City of Big Bear Lake Reduces Wildfire Risk

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In 2007, the City of Big Bear Lake, California, was named a Fire Safe City by the national Firewise Communities program.  Firewise Communities/USA is a project of the National Wildfire Coordinating Group's Wildland/Urban Interface Working Team that involves homeowners, engineering professionals, home builders, planners and community leaders to take measures to reduce the risk of wildfires through the proper maintenance, design, landscaping and construction of homes.  Approximately 300 cities in the United States participate in this program.

At an elevation of 6,750 feet and about two hours east of Los Angeles, the mountain community of Big Bear Lake is adjacent to the San Bernardino National Forest, which is about one million acres in size.  Amazingly, this area of the San Bernardino National Forest has not experienced a large wildfire in 107 years. This is dangerous in that there are approximately 14 million dead trees in this area as a result of bark beetle infestation and seasonal droughts.  According to Firewise, Big Bear was classified as a Community at Risk of wildfire by the National Register in 2001.  In 2003, the "Old Fire" in Southern California caused the evacuation of the entire city; however, rain and snow assisted firefighters in their efforts and the fire was suppressed before reaching Big Bear.  This close call prompted action among legislators.

In 2006, the City Council authorized the Mayor to sign the Big Bear Valley Community Wildfire Protection Plan, which outlined two major strategies for reducing the city's wildfire risk.  The first strategy is the Fire Fuels Reduction Plan.  According to David Yegge, the city's Fire Fuel Technician, this program provides assistance to Big Bear homeowners to create a defensible space around their homes by thinning out vegetation and dead trees.  With the financial aid offered by the San Bernardino National Forest Association's Forest Care Project, homeowners can clear their property of fire fuels, paying only 25% of the cost.  To supplement this, the City of Big Bear has implemented the Neighborhood Chipping Program, whereby residents who live 1,500 feet from the San Bernardino National Forest can leave their large tree limbs, branches and vegetation curbside, where the city will pick it up and dispose of it using its Bandit 250 wood chipper.  According to the City of Big Bear Lake, this project is partially funded by the United States Forest Service Community Assistance Grant Program.

The second part of the Big Bear Valley Community Wildfire Protection Plan involves replacing all shake shingle roofs.  The city has passed an ordinance requiring all shake shingle roofs to be replaced by 2012.  To ease the financial burden on homeowners who have to replace their roofs, the Big Bear Lake Fire Protection District has received funding from the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services (OES) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) that enables them to reimburse property owners within 1,500 feet of the San Bernardino National Forest up to 70% of the cost associated with this.

David Yegge says that studies show that by replacing shake shingle roofs and creating defensible spaces through fire fuel reduction, homeowners reduce their risk of being affected by wildfires by 86%.