Castle Valley committee updates fire plan, shifts goal to 'maintain and improve' community resilience

The Castle Valley Hazard Mitigation Committee on Feb. 25 began updating the fire section of its local hazard mitigation plan, endorsing a change in goal language and adding recent incident history and practicable mitigation steps.

Committee members heard a fire-history briefing from Ron, who summarized local incidents since 2019 — including chimney, structure and power-line-start fires, multiple lightning-caused brush fires, and nine total events in 2024 — and agreed staff would add exact dates to the plan. The group decided to shorten the historical appendix (starting at 2010) rather than listing every event since 2005, while committing to note whether any state or federal declared disasters had occurred.

Why it matters: The committee revised the plan’s primary fire goal from "maintain a fire resilient community" to "maintain and improve fire resiliency in the community," reflecting members’ view that wildfire risk has broadened beyond seasonal patterns and now requires year-round vigilance.

Members reviewed existing and new resources: the fire district’s new Engine 40, a water tender, portable gas and a propane generator at Lot 13 used to power a well, and a recently acquired 525-gallon road-department water tank. The committee asked staff to update the resource list with capacities and locations where available and discussed pump/hose compatibility for drafting from private cisterns or pools.

Mitigation priorities discussed were practical and politically feasible measures: extending and maintaining fire breaks (road-department plans to widen easement clearings this year were noted), re-starting Firewise outreach and the newsletter, offering voluntary assessments and in-kind assistance, and encouraging alternatives to pile burning such as chipping and mulching. Members rejected mandatory fuel-reduction ordinances as politically unlikely, favoring incentive- and education-based strategies and low-cost volunteer programs where feasible.

Communication and preparedness actions included a proposal to re-start public reminders for defensible space, provide a clear list of resident actions (72-hour kits, hoses, fire extinguishers, fire blankets) and consider a volunteer clearing program to offer low-cost or in-kind defensible-space work for residents who need help.

What was not decided: The committee did not adopt mandatory enforcement measures for property-level fuel mitigation; instead it retained several previously listed options for analysis, with the intent to prioritize achievable projects when the plan moves to public hearings.

Next steps: Staff will add event dates to the fire history, update the resource inventory with equipment capacities, and draft language that incorporates the revised goal and the prioritized mitigation items for public review and upcoming hearings.