Pre-Fire Management and Wildfire Resilience
Our multi-level approach to wildfire resilience includes landscape and local level fuel reduction projects completed by our Vasona Crew, community engagement carried out by our Community Wildfire Specialist, Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) inspections preformed by our Fire Prevention team, and participation in countywide wildfire preparedness projects such as the Community Wildfire Protection Plan.
Vasona Crew
Established in 2022, the Vasona Crew is a 10-person team that works seasonally on public lands within the western portion of the Santa Clara Valley. One of the primary objectives of the Vasona Crew is to complete fuel reduction projects that increase community safety such as evacuation route hardening and the development and maintenance of strategic and protective fire breaks. Projects are identified through a collaboration between agencies served by County Fire and our Community Wildfire Specialist.
Community Wildfire Specialist
Building wildfire resilience requires actions and efforts from everyone in the community including property and business owners, nonprofit organizations, and government agencies. Our Wildfire Specialist works to coordinate wildfire preparedness efforts throughout our service area and county wide. Working with city leaders to identify and coordinate fuel reduction projects, performing educational defensible space assessments, and acting as a subject matter expert in the process of developing the Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) are just a few of the vital functions carried out by our Community Wildfire Specialist.
What is fuel reduction?
- Fuel reduction refers to the removal of excessive dead or overgrown vegetation, which would otherwise provide combustible material (fuel) for a fire burning through the area. The work typically focuses on the removal of what are known as ladder fuels – understory vegetation that creates a path for fire to spread from the ground to the tree canopy. By removing dead and overgrown vegetation, we create a vertical buffer between the ground and the tree canopy as well as horizontal spacing between individual trees and shrubs. Large healthy trees are rarely removed during fuel reduction projects, and in some circumstances dead standing trees will be left to maintain adequate habitat for animals.
- The goal of this work is to remove excess accumulated vegetation and return the landscape to a condition similar to what it looked like prior to colonization, when native groups stewarded the land and low intensity fire burned through regularly. We do not remove all of the vegetation to create the barren swaths of dirt that may come to mind when you think of the term ‘fire break’.
How is this work carried out?
- Before any vegetation removal is done the project area is observed for hazards and resources which may need to be avoided or protected. The crew adheres to a pre-determined project prescription – a set of specifications ensuring that environmental considerations and other vegetation management best practices are adhered to – while work is being performed.
- There are many different methods used for fuel reduction depending on the needs and limitations of each worksite. The primary method of fuel reduction implemented by our hand crew is manual vegetation removal using chain saws and hand tools. The removed vegetation is chipped and deposited back onto the ground where it will decompose and continue aiding in the overall ecological health of the area.
- In some of the more remote areas throughout the county, carefully constructed and regulated pile burning is used to dispose of excess biomass rather than using a chipper. This method is often used for noxious weeds, such as scotch broom, to avoid redistributing seeds back in to the environment.
Where does the crew work?
- The crew works within High and Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones (link to FHSZ viewer) in areas where the built environment abuts or intermixes with dense continuous stands of vegetation, we call this the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI).
