Pasadena Fire Department to Unveil Arroyo-Area Wildfire Protection and Evacuation Plan

The Pasadena Fire Department will provide a public briefing on Wednesday, Feb. 23, of the “Arroyo” area’s Community Wildfire Protection Plan and evacuation plan to the City Council’s Public Safety Committee.

The presentation is an information-only item in the agenda of the Committee’s special meeting, which begins at 4 p.m.

Pasadena’s “Arroyo” area, as shown in a preliminary report about the plan, comprises the area bounded by Oak Grove Drive on the north; the 210 freeway, Forest Ave., Lincoln Ave., Blake Street, N. Pasadena Ave., and the 134 on the east; the W. Colorado Blvd. And Arroyo Blvd. Intersection on the south, and the City boundary on the west.

Developed by the Pasadena Fire Department in collaboration with key community stakeholders, other Pasadena City departments, and in consultation with a Los Angeles County Fire Department wildfire expert, the plan identifies evacuation options for those who live or work in the “Arroyo” area, and recommends measures to reduce the “ignitability” of structures throughout the area addressed by the plan.

“Ignitability” refers to a structure’s or composite material’s tendency to ignite or catch fire.

The other Departments that helped organize the plan include the Pasadena Police Department, the City’s ADA Coordinator, the Departments of Transportation, Public Works, Information Technology, Pasadena Water and Power and the Public Information Officer.

“Although wildfires within the City have historically been infrequent, current climate models forecast a future dryer and warmer climate scenario for the area,” The Fire Department said in an opening for the report. “With or without climate change, wildfires are inevitable, however, the risk to humans can be minimized and the loss and damage to homes, businesses, critical infrastructure, and other human development can be significantly reduced through thoughtful planning.”

By providing evacuation recommendations to people residing or working in and around the “Arroyo,” the plan is expected to enhance the protection of human life and safety and reduce the wildfire threat to homes, commercial structures, critical infrastructure, businesses, and natural and historic resources within the City, the report said.

The report added the single greatest factor for success of a  Community Wildfire Protection Plan is that it must recommend measures that homeowners and communities can take to reduce the ignitability of structures within the area covered by the plan.

To assure ignitability is reduced significantly, the Fire Department has been implementing an aggressive fire-prevention approach throughout Pasadena, which includes yearly reminders to all houses identified to be in High or Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones of the City, continuing partnerships with the community on enforcement and prevention; conducting yearly Hazardous Vegetation inspections in the Arroyo area; adopting fire codes and ordinances that require “defensible space” of 100 feet around the home; requiring a vertical clearance of feet between the roof surface of any building or structure and any foliage, limb, or branch of any tree or other vegetation; prohibiting the use of any fireworks; and conducting fire prevention patrol and enforcement teams in the community in the days leading up to 4th of July.

The measures also include spraying thousands of gallons of Phos-Check in areas around the Rose Bowl every year during the fire season.

During the Public Safety Committee meeting, Fire Department staff will explain other specific measures that Pasadena homeowners and residents can take to help mitigate the impact of fires in the Arroyo area.

They will also explain how the Fire Department and other City departments intend to implement an immediate notification process so residents would know when an evacuation would be necessary, and how it should proceed.

Members of the community may access the special meeting of the Public Safety Committee on Wednesday through

http://pasadena.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?publish_id=9 and on www.pasadenamedia.org.

During the meeting, members of the audience are allowed to provide live comments by submitting a speaker card prior to the start of the public comment phase, through www.cityofpasadena.net/commissions/public-comment. Other comments may also be submitted by email to vflores@cityofpasadena.net.