Community wildfire protection plan, Bleckley 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
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Community Wildfire Protection Plan
An Action Plan for Wildfire Mitigation and Conservation of Natural Resources
Bleckley County, Georgia

MAY, 2017

SIGNATURE PAGE

___________________________________ __________________

Robert Brockman

Date

Cochran-Bleckley County Commission

___________________________________ __________________

Mike Smith

Date

Cochran-Bleckley County EMA Director

______________________________________ Matt Kelley Cochran-Bleckley County Fire Chief

____________ Date

____________________________________ David Brown GFC Chief Ranger

_____________ Date

Prepared by:
David Brown, Bleckley/Pulaski County Chief Ranger Eric Mosley, Community Wildfire Protection Specialist Beryl Budd, Wildfire Protection Specialist, (revised 2017)
Georgia Forestry Commission Bleckley / Pulaski County Unit 851 Hwy 26 Cochran, GA 31014
The following report is a collaborative effort among 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 Commissioner, Cochran-Bleckley County
Cochran-Bleckley County Emergency Management Director
Cochran-Bleckley County Fire Chief
David Brown Chief Ranger, Bleckley/Pulaski County Forestry Unit, GFC
Eric Mosley Community Wildfire Protection Specialist, GFC
Beryl Budd (revised 2017) Wildfire Prevention Specialist, GFC

PLAN CONTENTS
I. Objectives ............................................................................................................................. 1 II. Community Collaboration .................................................................................................... 2 III. Community Background and Wildfire History...................................................................... 3 IV. Community Base Map ............................................................................................................8 V. Community Wildfire Risk Assessment ................................................................................11 VI. Southern Wildfire Risk Assessment & Hazards Maps ........................................................ 15 VII. Prioritized Mitigation Recommendations ........................................................................... 19 VIII. Action Plan .......................................................................................................................... 23 IX. Grant Funding & Mitigation Assistance.............................................................25 X. Glossary................................................................................................26 XI. Sources of Information...............................................................................28 XII. Assessment Strategy..................................................................................29
Appended Documents: Bleckley County Southern Wildfire Risk Assessment Summary (SouthWRAP) Cochran-Bleckley County Wildfire Pre-suppression Plan Community Wildfire Risk Assessments Assessment Score Sheet NFPA 1141 Standard for Fire Protection Infrastructure for Land Development in Suburban and Rural Areas.

WILDFIRE PROTECTION PLAN: AN ACTION PLAN FOR WILDFIRE MITIGATION
I. OBJECTIVES & GOALS
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, home owner 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 Bleckley County. The plan includes prioritized recommendations for the appropriate types and methods of fuel reduction and structure ignitability reduction that will help 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 about 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. Develop and implement effective community ordinances and codes.
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WILDFIRE PROTECTION PLAN: AN ACTION PLAN FOR WILDFIRE MITIGATION
II. COMMUNITY COLLABORATION
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 in July 2011 to initiate development of the Community Wildfire Protection Plan. The group is comprised of representatives from Bleckley County Board of Commissioners, Bleckley County Fire Department, Bleckley County Emergency Management, and the Georgia Forestry Commission. The benefits that will be gained from the development of this CWPP are summarized below:
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 Plan and prioritize hazardous fuel treatment programs
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WILDFIRE PROTECTION PLAN: AN ACTION PLAN FOR WILDFIRE MITIGATION
III. COUNTY BACKGROUND AND WILDFIRE HISTORY
County Background Bleckley County
Bleckley County, in central Georgia, was named for state chief justice Logan Bleckley. The 219-square-mile county was carved from Pulaski County by constitutional amendment in October 1912, when it became Georgia's 147th county. The area was originally inhabited by the Creek Indians.

The seat of Bleckley County, Cochran, originally known as Dykesboro, was incorporated in 1869 and named for Judge Arthur E. Cochran, president of the Macon and Brunswick (later Southern) Railroad.

The current courthouse was built in 1914 and placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. Among the town's most memorable events are several tornadoes, the two most devastating occurring in 1929 and 1958. Six people were killed in the earlier storm, and sixteen people were injured in the latter. Newspaper reports of the 1958 tornado describe Bleckley County the funnel cloud picking up a church building and depositing it onto a city Courthouse street.
Other towns in the county are Allentown and Empire. Allentown existed first as Cross Roads, then as Cool Spring, and later as Allen's

Crossroads, named for one of the first postmasters, John Allen. The

current name was taken in 1891, when the Macon, Dublin, and Savannah

Railroad began running through the town. Empire has existed since 1886,

when sawmill owners John Anderson and John W. Hightower named it.

