Suburbanization of the Fire Terrain: A Planner’s Perspective Rick Brady, AICP

 Suburbanization of the Fire Terrain  Hazard Mitigation Response  Case Studies  Sustainability Considerations  A Planner’s Perspective Overview

 History of Suburbanization  Building Suburbia: Greenfields and Urban Growth, (Dolores Hayden) Suburbanization of the Fire Terrain  Sprawl: A Compact History (Robert Bruegmann)

Suburbanization of the Fire Terrain  CA Population:  15 million in 1960  30 million in 1990  33 million in 2008

Suburbanization of the Fire Terrain  Result: Expansion of the Wildland- Urban Interface (WUI)  Place where “the leaves meet the eaves.”  Protecting life and property major challenge

Suburbanization of the Fire Terrain  Unintended Consequence: Catastrophic Loss from Wildfire  California  1960s: 2,000+ homes burned  Large wildfires in 1970, 1980, 1981, 1985, 1987, 1988, 1990, 1991, 1993, and 1994 through 1999, 2003, and 2007

Suburbanization of the Fire Terrain  Unintended Consequence: Catastrophic Loss from Wildfire  San Diego County  2003 Cedar Fire: 16 dead, 383,000 acres burned, 2,722 homes lost, ~$1 billion damage  2007 Fires : 10 dead, 369,000 acres burned, 1,600 homes lost, ~$1.5 billion damage

 Hazard Mitigation Planning  General Plan Safety Elements Hazard Mitigation Response  Defensible Space Codes  Requirement increased 30-ft to 100-ft

Urban-Wildland Interface Codes

 FEMA funded / State administration  City applied post Cedar Fire (2003)  $2.3 mil supplement for $3.9 mil from City General Fund  679 acres, 6,400 at-risk homes  Awarded, but not funded to date City of San Diego Brush Management

Shelter In Place Strategies  Origins in Australia  Safe to stay in home, if evacuation is not a safe option.  Setting bar for newer sprawling subdivisions in the WUI.

Shelter In Place Critics  False sense of security  Exposure to smoke unavoidable  Rationalizes further expansion into the WUI

Case Studies

Fanita Ranch  130-ft Defensible Space  Wildland Access  Emergency Access  Ignition Resistant Construction  Sprinklers  Fire Station

Sustainability Considerations  Environment  Direct Impacts: More defensible space = more habitat take  Indirect Impacts: Suburbanization = VMT = GHG = Climate Change & Drought = Increased Fire Hazards  Economy  Damages in the billions $$.  WUI expansion stresses under-funded local and state agencies.  Equity  De-facto income segregation  Tax payer burden 

A Planner’s Perspective  Increased exposure to wildfire hazards is an unintended consequence of suburbanization of the fire terrain  Comprehensive regional approach to planning and the WUI that emphasizes sustainability is ideal  Suburbanization of the fire terrain continues  If inevitable, safer building practices should be encouraged