As California settles into summer days, the busy fire months begin for California firefighters statewide. According to the Cal Fire, in just the past week, 256 new fires were started and a total of 2,357 fires have been recorded for the year. We are looking at how certain communities are preparing for a major fire.
13 communities in Sacramento County were identified to have a level of risk to wildfire in the Sacramento County Local Hazard Mitigation Plan. Additional analysis shows that low precipitation, rising temperatures, and deteriorating forest health from drought, heat, and tree disease have led to an expected increase of wildfire risk in California.
Rancho Cordova’s risk factor
Rancho Cordova is generally designated as a safe city, according to analysis in its General Plan. The document addresses that the main source of wildland fire in the Planning Area happens where unoccupied wildland meets human developed land, like the American River Parkway. Some developments have large wetland preserves with natural vegetation, which could potentially ignite and pose safety risks.
Captain Chris Vestal, Public Information Officer for Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District, points to programs like weed abatement that help the area. However, he added that there are areas of rural intermix that are not truly wildland or urban.
“Those are areas like Rio Linda, Florin, and some of the other parts of south Sacramento County,” said Captain Vestal. These areas contain normal density homes and agriculture zoned areas that are open and have grass areas. He added that, although they present some challenge, it is something for which the department plans.
There are portions of the City ranging from little/no wildfire risk to moderate wildfire risk, according to the Sacramento County Local Hazard Mitigation Plan. Their data combines the likelihood of a given area to burn and potential fire behavior.
For situations like fires, the city is protected by the Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District, which covers approximately 417 square mile area with approximately 750 personnel. A total of five stations are in Rancho Cordova, however, bordering stations can also respond to calls in the city.
The evacuation procedure from Sacramento County
“The first thing is to have a plan,” said Captain Vestal. He advised people to prepare for a hazard before a hazard occurs.
“When you get the evacuation order, go. It’s not time to start packing when you get the evacuation order,” Captain Vestal added.
Should a day ever come when Rancho Cordova must engage in an evacuation for a wildfire, the procedure begins with Sacramento County and their Emergency Operations Center. Accountability for emergency actions goes to Sacramento County, according to the Sacramento County Emergency Operations Plan, and communications coordination lies with the EOC.
A wildfire evacuation would indicate a medium threat level or high threat level depending on its severity. The largest threat level would see potentially more than 25,000 people needed to evacuate and the need for shelter, transportation, and resources to potential evacuate to different counties or states. The County EOC determines the shelters to open, which are generally close to the evacuee’s homes but far enough away to be safe from the threat.
What the California Office of Emergency Services offers in the event of local emergencies
According to Public Information Officer Bryan May for the California Office of Environmental Services, California has the most robust mutual aid program in the country, which communities can benefit from in times of an emergency.
“We at Cal OES coordinate that mutual aid across the entire state. It’s the 9-1-1 for local 9-1-1. In other words, every emergency starts local,” said May through e-mail. “ When the situation gets to the point where the local first responders know they need help, they call the State Warning Center, part of Cal OES, and we coordinate getting help from anywhere in the state to anywhere in the state. “
How to stay informed
Communication from Sacramento County regarding an emergency in the area is attainable by registering through www.sacramento-alert.org. Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District can also be followed on Facebook and Twitter. An additional online resource is the Cal Fire program “Ready, Set, Go” that details preparations in the event of a wildfire.
The Sacramento Office of Emergency Services can also be followed on social media through Facebook and Twitter.
Resources within the Rancho Cordova community also include open houses for the fire station and participation in community events like National Night Out.