‘Big Rock Prescribed Burn’ On List Of 35 CalFire Priorities
Written by 991KBU on March 7, 2019
We are trying to get details on what the state describes as plans for a prescribed burn … a wildfire reduction effort … apparently planned for the Big Rock area of Malibu.
A project identified as the “Big Rock Prescribed Burn” … in Los Angeles County … appears on a state CalFire Priority Fuel Reduction Project List… released by the state fire agency Tuesday.
L A County fire officials had been talking about reducing the fire danger on the Big Rock area for months… before the Woolsey Fire destroyed much of western Malibu.
But LA County fire officials yesterday could not confirm that the L A County “Big Rock Priority Fuel Reduction Project List” was the same project in Malibu.
Assistant CalFire Chief Scott McClain
NEWSCART 75104 MCCLAIN ONE
MCCLAIN: “The one in LA County is called ‘Big Rock Prescribed Burn.’
“I’m not familiar with that area, the size of it is going to be about 431 acres.
REPORTER: “And that’s a prescribed burn?”
MCCLAIN: “That is correct on that particular one.”
Keep in mind that these 35 projects, there are going to be a myriad of various aspects that will be taking place there will be a prescribed Burns on part of it, that will be mechanical fuel modification on others.”
CalFire released a list of 35 priority fuel reduction projects that it says can be implemented almost immediately to protect communities vulnerable to wildfire.
These 35 priority projects include removal of hazardous dead trees, vegetation clearing, creation of fuel breaks and community defensible spaces, and creation of safety corridors along major roads.
80 percent of the proposed Cal Fire projects are in the Bay Area … Sierra Nevada foothills … or other parts of Northern California.
29 of the 35 projects are north of the Tehachapi Mountains.
In Sacramento … McLain says Cal Fire is looking at preventing the conditions that destroyed Paradise and killed 88 people.
NEWSCART 75103 MCCLAIN TWO
“Each unit got are priorities of where these projects need to be.
“These are not all the projects, these are just 35 of the high priority ones.
“We have other ones that will be taking place as well.
“You know the governor has stated that the National Guard, a certain number of troops, I don’t that exact count yet, will be on the ground to help us in a married of our projects across the state.
“Not just dedicated to this 35 projects that we are talking about now.”
You hear McClain talk about “each unit.”
CalFire units are concentrated on Norhern California.
Calfore is not responsible for first response in most of Southern California … whichmay explain why 80 percent of the proposed projects are in Northern California.
Down here … it’s L A County Fire that is the first responder.
Again … we are trying to get clarification from L A County on exactly what this “Big Rock Prescribed Burn” is all about.
The CalFire priority project list is posted on the web … we have a link to it posted on the KBUU Newswire.
http://calfire.ca.gov/fire_prevention/downloads/FuelReductionProjectList.pdf
In another fire issue, a federal judge in San Francisco says he may order changes in how the electric company that serves the northern part of the state controls wildfire dangers.
And that may have an impact on how Southern California Edison acts ion the Malibu area.
The judge says he will order P G and E to cut millions of trees near its power lines … and then order random inspections of those tree-trimming efforts.
In Malibu … Southern California Edison has embarked on a major tree trimming effort … including going onto private property to trim trees within 12 feet of power wires.
