Monterey Fire Department unveils draft Carmel-by-the-Sea fire defense plan

Monterey Fire Division Chief Justin Cooper presented a draft Carmel-by-the-Sea Fire Defense Plan at the Forest and Beach Commission meeting, describing a detailed, map-based approach to reduce wildfire risk through vegetation management, improved emergency access and prioritized roadside and roadside-clearance projects.

The plan, Cooper said, is built on the Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) developed by Carmel-by-the-Sea together with Monterey and Pacific Grove. "This defense plan is built upon the CWPP," Cooper said, and narrows the CWPP’s broader recommendations into projects mapped specifically for Carmel-by-the-Sea.

Cooper told commissioners the draft identifies wildland–urban interface (WUI) zones and the new Cal Fire fire-hazard severity maps the city adopted by ordinance. "You can see the red is very high, the orange is high and the yellow is a moderate fire hazard severity zone," he said, noting Cal Fire’s mapping expands some areas previously shown as WUI. He emphasized that unshaded areas on the map are not free of risk: "It does not mean that we can't get a wildfire there and still spread across any of these lines."

Why it matters: the plan lays out specific fuel-reduction zones (including Pescadero Canyon, Casadero Canyon and Mission Trails) and an implementation framework staff can use to schedule work, pursue grants, and coordinate with Cal Fire and other…