HomeMy WebLinkAbout2017/01/17 Public Comments - WoldPu.L21 C- C6n1jjWf*
My name is Dick Wold. I am a retired firefighter and am a fire and
arson investigator certified by the California Fire Marshall's office and
the National Fire Academy. I am also considered an expert by the
Superior Court of the State of California, counties of Riverside and San
Diego. I am here today representing the citizens of Chula Vista and,
more specifically, myself and my neighbors of Surrey Drive and Corral
Court.
We are all concerned about the fire danger that exists here in
California and more importantly in Chula Vista. I'm sure that you have
seen the PSA's aired on TV by SD Fire, SD County Fire, and Cal Fire
encouraging everyone to clear flammable vegetation to a minimum of
100' from their homes and businesses. We support that concept
wholeheartedly. This should also include vegetation owned by the City
of Chula Vista.
When the city started its rapid growth in Otay Lakes, Olympic
Parkway, H. St. etc. a few years ago, your fire department found it
necessary and prudent to have the developers clear and maintain all
hazardous growth to a distance of 100', 150', and 200', depending on
the slope of the terrain, to create a defensible barrier and make a
potentially hazardous situation safer. This is, and was, good. But, when
it comes to applying those same strategies to city owned land, the rules
seem to change. According to state and county codes, 100' is a
minimum cleared distance for flammable vegetation from any
structure. The Chula Vista city code states 60'. We feel that the city
should change their code to co -inside with current prudent practices
and -come into compliance with state and county codes.
Three and a half years ago we started working with Chief Gipson,
Chula Vista's Fire Marshall, and Sam Olundunfe, Open Space Manager
for Chula Vista to address open space vegetation concerns. We defined
over 150 code violations, in our neighborhood alone, of hazardous
vegetation conditions on city property. Subsequent to our meetings,
Chief Gipson and Mr. Olundunfe surveyed the city owned land and
found, even under the current 60' rule, many areas of the city owned
property are not in compliance with the existing codes. They
developed a strategy to abate these hazards and put together an
economic package that was submitted in the Chula Vista Fire
Department's budget as Item #15. It amounted to $1,475,000 to abate
the problems throughout the city. You, the Council, have redlined the
entire amount in both of the last two years. You have funded no
money at all. That money, if funded, would have been transferred to
Open Space Management. The hazards have been defined by your fire
department, the agency which identifies and holds the responsible
parties to compliance with the fire codes. The City of Chula Vista is now
in violation of hundreds of those situations and has now exposed the
city to liability should a fire occur and any private property be damaged
due to the city ignoring these code violations.
Every year for the past few years, Bonita Fire Protection District
has sent letters to the Chula Vista Fire Marshall's office, requesting that
the city of Chula Vista abate the hazards which exist in the canyon
behind Surrey Drive and Corral Court. The city has not yet abated these
hazards nor responded to these requests. The area we are most
concerned about lies adjacent to Surrey Dr. and Corral Crt., most
specifically the grove of Eucalyptus trees and the overgrown brush
within 100' of our homes.
i
Let me read a few excerpts from four reports and papers
published by recognized experts in the fields of invasive species,
Eucalyptus trees and fire hazards which address these concerns. These
papers are from Dr. Chin, Agroforestry Researcher, Lisa Gross, Science
Editor for KQED, David Boyd, Professor of University of Tasmin,
University of California, Cal Fire, The State Fire Marshall's office and
AAA Insurance Company. I am providing copies of each of these papers
for each of you.
I quote in part, "biologists now count Eucalyptus trees as an
invasive species as a major threat to habitat loss and fragmentation.
Introduced into California in 1805, Eucalyptus trees invade local plants
with their dropping of leaves, twigs, and bark, poisoning the soil with
tannic acid which kills all other plants. Eucalyptus is one of the most
fire intensive plants there is. Not only their leaves, twigs and dry bark
dropping but the volatile compounds of oils causes explosive burning."
Referring to Eucalyptus, "those things are going to burn like torches.
They shoot out gas balls as the oil is heated. It massively increases the
fire risk. Additionally, the Eucalyptus that gives off the characteristic
spicy fragrance is a flammable oil. This oil, combined with the littler
from the tree especially during dry, windy weather, can turn a small
ground fire into a raging inferno and an explosive firestorm within
minutes. These trees are sometimes referred to as gasoline trees, a fire
department's nightmare."
"A typical grown Eucalyptus tree robs the water table of 10 liters
of water per day, 300 liters per month or 3,600 liters per year and does
not give back or transpire as other plants do."
3
"We, (AAA Insurance) are denying your application for fire
insurance because of the conflagration hazard that exists because of
the grove of Eucalyptus trees in the canyon that terminates at Corral
and Surrey."
