Helping Del Mar Reduce Wildfire FuelsIn 2006, the City of Del Mar Fire Department worked with Dudek and GIS-based modeling software to analyze hazard areas and clearly identify high-risk zones in canyon areas with dense brush. This information aided in preparing a management plan to reduce hazardous fuels and potential threats to people and property, and provide firefighters with “defensible space” to better control a fire’s spread.The project provided direction for strategic reduction of wildfire hazards while maintaining soil stability, sensitive species’ habitats, aesthetics and resident privacy.“Fire prevention officers are familiar with the high-risk areas in their jurisdiction,” said Michael Huff, Dudek’s urban forestry services manager, who helped Del Mar with its analyses. “We combine their knowledge with our research and site-specific analysis, mapping this in GIS databases and running computerized fire behavior modeling programs. This output graphically represents high-risk areas for use in planning and designing environmentally-friendly fuel reduction efforts and in educating the community and decision-makers.”In Del Mar, it became evident that some ridge-top homes and primary evacuation routes did not have enough buffer area to reduce fire intensity to levels that would allow firefighters a safe zone to defend homes and evacuate residents during a wildfire emergency. Dudek’s field assessments and fire behavior modeling identified priority areas to receive targeted brush removal. Once completed, fire risk was reduced and defensible space was increased. Ongoing vegetation maintenance in these areas is critical to sustain the reduced hazard status.Fortunately, the 2007 Witch Creek fire did not reach Del Mar, however if it had, the area was much better structured to withstand wildfire damage.