Like many other small towns of the era, Empire was located at the

Southern Railroad

junction of two rail lines, the Macon and Brunswick division of the Southern Railroad and the Wrightsville and Tennille Railroad.

The county also includes the community of Cary.

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WILDFIRE PROTECTION PLAN: AN ACTION PLAN FOR WILDFIRE MITIGATION

Descriptions of the county from its earliest days emphasize the amount of acreage devoted to pine forest. Where the forest was cleared, rich soil promoted an active agricultural economy with an emphasis on row crops (especially cotton, soybeans, and peanuts), fruit orchards (primarily peaches, apples, and pecans), and livestock.

Bleckley is home to Middle Georgia College, a two-year residential college in the University System of Georgia.

Points of interest in the county include the Ocmulgee River and Game Preserve, and Hillcrest (also known as Cedar Hall), an early-twentieth-century home in Cochran built in the Classical Revival style and listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Middle Georgia College

According to the 2010 U.S. census, the population of the county is 13,063, an increase from the 2000 population of 11,666.

Wildfire History
Recent data show that a majority of the fastest growing areas in the U.S. are in wildfire-prone environments. It is not a surprise that some of these fastest growing areas are in Georgia. In last decade of the 20th Century, Georgia's population increased substantially. Homeowners in Georgia must contend with natural hazards including wildfire, tornados, and flooding. This combination of factors burgeoning population, abundant natural areas, development pressures, and lack of public awareness makes Georgia a perfect state for creating solutions to various hazards. Georgia is looked to throughout the southern region as a leader in comprehensive and hazard mitigation planning.
Many of Georgia's existing and new residents living in the urban interface are unaware of the vital role fire plays in our landscape and that their homes are extremely vulnerable to wildfire damage. Balancing development pressures with wildfire risk reduction and education creates a unique challenge for local governments, emergency managers, and wildfire management agencies such as the Georgia Forestry Commission.
Over the past five years, Bleckley County has averaged 49.6 reported wildfires per year. The occurrence of these fires is fairly uniform throughout the year with a slight peak in the months of February and March and a slight decrease during the fall months. These fires have burned an average of 144 acres annually. While the numbers of fires remain fairly similar every month, there is a marked difference in the monthly acreage lost. The monthly acres lost during the late winter through summer period show a tenfold increase over the acres lost during the fall and early winter. Additionally while the annual numbers of fires have not increased noticeably during the 5 year period that records are available, the annual acreage lost appears to have decreased in later years. This perhaps a result of the increase in the practice of prescribed burning. The local Georgia Forestry Commission office needs to be commended for their valiant work increasing their very impressive prescribed burning regiment. Despite their work, more homes are being built outside of traditional communities into the wildland urban interface. With this migration of people to the wildland urban interface the potential for a wildfire disaster continues to increase for Bleckley County.

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WILDFIRE PROTECTION PLAN: AN ACTION PLAN FOR WILDFIRE MITIGATION

Below is a table of wildfire activity so far for Fiscal Year 2017, July 1, 2016 thru June 30, 2017.The
leading causes of these wildfires has been careless debris burning and forestry related burning. Machine use is the 2nd leading cause.

