The California Board of Forestry and Fire Protection has adopted a new Strategic Fire Plan.
State officials say the 2018 Strategic Fire Plan is a roadmap for reducing the risk and impacts from wildfires. It places an emphasis on what needs to be done long before a fire starts, while also looking to reduce firefighting costs, property losses, increasing firefighter safety, and contributing to forest health.
The 2018 Strategic Fire Plan has eight goals:
- Analyzing fire risk
- Supporting land use planning
- Community preparedness planning
- Public education
- Integrating landowner fuels management
- Identifying fire suppression resources
- Increasing fire prevention efforts
- Post-wildfire recovery
The plan is updated every 8-10 years. The last update was in 2010.
Since then, state fire officials say it appears the impacts of climate change have resulted in increased severity of wildfires, longer fire seasons, increased extreme weather conditions, historic drought, and led to California’s worst tree mortality epidemic in history. The new plan addresses those issues and highlights the need for heightened levels of fire prevention and protection of natural resources.
Click here to read the full plan.
