Lassen – Modoc Unit - Board of Forestry and Fire Protection - State ...

FIRE MANAGEMENT PLAN 2008
Lassen-Modoc Unit
INTRODUCTION
This Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) is prepared for the Modoc
County Board of Supervisors, California Department of Forestry and Fire, the
local county fire protection districts, the agency representatives and
residents of Modoc County to mitigate losses from wildland fires. It is a
planning tool to help concerned citizens, planning professionals, Fire Safe
Councils, responsible Federal, State and local fire agencies, and other
interested parties to assess the threat level and to identify measures that
may be taken to reduce the danger that wildland fire poses to the
communities in Modoc County.
The Community Wildfire Protection Plan is a dynamic document. As such it
should be reviewed periodically, with facilitation from the Modoc County Fire
Safe Council, and amended as needed by the Board of Supervisors.
Historically, in pre-settlement and settlement years through the early 1900’s,
wildland fire was a naturally occurring event throughout much of California.
Now, due in part to nearly 100 years of fire suppression resulting in
increased levels of wildland fuel loading, the risk of uncontrollable and
catastrophic fire has intensified. As a consequence, these fuel conditions
coupled with the expansion of rural development in the wildland-urban
interface zone, has led to a significantly increased risk for potential loss of life
and property.
Modoc County’s rural appeal and associated lifestyles are highly desirable and are sought by
many. However, the integration of residential, recreational and commercial occupancies and
activities within the flammable natural vegetation of the area of the Wildland Urban Interface is a
dangerous mix. Indeed, all or portions of each of the communities in Modoc County are within
designated high or very high fire hazard severity zones.
The purpose of this project is to help reduce the potential loss of human life and damage to
property and natural resources within Modoc County. More specifically, the objective is to
protect assets at risk through focused pre-fire management prescriptions (such as fuel reduction)
which will increase success of initial fire attack. A critical component is to encourage individual
citizens to be involved in the coordinated effort of pre-fire planning and fire prevention and
protection within his or her respective community.
This document is organized to include all of Modoc County. The maps included are divided into
regions of the county: Surprise Valley, Central Modoc, southwest and the northwest.
The 2005 edition of the Modoc County Community Wildfire Protection Plan will be reviewed
yearly as an agenda item for the MFSC. The fire chiefs and Board of Supervisors will review it
when changes are needed.
Modoc County Community Wildfire Protection Plan/Revised May 2008 76