County = Bleckley

Cause

Fires

Campfire

Campfire

0

Children

Children

1

Debris: Ag Fields, Pastures, Orchards, Etc

Debris: Ag Fields, Pastures, Orchards, Etc

0

Debris: Construction Land Clearing Debris: Construction Land Clearing

1

Debris: Escaped Prescribed Burn Debris: Escaped Prescribed Burn

11

Debris: Household Garbage

Debris: Household Garbage

3

Debris: Other

Debris: Other

0

Debris: Residential, Leafpiles, Yard, Debris: Residential, Leafpiles, Yard,

Etc

Etc

6

Debris: Site Prep - Forestry Related Debris: Site Prep - Forestry Related

1

Incendiary

Incendiary

0

Lightning

Lightning

0

Machine Use

Machine Use

10

Miscellaneous: Other

Miscellaneous: Other

0

Miscellaneous: Power lines/Electric Miscellaneous: Power lines/Electric

fences

fences

3

Miscellaneous: Spontaneous Heating/Combustion

Miscellaneous: Spontaneous Heating/Combustion

1

Miscellaneous: Structure/Vehicle Fires

Miscellaneous: Structure/Vehicle Fires

0

Miscellaneous: Woodstove Ashes Miscellaneous: Woodstove Ashes

1

Railroad

Railroad

2

Smoking

Smoking

1

Undetermined

Undetermined

2

Totals for County: Bleckley Year: 2017

43

Acres
0.00 1.50

Fires 5 Yr Avg
0.20
0.40

Acres 5 Yr Avg
0.54
0.48

0.00 1.00 5.22

13.70 24.69 1.78 0.00

0.60 3.10 5.60 28.97 2.80 6.55 0.40 0.44

5.54 4.20 6.32

0.10 0.00 0.00 115.40 0.00

0.20 0.02 0.60 8.20 0.40 0.02 4.60 34.56 0.20 0.59

3.09 1.20 0.83

0.50 0.20 0.10

0.00 0.40 0.48 7.40 0.60 2.36 7.60 0.40 1.52 0.10 0.60 0.07 3.45 1.40 3.44 184.85 26.00 103.83

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WILDFIRE PROTECTION PLAN: AN ACTION PLAN FOR WILDFIRE MITIGATION

The table below indicates wildfire activity in Bleckley County from 2007 thru 2016. The average annual size is compared to the Statewide average size. The Statewide average was much higher in 2007 and 2011 due to large wildfires in SE Georgia and the Okefenokee Refuge.

Year
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

Number of Fires 41 52 43 30 82 63 23 25 28 11

Acreage Burned 90.27 188.53 80.87 77.80 285.05 199.25 62.56 103.41 119.07 49.25

Average Size 2.20 3.63 1.88 2.59 3.48 3.16 2.72 4.14 4.25 4.48

Statewide Average Size
18.64 4.56 3.90 3.93 17.56 5.08 4.53 5.02 4.42 6.29

The chart below indicates the acreage burned by cause during the 10 year, 2007 thru 2016. Debris burning accounted for well over 60% of the acreage burned. Machine Use was the 2nd highest.

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WILDFIRE PROTECTION PLAN: AN ACTION PLAN FOR WILDFIRE MITIGATION
IV. COMMUNITY BASE MAPS
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WILDFIRE PROTECTION PLAN: AN ACTION PLAN FOR WILDFIRE MITIGATION Page 10

WILDFIRE PROTECTION PLAN: AN ACTION PLAN FOR WILDFIRE MITIGATION
V. 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 wildland-urban 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.
(courtesy Fire Ecology and Wildfire Mitigation in Florida 2004)
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WILDFIRE PROTECTION PLAN: AN ACTION PLAN FOR WILDFIRE MITIGATION
WUI is described as the area where structures and other human improvements meet and intermingle with undeveloped wildland or vegetative fuels.
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 off-gassing. 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

The wildland fire risk assessments conducted in November and December by the Georgia Forestry Commission returned an average score of 78, placing Bleckley County in the "high risk" hazard range. The risk assessment instrument used to evaluate wildfire hazards to Bleckley County's WUI was the Hazard and Wildfire Risk Assessment Checklist. The instrument takes into consideration accessibility, vegetation (based on fuel models), roofing assembly, building construction, and availability of fire protection resources, placement of gas and electric utilities, and additional rating factors. The following factors contributed to the wildfire hazard score for Bleckley County:
Dead end roads with inadequate turn arounds Narrow roads without drivable shoulders Long, narrow, and poorly labeled driveways Limited street signs and homes not clearly addressed Thick, highly flammable vegetation surrounding many homes Minimal defensible space around structures Homes with wooden siding and roofs with heavy accumulations of vegetative debris No pressurized or non-pressurized water systems available Above ground utilities Large, adjacent areas of forest or wildlands Heavy fuel buildups in adjacent wildlands Undeveloped lots comprising half the total lots in many rural communities. High occurrence of wildfires in the several locations Distance from fire stations Lack of homeowner or community organizations

The Communities-at-Risk within Bleckley County that led to its High Hazard risk rating are:

Communities-at-Risk

Score

Hazard Rating

Pebble Hills

88

High Hazard

Aipson Trails Park

97

High Hazard

Jones Rd.

