edgewood community assessment

Los Cerritos Estates Community Wildland

Assessment and Project 2008

A collaborative effort of the Santa Fe County Fire Department and the NM State Land Office

Los Cerritos Estates Community Wildland Hazard Assessment —- Nov

table of contents

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Introduction

Fire History of the Area

Community Map

Hazard Assessment Find- ings

Edgewood Project

Home Mitigation Ideas

Who to call

Los Cerritos Estates Community Wildland Assessment. October 2008. Santa Fe County Fire—Wildland Division 505.995.6523


Santa Fe County Fire Wildland crew working in Edgewood—October 2008



introduction

The Santa Fe County Fire Department (SFCFD) will treat 50+ acres of land, referred to as Section 32, managed by the New Mexico State Land Office and leased by the Town of Edgewood. The property is directly adjacent to BLM land in southern Santa Fe County and affects the Town of Edge- wood, with a total population of 1,893 and in par- ticular the communities that border Section 32. These are residents of Los Cerritos Estates. Ran- cho Sandia, Windmill Ranch and numerous private property owners for a total of 800+/- residents that will directly benefit from this project

Section 32 is a 640 acre tract of wildland urban in- terface (WUI) that connects BLM land to subdivi- sions and communities in the Town of Edgewood. To date, 80 acres of the land have been treated and a fire break has been partially erected. The NMAC grant will enable Santa Fe County Fire De- partment to treat land that poses the greatest threat to fire spread and will also complete the partially built fire breaks.



The map above represents the fire history in the area of Los Cerritos Estates. The large red box in the middle is the state land we are currently working in. Notice that there have been no fires in that area. This area is southwest of the subdivision, meaning a fire starting in this area could easily be pushed into the Los Cerritos Subdivision by prevailing



area fire history

The fires in the areas surrounding the Los Cerritos Subdivision have been primarily small grass fires. Looking at the map on the previous page, one can see that the heavily wooded area south and southwest of Los Cerritos has not burned in recent history, making it an extreme hazard area.

A fire starting in this area could potentially be devastat- ing, as the forest is thick with overgrowth and beetle kill. Access is poor, making firefighting difficult and dangerous. Prevailing winds come from the south/ southwest, pushing any fire started in this area directly toward the subdivision.



Los Cerritos Estates Aerial View



hazard findings In October of 2008, members of the Santa Fe County Fire Department—Wildland Division conducted an assessment of Los Cerritos Estates. Using a Fire Hazard rating tool, they came up with a score of "Low Moder- ate" for the entire subdivision. Factors contributing to the score included: terrain (slope), roof and siding construction, ingress/egress, and the percentage of defensible space around each home.

The main suggestions we can give to all homeowners based on our assessments included:

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Move firewood piles up against or very near homes at least 30 feet away from home General thinning of trees 30-50 feet around homes Removal of tall grasses near homes Removal of wooden fences, trees and grasses around propane tanks Removal of dead standing trees on each property Enclosing under wooden decks with 1/4" or less screen- ing

All in all, the community as a whole has done a great job with hazards reduction. Should indi- vidual homeowners want to get more detailed in- formation or specific help with their property, we are available for detailed home assessments. Just give us a call at 505.995.6523.

Defensible Space

70% or more

30% - 70%

30% or less

Hazard ratings based on defensible space around each property. 10/08



edgewood project

A fire break is an area of land thinned in such a way as to prevent a fire from spreading past it. The Section 32 project we are doing includes a fire break to prevent any wildland fire from spreading into the Los Cerritos community.

Our project concentrates on the northern and eastern boundaries of the property, reducing the current 400-500 tree per acre existing conditions down to 40-60 trees per acre. This area currently represents a hazard to the Los Cerritos community, as the predominant winds in New Mexico are south to southwest, pushing a potential wildfire north to northwest toward Los Cerritos homes.

The fire break will encompass 10 acres, along with 50 more acres of general thinning. The general thinning will consist of reducing the per acre tree count to 60-120.

Wood from this project is available to the residents of Los Cerritos. Most is green and will need to be sea- soned, but there is and will be plenty of it.

before after

Samples of fuel breaks in the Jemez Mountains done in 2000.


edgewood fuels reduction project

before treatment

after treatment



mitigation ideas Listed below are several inexpensive and easy ways to help protect your home from wildfire.

Low cost or No cost investment:

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Maintain defensible space for 30 feet around your home Ensure that house numbers are visible from the street Clear out materials under deck and stacked against home—stack firewood 30 feet away from home if possible Remove flammable material from around your propane tank Trim and thin trees. Keep crown spacing over 15 feet.

Minimal Investment (<$250)

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When landscaping, select non-combustible plants, lawn furniture and landscaping materials Box in eaves, attic vents, and crawl spaces with noncom- bustible materials Enclose open space under decks with 1/4" or less screen- ing

Moderate to High Investment (>$250)

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Treat construction materials with fire-retardant chemicals Install an independent water supply than can run for 24 hours



fire happens

Thank you for taking the time to talk to us.

It's been a pleasure working in your neighborhood and meeting all of you.



who to call

Santa Fe County Fire—Wildland Division Capt. Greg Gallegos 22 Bisbee Ct Santa Fe NM 87507 505.992.6523

CFR Los Cerritos Estates Homeowner's Association 90 Camino Los Cerritos Edgewood NM

Collaborative Forest Restoration Pro-

Websites of interest:

http://www.sfcfire-wildland.com/ http://www.firewise.org


edgewood community assessment

Documents

Transcript of edgewood community assessment