Home I Program I Bios and Presentations I Q&A I Resources I Increase Wildfire Safety I Future Actions
With the climate patterns changing, wildfires are more common and increasingly unpredictable than ever even in semi-urbanized areas. We’ve prepared a collection of resources so you can learn about what causes wildfires, how to prevent them and where you can join our advocacy on the effort
Fire Background
What causes fires
Katherine Blunt and Russell Gold, “PG&E Knew for Years Its Lines Could Spark Wildfires, and Didn’t Fix Them,” The Wall Street Journal, July 10, 2019
Latest developments from the nation’s only university fire weather research laboratory
Find out whether you live in a high-risk fire zone
Community wildfire article and link to an assessment tool
San Mateo County Local Responsibility Area ( LRA) fire risk assessment map - risk areas including city fire departments
The next Paradise
San Mateo County and Santa Cruz County Wildfire Protection Plan
CAL FIRE Recommendations to Gov. Gavin Newsom
Wildfire Risk Reduction
Home Hardening
Take the assessment of your home as fuel in a wildfire
Wildfire Prevention Plan Woodside
Contractors listed by Diablo FireSafe Council for work with homeowners
USFS Home Hardening video
Structure to Structure ignition, surface fires, wind-driven firebrand/ember fires, urban development in the WUI... versus trees
Moraga Orinda Wildfire reduction plan
Fire breaks did not work in Paradise
A New Direction for California Wildfire Policy - Working from the Home Outward
Vegetation
Resources for homeowners: FireSAFE Santa Clara County Council
Forest thinning projects won't stop the worst wildfires. So why is California spending millions on them?
Utility
At the 2/19/2019 CPUC hearing, Southern California Edison presented about insulated conductors
PG&E presentation about their Wildfire Mitigation Plan
Utility caused fires
Cost of undergrounding lines in rural areas
Radical Tree trimming is random, inconsistent, and dangerous
PG&E delayed safety work on power line
How SDG&E handles broken line
PG&E profits over repairs
Early Detection
Fire Spotting Camera System
Alert Wildfire Program - fire-spotting camera system throughout California and the West
Response to Fire
Christopher Flavelle, “As Wildfires Get Worse, Insurers Pull Back From Riskiest Areas,” New York Times, August 20, 2019.
Michael Wara, “Marin Voice: Amid climate change, we need to rethink our housing plans,” Marin Independent Journal, May 8, 2019.
Michael J. Coren, “California’s wildfires may be the best thing to happen to home batteries,” Quartz, June 7, 2019
Christopher Flavelle, “Bank Regulators Present a Dire Warning of Financial Risks From Climate Change“ , New York Times, October 17, 2019.
Woodside evacuation plan
Who pays now- Utility customers will pay
Microgrids are the solution to planned power shutdowns
Moraga Orinda wildfire evacuation brochure
Don’t leave blackout decisions to utilities
News article on recent state legislation addressing wildfire issues
Stanford University introduces new wildfire resistant gel for vegetation
Microgrids from RoofTop Solar avoid transmission and Planned Shutdowns
As long as we have aboveground electrical lines in vegetated areas (likely very long), and as long as we periodically experience windy, dry, and warm weather conditions (likely forever), some level of planned shutoffs may be necessary to limit fire risk at key times of year.
In addition, to enhance reliability and resilience, particularly in wild-fire prone areas, California will need to invest in more than grid hardening and safety, but also in microgrids and distributed energy resources like rooftop solar, storage, and heat pumps.