Butte Unit
Fire Management Plan
2005

PRE-FIRE MANAGEMENT PRESCRIPTIONS

1 - Battalion Chief Mike Santuccio

And the Upper Ridge Preservation Alliance Coordinator Don Steele

Purpose Statement

Battalion 1 of the CDF Butte Unit is located in the northeastern corner of Butte County. Almost
all of the area?s population lies on the Paradise Ridge. This main ridge includes the
incorporated Town of Paradise, and the unincorporated areas of Paradise Pines/Magalia,
DeSabla, and Stirling City. These areas represent a signi?cant ?urban interface? wildland ?re
protection problem where relatively high density housing abruptly joins wildland areas. The
remainder of Battalion 1 is comprised of scattered homes of low density comprising an ?urban
intermix? ?re protection problem. Most of the battalion is predominantly heavy mature brush
(fuel model below the main ridge, and commercial timber (fuel model to the north and
east of the populated areas.

Historically, most of the large damaging ?res within Battalion 1 have occurred in the drainages
that boarder the populated Paradise/Paradise Pines ridge. Although in some cases, these ?res
mostly driven by upslope or up canyon winds have posed a serious threat to portions of
Paradise and Paradise Pines, to date the ?res have been contained prior to reaching these
communities. The greatest risk to the ridge communities is from an East Wind driven ?re that
originates above the communities and blows downhill through developed areas. This is the
same type of ?re that impacted the Oakland Berkeley Hills during the October 20, 1991
?restorm.

Fire cause statistics for Battalion 1 during the year 2003 are very similar to those from previous
years. The leading causes of preventable vegetation ?res were equipment use, debris burning,
and arson respectively. Equipment use cause ?res are relatively common and can be the result
of failure to comply with laws governing equipment use, such as spark arrestors. The debris
?res generally are not of the nature that result in an escape ?re, rather they are the result of
citizens burning debris piles out of hours or during periods where burning has been suspended.
The arson problem is largely teenagers or children ?playing with Generally, the reduction
of unwanted ?res comes through ?re prevention efforts, such as code enforcement and public
educa?on.