Fire chief outlines fuels-reduction plan, burn-box biochar program

Fire Chief Keith Buckle told the council the fire department is expanding fuels-reduction work into neighborhoods and focusing on limiting crown fire ("crowning") by interrupting fuel continuity between trees and brush.

"I'm Keith Buckle. I'm fortunate enough to be your fire chief," he said at the start of the presentation and used before/after photos to show where mitigation allows brush engines and skid units to access slopes and lay hose lines. Buckle explained conduction (touch-to-touch fuel transfer) drives canopy fires and demonstrated how cleared corridors reduce flame length and allow direct firefighting access. He described use of a burn box to process removed fuels into a soil amendment sometimes referred to as biochar, saying the burn box provides a controlled environment that avoids creating new ignition risks and allows reuse of minerals in soil.

Councilors asked operational questions about biochar processing, certification, staffing and prioritization. Buckle said certification and training are required before the burn box can be used: "We have to go through our classes and get certified to be able to do this so that we are, covering all of our bases for liability," and added that the certification would be a short (two-day) class for operators. He said the team will prioritize egress routes (Serpentine, the roundabout and El Paso) and will triage the worst properties first, then maintain cleared properties to keep them safe.

The council thanked the department for the demonstration, and the chief noted the department's intent to cycle through properties on about a one-year schedule depending on weather and drought conditions.