"We have all seen the devastation of California wildfires, none
more evident than the Oakland Hills fire where virtually'all of the
homes were lost and firefighters killed. The City of Oakland, at the
suggestion and direction of the University of California, Berkeley, Cal
Fire, and the Calif. State Fire Marshall's office, will be removing all
Eucalyptus trees from the Oakland Hills."
For some reason, Mr. Oludunfe, Open Space Manager, likes and
tries to protect the invasive Eucalyptus. He obviously does not see the
damage and fire danger these trees present.
We are vehemently suggesting to the city council that they do the
following:
• Remove all Eucalyptus trees on city owned lands abutting homes
on Surrey Dr. & Corral Crt.
• Update fire codes for vegetation clearance to conform to state
and county laws of a minimum of 100' or more in the event of
steeper terrain. The 100' measurement should be taken from the
umbrella or drip line of the trees and vegetation, not merely the
stems or trunks.
• That the city comply with all codes and ordinances regarding fire
clearance of vegetation on city owned land.
• That the city develop a plan to maintain all city land that abuts
structures with regard to fire codes and safety.
We intend to keep working with the city staff to ensure a safer
environment.
Thank you,
Dick Wold
334 Surrey Drive
Bonita, Calif. 91902
Ph: 619 479-2995
5
Eucalyptus and fire - Wildfire Today
Eucalyptus and fire
http://wildfiretoday.com/2014/03/03/eucalyptus-and-fire/
Eucalyptus tereticornis' buds, capsules, flowers and foliage, Rockhampton, Queensland. Photo
by Ethel Aardvark
Wildland firefighters in Australia and in some areas of California are very
familiar with eucalyptus trees. They are native and very common in Australia
and are planted as ornamentals in the United States. The leaves produce a
volatile highly combustible oil, and the ground beneath the trees is covered
with large amounts of litter which is high in phenolics, preventing its
breakdown by fungi. Wildfires burn rapidly under them and through the tree
crowns. It has been estimated that other than the 3,000+ homes that burned
in the 1991 Oakland Hills Fire in California, about 70 percent of the energy
released was through the combustion of eucalyptus.
Eucalyptus is one of three similar genera that are commonly referred to as
"eucalypts".
1 of 5 8/20/2016 3:10 PM
Eucalyptus and fire — Wildfire Today
http://wildfiretoday.com/2014/03/03/eucalyptus-and-fire/
Jon Henley, a reporter who covered the numerous large bushfires a year ago
in Australia, has written a book about fire down under, titled "Firestorm:
Surviving the Tasmanian bushfire". Below is an excerpt:
"...Gum trees, as eucalypts are known, `are like weeds that come up on
bombed -out blocks', adds Jamie Kirkpatrick, professor of geography and
environmental studies at the university. `They're fantastically fast growers
and great colonisers, but not great competitors.'
Eucalypts typically let through a lot of light, allowing other vegetation types
such as scrub and grass to grow beneath them. They can live for maybe 700
years. But they won't regenerate, Kirkpatrick explains, if what is growing
beneath them over the years becomes too dense. Most eucalypt species,
therefore — there are more than 600 in Australia, between 30 and 40 in
Tasmania — have evolved traits that allow them to survive and prosper in the
fires that will clear that undergrowth.
Some, like the mighty, loo -metre -tall Eucalyptus regnans — also known as
the mountain ash, stringy gum or Tasmanian oak — hold their seeds inside
small, hard capsules; a fire will instantly trigger a massive drop of seeds to
the newly fertilised ground.
The myriad bright green buds that sprout spectacularly from the trunks of
other eucalypts in the aftermath of a big fire are another kind of regeneration
mechanism, bursting through the scorched and blackened bark within weeks
of a blaze.
Within five or six years, `a burned forest will be looking pretty good',
Kirkpatrick says. `And a large proportion of Tasmania's flora fits into this fire
ecology. Pea plants, wattles — their germination is stimulated by heat and
smoke. Fire is really, really important in Tasmania.'
2 of 5 8/20/2016 3:10 PM
Eucalyptus and fire -Wildfire Today
http://wildfiretoday.com/2014/03/03/eucalyptus-and-fire/
At the centre of it all, though, is the eucalypt. Because these trees do not just
resist fire, they actively encourage it. `They withstand fire, they need fire; to
some extent, they create fire,' Bowman says. `The leaves, the bark, don't
decompose. They're highly, highly flammable. And on a hot day, you can
smell their oils.'
The bark and leaves of eucalypts seem almost made to promote fire. Some are
known as stringyor candle -barks: long, easily lit strips hang loosely off their
trunks and, once alight, whirl blazing up into the flammable canopy above, or
are carried by the wind many kilometres ahead of a fire to speed its advance."
