Castle Valley hazard committee updates fire plan, prioritizes resilience and outreach

The Castle Valley Hazard Mitigation Committee on Feb. 25 met in person at Lot 2 Castle Valley Drive and on Zoom to review and update the plan’s fire section, agreeing to change the stated goal to “maintain and improve fire resiliency in the community.”

Committee members said the update responds to recent local fire activity and a perceived shift from a seasonal fire pattern to year‑round risk. The group discussed recent incident counts, department equipment, coordination with state and federal partners and a slate of mitigation actions that range from outreach to infrastructure work.

The committee reviewed a year‑by‑year incident ledger compiled by a committee member that documented multiple brush, chimney, vehicle and structure fires from 2020 through 2024. Committee member Ron summarized the data for the record, saying the group’s notes show five fires in 2020 and roughly nine in 2024. Members emphasized the counts are for planning purposes and that none of the local events had been federally declared disasters.

Members agreed the fire season in Castle Valley is effectively lengthening. “It can almost be any time of year now,” one committee member said during the discussion; the committee decided to update the probability analysis to reflect more year‑round likelihood while retaining a higher likelihood in summer months.

The meeting inventoryed current resources: a new engine (identified in the record as Engine 40), an older Engine 38 and other department apparatus, a propane generator that runs the Lot 13 well, and a recently acquired 525‑gallon trailer water tank. The road department also noted that the town’s new backhoe (a Cat with quick‑attach hydrauics) can accept mulching or mowing attachments, which could reduce the cost of purchasing a dedicated masticator.

The committee weighed mitigation strategies in three broad categories: land and fuels work, equipment and water resources, and public outreach. On land and fuels, members said they will continue annual fire‑break work on Moen Road and plan to extend full easement widths where feasible. The committee discussed whether to pursue policy tools that require property owners to reduce fuels, and members signaled a preference for incentives and voluntary programs over mandatory ordinances because of enforcement constraints.

Potential incentives and programs discussed included a volunteer or low‑cost crew to help property owners clear defensible space, expanding Firewise Community outreach and state partnership programs that provide free assessments and in‑kind assistance. Committee members discussed using goats or sheep for fuel reduction in specific areas, noting grazing contractors exist but also that herds require containment and supervision.

The committee also discussed an awareness and communications strategy. Members tested the town siren and found its coverage limited by terrain and wind; the siren’s recurring utility fee of about $10.26 per month (approximately $120 per year) prompted debate about whether to retire the unit, add additional sirens (committee members estimated a minimum of three would be needed to cover the valley), or invest in alternative communications such as low‑cost household radios or enhanced text/alerting systems. The group noted that cellular/Wi‑Fi push alerts do not reliably reach all residents and that sirens or radios would only be useful if the committee could assign specific, easily understood meanings to signals.

On water and equipment, the committee discussed identifying private cisterns, ponds and high‑volume wells that could be used for firefighting with property‑owner permission or an MOU for reimbursement. Members said several local cisterns, private ponds and irrigation draw points already exist and that a checklist of usable water sources would be valuable for pre‑planning.

The group reviewed a list of mitigation actions carried over from the previous plan and proposed edits: removing mandatory homeowner fuel‑reduction requirements from the short list in favor of encouragement and incentives, consolidating overlapping public education items under an expanded Firewise outreach action, and adding a new action to publish a simple “home readiness” checklist (shovels, fire blankets, hoses on faucets, a basic 72‑hour kit and contact information for inspections or assessments).

No formal votes were recorded during the meeting. Committee staff said they will update the draft fire section to reflect the revised goal and the specific actions discussed, then circulate the draft for further committee review and a future public hearing.

The committee scheduled follow‑up work: updating the resource inventory to include engine designations and generator locations, contacting Moab‑area fire inspectors about offering structure‑assessment services on request, and seeking cost estimates for additional sirens or alternative resident radios. The updated draft will be circulated to committee members and posted on the town’s hazard mitigation web page before public hearings are scheduled.