119

Very High Hazard

Anchor Point

87

High Hazard

Jeannie Drive

41

Low Hazard

Live Oak Drive off Cook Rd. 47

Low Hazard

Fairground Drive

94

High Hazard

Krane Rd.

91

High Hazard

Limestone Rd.

99

High Hazard

Dykesboro Subdivision

45

Low Hazard

Airport Rd. Subdivision

71

Moderate Hazard

Pool Duck Rd

67

Moderate Hazard

Average Rating:

78.8

High Hazard

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WILDFIRE PROTECTION PLAN: AN ACTION PLAN FOR WILDFIRE MITIGATION
VI. Southern Wildfire Risk Assessment & Risk Hazard 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 Bleckley 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 Plan and prioritize hazardous fuel treatment programs
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WILDFIRE PROTECTION PLAN: AN ACTION PLAN FOR WILDFIRE MITIGATION
Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) map (above) WUI Acres and population graphs (below)
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WILDFIRE PROTECTION PLAN: AN ACTION PLAN FOR WILDFIRE MITIGATION
Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) (above) map and WUI Risk Index Acres graph (below)
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WILDFIRE PROTECTION PLAN: AN ACTION PLAN FOR WILDFIRE MITIGATION
Community Protection Zones map (above) and Fire Intensity Scale map (below)
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WILDFIRE PROTECTION PLAN: AN ACTION PLAN FOR WILDFIRE MITIGATION
VII. PRIORITIZED MITIGATION RECOMMENDATIONS
Executive Summary
As Central Georgia continues to see increased growth from other areas seeking less crowded and warmer climes, new development will occur more frequently on forest and wildland areas. The County will have an opportunity to significantly influence the wildland fire safety of new developments. It is important that new development be planned and constructed to provide for public safety in the event of a wildland fire emergency.
Over the past 20 years, much has been learned about how and why homes burn during wildland fire emergencies. Perhaps most importantly, case histories and research have shown that even in the most severe circumstances, wildland fire disasters can be avoided. Homes can be designed, built and maintained to withstand a wildfire even in the absence of fire services on the scene. The National Firewise Communities program is a national awareness initiative to help people understand that they don't have to be victims in a wildfire emergency. The National Fire Protection Association has produced two standards for reference: NFPA 1144 Standard for Reducing Structure Ignition Hazards from Wildland Fire. 2008 Edition and NFPA 1141 Standard for Fire Protection Infrastructure for Land Development in Suburban and Rural Areas. In 2014 Georgia adopted the International Wildland Urban Interface Code (IWUIC) for use in Georgia. Counties can adopt this code or parts of the code as may be necessary to reduce risk within their area.
When new developments are built in the Wildland/Urban Interface, a number of public safety challenges may be created for the local fire services: (1) the water supply in the immediate areas may be inadequate for fire suppression; (2) if the Development is in an outlying area, there may be a longer response time for emergency services; (3) in a wildfire emergency, the access road(s) may need to simultaneously support evacuation of residents and the arrival of emergency vehicles; and (4) when wildland fire disasters strike, many structures may be involved simultaneously, quickly exceeding the capability of even the best equipped fire departments.
The following recommendations were developed by the Bleckley County CWPP Core team as a result of surveying and assessing fuels and structures and by conducting meetings and interviews with county and city officials. A priority order was determined based on which mitigation projects would best reduce the hazard of wildfire in the assessment area.
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WILDFIRE PROTECTION PLAN: AN ACTION PLAN FOR WILDFIRE MITIGATION

Proposed Community Hazard and Structural Ignitability Reduction Priorities

Primary Protection for Community and Its Essential Infrastructure

Treatment Area

Treatment Types

Treatment Method(s)

1. All Structures 2. Applicable Structures
3. Community Clean-up Day 4. Driveway Access 5. Road Access

Create minimum of 30feet of defensible space**
Reduce structural ignitability**
Cutting, mowing, pruning** Culvert installation
Identify needed road improvements

Trim shrubs and vines to 30 feet from structures, trim overhanging limbs, replace flammable plants near homes with less flammable varieties, remove vegetation around chimneys.
Clean flammable vegetative material from roofs and gutters, store firewood appropriately, install skirting around raised structures, store water hoses for ready access, and replace pine straw and mulch around plantings with less flammable landscaping materials.
Cut, prune, and mow vegetation in shared community spaces.
See that adequate lengths of culverts are installed to allow emergency vehicle access.
As roads are upgraded, widen to minimum standards with at least 50 foot diameter cul de sacs or turn arounds.