This is an edited extract from Firestorm: Surviving the Tasmanian bushfire by
Jon Henley (Guardian Shorts £1.99 / $2.99)
Get it from Amazon Kindle or directly from Guardian Shorts.
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3ardening Know How Ftiucalypt. s Oil And Fire — Information About ... http://www.gardeningknowhow.com/omamentaUtrees/eucalyptus/eucal...
Gardening Know How - http://www.gardeningknowhow.com
Eucalyptus Fire Hazards: Are Eucalyptus
Trees Flammable
By Bonnie L. Grant
California hillsides were ablaze last year and it looks like a similar disaster may occur
again this season. Eucalyptus trees P] are common in California and the warmer
states of the United States. They are also found in Australia, of which many are native.
The blue gum variety were introduced around the 1850s as ornamental plants and as
timber and fuel. So are eucalyptus trees flammable? In a nutshell, yes. These
beautiful stately trees are filled with aromatic oil, which makes them highly
combustible. The picture this paints is of California and other areas experiencing
serious eucalyptus fire damage.
Are Eucalyptus Trees Flammable?
Eucalyptus trees are widespread in California and have been introduced to many
other warm states. In California, the trees have spread so prolifically that there are
entire woodlands almost completely made up of gum trees. Efforts are underway to
eradicate the introduced species and return woodlands to the native species. This is
because the eucalyptus has displaced natives and it changes soil composition where
it grows, altering other life forms as it does so. Eucalyptus fire hazards are also cited
in efforts to remove the trees.
There are some native eucalyptus but the majority have been introduced. These hardy
plants have delightfully scented, volatile oil in all parts of the plant. The tree sheds
bark and dead leaves, which make a perfect pile of tinder under the tree too. When
the oils in the tree heat up, the plant releases flammable gas, which ignites into a
fireball. This accelerates the eucalyptus fire hazards in a region and discourages
firefighting efforts.
Removal of the trees has been recommended largely due to eucalyptus fire damage
but also because they are taking the place of native species. The plants are
considered dangerous in fire prone areas because of their habit of shooting sparks if
they catch fire. Eucalyptus oil and fire are a match made in heaven from the fire's
perspective but a nightmare for those of us in its path.
1 of 3 8/20/2016 3:02 PM
Gardening Know How Eucalyptus Oil And Fire — Information About ... http://www.gardeningknowhow.com/omamentaUtrees/eucalyptus/eucal...
Eucalyptus Oil and Fire
On hot days in Tasmania and blue gum's other native regions, eucalyptus oil vaporizes
in the heat. The oil leaves a smoggy miasma hanging over the eucalyptus groves.
This gas is extremely flammable and the cause of many wild fires.
The natural detritus under the tree is resistant to microbial or fungal break down due to
the oils. This makes the tree's oil a wonderful antibacterial, antimicrobial, and
anti-inflammatory, but the unbroken down material is like using kindling to start a fire. It
is tinder dry and contains the flammable oil. One bolt of lightning or a careless
cigarette and the forest can easily become an inferno.
Fire Friendly Flammable Eucalyptus Trees
Scientists speculate that flammable eucalyptus trees evolved to be "fire friendly."
Rapidly catching fire until there is no obvious tinder allows the plant to retain most of
its trunk when fire moves on to find more to burn. The trunk can sprout new limbs and
regenerate the plant unlike other types of trees, which have to re -sprout from the
roots.
The ability to retain the trunk gives the eucalyptus species a jump start on regrowing
from the ashes. The plant is already head and shoulders above the native species
when fire recovery begins. The eucalyptus trees easy recovery added with its volatile
oily gasses, make it a potentially threatening species for California woodlands and
similar areas known to house these trees.
Article printed from Gardening Know How: http://www.gardeningknowhow.com
URL to article: http://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/trees/eucalyptus
/eucalyptus-fire-hazards.htm
URLs in this post:
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/eucalyptus/tips-growing-eucalyptus.htm
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Sunset WiNtenl Ganien Book (Brenzel 2007)
and the Plaut Locator (Hill and Narizny
2004), a directory of nurseries stocking
particular species. While these references
do not include all of the species available
by mail order or via the Internet, they
represent plants most commonly available
in nurseries.
Which plants are likely threats?
Based on our criteria, we found
774 plants listed as invasive in other
Mediterranean regions or adjacent states
(fig. 1). Of these, 366 (47%) are not natural-
ized in California and therefore fit our
focus on potential new invaders. Of the
remaining 408 species (53`Yo), we elimi-
nated 318 species that did not fit our focus
on new invaders: they were either native
to California (Baldwin et al. 2012) or al-
ready invasive in California (DiTomaso
and Healy 2007), or had naturalized in the
state before 1940 without becoming inva-
sive (Consortium of California Herbaria
2008). This left us with 90 species that
naturalized after 1940.
