Category: cwpp

Insurance

Insurance companies should become more involved with the community and develop a realistic understanding of the fire threat and appropriate mitigation measures for the San Jacinto Mountains area.  Statewide rules developed in Sacramento need to be adjusted to fit the realities of this community.

Recommendations

• MAST members and community representatives will work with agencies and elected officials to assure that insurance abatement requirements are reasonable, consistent, and achievable. 

 

 

• The Fire Safe Council should invite the insurance companies to participate in the community fire planning effort to better understand the specific issues, capabilities, and constraints of the San Jacinto Mountains area.

 

 

• Educate the community on what insurance companies are looking for and be proactive in providing that information to them.

 

 

• Reduced premiums for building design and materials – replacing shingled roofs with non-wood material; exterior materials consisting of stucco, metal siding, brick, concrete block, and rock; reduced overhangs or boxed eaves; under-eave vents located near the roofline rather than near the wall; exterior vents faced away from possible fire corridors and covered with < ¼ inch wire mesh; windows and doors made of thick, tempered safety glass and protected with nonflammable shutters; stone walls to deflect heat; and properly placed rooftop sprinklers or misters pumped by an independent power source.

 

 

Evacuation

1. Create a Neighbor Network to facilitate evacuation.

 

 

2. Evacuation notices (door hangers) to identify evacuation status.

 

3. Education and Outreach about available animal evacuation programs.
   1. REARS-OES
   2. Living Free
   3. ARF Animal Rescue Foundation
   4. Hilltop Horsemen

 

 

4. Publicize animal shelter location.

 

 

5. Make sure evacuation routes are adequately marked.

 

 

6. Expand evacuation mapping throughout the mountain communities by adding Twin Pines, Poppet Flats, Snow Creek, and Skyland Ranch to the MAST evacuation plan.

 

 

7. MAST and the CHP should distribute evacuation leaflets during an evacuation.

 

 

8. Maintain road clearance—CALTRANS, USFS, County Roads, and private owners.

 

 

9. Install signs with emergency radio station information.

 

 

10. Extend transportation corridor fuels reduction beyond national forest boundaries.

 

 

11. Study the possibility of secondary access to Twin Pines Rd. to Hwy. 243 between Poppet Flats and Vista Grande.

 

 

12. Improve Mapping throughout the mountain area.

 

 

13. Reverse 911.

 

 

14. List of disabled.
    1. FSC info to Law Enforcement

 

 

15. Increase Radio Station WNKI's power.

 

Firefighting Resources:

1. The Pine Cove Water District has established a plan to extend its 6" and 8" main lines onto USFS lands.  These lines will follow existing fire roads and fuel breaks on the western flank of Pine Cove and Idyllwild.

• The purpose of these lines is to provide water for firefighters and equipment.  Fire hydrants will be installed every 500' and also in critical areas to establish safety zones for personnel.

• This proposed project would install over two miles of pipeline and add 25 new hydrants.  Estimated cost will be $650,000.00.  The project is greatly supported by personnel from CDF and the U.S. Forest Service.

 

2. One major component of integrated fire protection for the mountain is fire roads (a.k.a. truck trail systems) that both the USFS and CDF use to access fires before they reach the community.  They are also very useful for prescribed burns and other fuel management activities.  These roads must be evaluated and maintained annually to keep them in usable condition.

 

 

Fire Resistant Structures.

• Retrofitting program to make existing structures fire resistant.