Proposed Community Wildland Fuel Reduction Priorities

Treatment Area 1. Adjacent WUI Lands 2. Railroad Corridors

Treatment Types

Treatment Method(s)

Reduce hazardous fuels

Encourage prescribed burning for private landowners and industrial timberlands particularly adjacent to residential areas.
Seek grant for WUI mitigation team.

Reduce hazardous fuels

Encourage railroads to better maintain their ROW eliminating brush and grass through herbicide and mowing. Maintain firebreaks along ROW adjacent to residential areas.

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WILDFIRE PROTECTION PLAN: AN ACTION PLAN FOR WILDFIRE MITIGATION

3. Existing Fire Lines

Reduce hazardous fuels Clean and re-harrow existing lines.

Proposed Improved Community Wildland Fire Response Priorities

1. Water Sources

Dry Hydrants

Inspect, maintain and improve access to existing dry hydrants. Add signage along road to mark the hydrants.
Locate additional dry hydrants as needed.

2. Fire Stations

Equipment

Wildland hand tools. Lightweight Wildland PPE Gear. Investigate need for "brush" trucks near communities at risk.

3. Water Sources

Drafting equipment

Investigate need for additional drafting pumps.

4. Personnel

Training

Obtain Wildland Fire Suppression training for fire personnel to include S130, S190, and S215. Ready Set Go training

**Actions to be taken by homeowners and community stakeholders

Proposed Education and Outreach Priorities
1. Conduct "How to Have a Firewise Home" Workshop for County Residents
Set up and conduct a workshop for homeowners that teach the principles of making homes and properties safe from wildfire. Topics for discussion include defensible space, landscaping, building construction, etc. Workshop will be scheduled for evenings or weekends when most homeowners are available and advertised through local media outlets. Distribute materials promoting Firewise practices and planning through local community and governmental meetings.
2. Conduct "Firewise" Workshop for Community Leaders
Arrange for GFC Firewise Coordinator to work with local community leaders and governmental officials on the importance of "Firewise Planning" in developing ordinances and codes as the county as the need arises. Identified "communities-at-risk" including: City of Cochran and Jones Road Community, should be sought after for inclusion in the National Firewise Communities Program.

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WILDFIRE PROTECTION PLAN: AN ACTION PLAN FOR WILDFIRE MITIGATION
3. Spring Clean-up Event Conduct clean-up event every spring involving the Georgia Forestry Commission, Cochran-Bleckley County Fire Departments, and local residence of Bleckley County. Set up information table with educational materials and refreshments. Initiate the event with a morning briefing by GFC Firewise coordinator and local fire officials detailing plans for the day and safety precautions. NFPA initiated an annual event, National Wildfire Preparedness Day, in 2014. This event is now held nationally on the first Saturday in May and would be an excellent time to hold such an event. Activities to include the following:
Clean flammable vegetative material from roofs and gutters Trim shrubs and vines to 30 feet away from structures Trim overhanging limbs Clean hazardous or flammable debris from adjacent properties
4. Informational Packets Develop and distribute informational packets to be distributed by realtors and insurance agents. Included in the packets are the following:
Be Firewise Around Your Home Firewise Guide to Landscape and Construction Firewise Communities USA materials Ready Set Go materials Fire Adapted Community materials
5. Wildfire Protection Display Create and exhibit a display for the general public at the local events. Display can be independent or combined with the Georgia Forestry Commission display.
6. Press Invite the local and regional news media to community "Firewise" functions for news coverage and regularly submit press releases documenting wildfire risk improvements in Bleckley County. Utilize social media to help spread the Firewise message.
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WILDFIRE PROTECTION PLAN: AN ACTION PLAN FOR WILDFIRE MITIGATION

VIII. ACTION PLAN

Roles and Responsibilities The following roles and responsibilities have been developed to implement the action plan:

Role

Responsibility

Hazardous Fuels and Structural Ignitability Reduction

Bleckley County WUI Fire Council

Create this informal team or council comprised of residents, GFC officials, County Fire department officials, a representative from the city and county government and the EMA Director for Bleckley County. Meet periodically to review progress towards mitigation goals, appoint and delegate special activities, work with federal, state, and local officials to assess progress and develop future goals and action plans. Work with residents to implement projects and Firewise activities.

