the protection and conservation of Georgia's forest resources. An Equal Opportunity Employer and Service Provider
This plan should become a working document that is shared by local, state, and federal agencies that will use it to accomplish common goals. An agreed-upon schedule for meeting to review accomplishments, solve problems, and plan for the future should extend beyond the scope of this plan. Without this follow up this plan will have limited value
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