April 07, 2021
On Tuesday, the Napa County Board of Supervisors unanimously endorsed a proposal to reduce fuel – and fire risks in a county where deadly wildfires have destroyed houses, wineries and other properties.
The Napa Communities Firewise Foundation, a volunteer organization whose members include firefighters, vintners and other business leaders, commissioned the 18-month study that used remote sensing technology called Lidar to predict fire behavior given the county’s fuel conditions.
The document, known as the Napa County Community Wildfire Protection Plan, has led to the development of a 5-year vegetation management plan, including the construction and maintenance of fuel breaks. It is a tool the county can use to apply for state and federal funding.
Local wildfire prevention advocates want $42 million over five years for fuel reduction and similar projects to prevent a repeat of large fires that in recent years destroyed about 1,500 homes, businesses and other structures.
The county Board of Supervisors on Tuesday held what amounted to a wildfire summit. Wine industry officials and residents implored the county to take further preventative steps before another fire season begins.
âNapa will burn again,â said Christopher Thompson of Napa Communities Firewise Foundation. âWe now have a plan of action and we need funding . and we need lots of it.â
County Fire Chief Geoff Belyea asked for $6.4 million in the short-term. County supervisors responded by agreeing that the county should find the money to make that contribution.
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