Key Messages to focus on

1 Defensible Space and Firewise Landscaping 2 Debris Burning Safety 3 Firewise information for homeowners 4 Prescribed burning benefits

Communications objectives

1 Create public awareness for fire danger and defensible space issues
2 Identify most significant human cause fire issues
3 Enlist public support to help prevent these causes
4 Encourage people to employ fire prevention and defensible spaces in their communities.

Target Audiences

1 Homeowners 2 Forest Landowners and users 3 Civic Groups 4 School Groups

Methods

1 News Releases 2 Personal Contacts 3 Key messages and prevention tips 4 Visuals such as signs, brochures and posters 5. Social Media

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WILDFIRE PROTECTION PLAN: AN ACTION PLAN FOR WILDFIRE MITIGATION

Spring Clean-up Day or National Wildfire Preparedness Day (1st Saturday in May annually)

Event Coordinator

Coordinate day's events and schedule, catering for cookout, guest attendance, and moderate activities the day of the day of the event.

Event Treasurer

Collect funds from residents to cover food, equipment rentals, and supplies.

Publicity Coordinator

Advertise event through neighborhood newsletter, letters to officials, and public service announcements (PSAs) for local media outlets. Publicize post-event through local paper and radio PSAs.

Work Supervisor

Develop volunteer labor force of community residents; develop labor/advisory force from Georgia Forestry Commission, Bleckley County Fire Departments, and Emergency Management Agency. Procure needed equipment and supplies. In cooperation with local city and county officials, develop safety protocol. Supervise work and monitor activities for safety the day of the event.

Funding Needs The following funding is needed to implement the action plan:

Project

Estimated Cost Potential Funding Source(s)

1. Create a minimum of 30 feet of defensible space around structures

Varies

Residents will supply labor and fund required work on their own properties.

2. Reduce structural ignitability by cleaning flammable vegetation from roofs and gutters; appropriately storing firewood, installing skirting around raised structures, storing water hoses for ready access, replacing pine needles and mulch around plantings with less flammable material.

Varies

Residents will supply labor and fund required work on their own properties.

3. Amend codes and ordinances to provide

No Cost

better driveway access, increased visibility of

house numbers, properly stored firewood,

minimum defensible space brush clearance,

required Class A roofing materials and

skirting around raised structures, planned

maintenance of community lots.

To be adopted by city and county government.
IWUIC

4. Spring Cleanup Day

Varies

Community Business Donations. State Farm grant

5. Fuel Reduction Activities

$15 / acre

FEMA & USFS Grants

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WILDFIRE PROTECTION PLAN: AN ACTION PLAN FOR WILDFIRE MITIGATION
IX. 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
X. 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.
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.
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WILDFIRE PROTECTION PLAN: AN ACTION PLAN FOR WILDFIRE MITIGATION
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
XI. 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: Bleckley County Southern Wildfire 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
XII. Assessment Strategy
To accurately assess progress and effectiveness for the action plan, the Bleckley County WUI Fire Council will implement the following:
Annual wildfire risk assessment will be conducted to re-assess wildfire hazards and prioritize needed actions.
Mitigation efforts that are recurring (such as mowing, burning, and clearing of defensible space) will be incorporated into an annual renewal of the original action plan.
Mitigation efforts that could not be funded in the requested year will be incorporated into the annual renewal of the original action plan.
Continuing educational and outreach programs will be conducted and assessed for effectiveness. Workshops will be evaluated based on attendance and post surveys that are distributed by mail 1month and 6 months following workshop date.
The Bleckley County WUI Council will publish an annual report detailing mitigation projects initiated and completed, progress for ongoing actions, funds received, funds spent, and in-kind services utilized. The report will include a "state of the community" section that critically evaluates mitigation progress and identifies areas for improvement. Recommendations will be incorporated into the annual renewal of the action plan.
An annual survey will be distributed to residents soliciting information on individual mitigation efforts on their own property (e.g., defensible space). Responses will be tallied and reviewed at the next Bleckley County WUI Council meeting. Needed actions will be discussed and delegated.
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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WILDFIRE PROTECTION PLAN: AN ACTION PLAN FOR WILDFIRE MITIGATION
P. O. Box 819Macon, GA 312021-800-GATREESGaTrees.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
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