We assumed that species that natural-
ized before 1940 and that have not yet be-
come invasive in California are unlikely
to become invasive in the future. Many of
the naturalized species have been pres-
ent in the state for over a century, with 20
recorded in the 1860s and 144 recorded
before 1900. While we believe that 70
years of naturalization without significant
spread and harm is sufficient to consider
a species as having low potential for inva-
sion, this may not be true for all species.
There may be some instances where lon-
ger lag periods — a length of time when a
species is present in natural areas before
beginning to spread and cause ecologi-
cal harm — could occur prior to rapid
expansion of a species. Furthermore, the
movement of ornamental plants is fa-
cilitated by humans, thus increasing the
opportunity for introduction to suitable
habitats. In addition to possibly increas-
ing the potential for invasion by intro-
duced plants, this facilitation could also
reduce the time between introduction
and invasion.
Next, we subdivided the 90 species
that became naturalized after 1940 and
the 366 species that are not naturalized
in California based on whether they
are sold as ornamentals. We also noted
whether they are sold in California (fig. 1).
Of the 90 naturalized species, 70 (78%)
are currently sold as ornamentals sotne-
where in the world, with 60 (67%) sold
in California. Of the 366 nonnaturahzed
species in California, only 32% (116 spe-
cies) were ornamentals. The majority of
these species (94, or 819/6) are currently
sold in California, while the other 22 are
ornamentals not sold in the state. Thus, in
total, we listed 186 species of ornamentals
as the greatest concern for introduction
and/or invasiveness to California through
the horticultural pathway. This total
LY
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CALY.&-� .
i t
l r { 'iter• 1. ynanucs� hind `ire Him. l
theallcad ILll9
-W ? Eucalyptus trees were introduced to Califomid from Australia'in the 1850s
f and have become"invasive m some coastal areas sinckhen. In 1973, following
a two-year study of eueatyptus stand densities caloric content of fuel and
i rdynamics of fuel accumulation in the Oakland Hills, researchers recommended
J a fuel reduction program,: Eighteen years later, a firestorm in the Oakland Hills
r fueled by high:, inds,and-dense groves of freeze -damaged eucalyptus and pine
:trees killed 25.people and destroyed nearly 4,000 dwellings.
Eucalyptus has been ascenic and aromatic addition to the California
J 7 3 .landscape foroveca century: The rapid growth of early plantations
�caughi the eye of timberspeculatorsavound 1900 and millions of eucalyptus seed
lings predominately blue guru (Eucatyptus globulus)"were planted. They soon cov-
t'� ` 'eied'the'crest of the Berkeley -Oakland Hills, and have created a serious fire hazard
since that time at the urtian-wi ldla nd i nierface.
The late 1972 freeze has resulted in a proposed fuel management program
for the Berkeley -Oakland Hills. Management of eucalyptus groves is an integral part
--..` of such'a,program: The results of this study indicate that fuel buildup occurs very
, rapidly in'unrnanaged eucalyptus stands, and to maintain low fuel levels a fuel re-
duction -program shoulde bimplemented.'
AgeeJl(`eta1.1973. Eucalyptus fuel dynamics, and fire hazard in rhe Oakland h1115. Calif Agr 27(9):13-5.
Ofthe article's foiirco-authors, the Iwo research assistants went onto distinguished
professorial careers, in forestry and ecological sciences, James K Agee at the University
of Washington College of Fares t Resources and Ronald H. Wakimoto at the University of
'Montaria;Missoula.
Ellis F'W rley was a plant pathologist at UC Riverside and did pioneering work on the
47erts of air pollution on plants and on the overall environment. At UC Berkeley, Harold H.
Biswell was professor of forestry and on early proponent of controlled burning for wildland fuel
mandgement When he retired in ; 973, UC
awarded him the Berkeley Citation, its highest
.honorfordistinguished achievememIn i994,
'as
ymposiumon Fire Issues and Solutions in /AOO
Urban Interface and Wildland Ecosystems'
was held in his honor. Cooperative
W.lCaats UC Extension
A Celebration of Science and Service
httpJlcaliforniaagriculture.ucanr.edu • JULY -SEPTEMBER 2014 91
1pm
Eucalyptus: California Icon, Fire Hazard and Invasive Species I KQED... http://ww2.kged.org/science/2013/06/12/eucalyptus-califomia-icon-fir
Eucalyptus: California Icon, Fire Hazard and Invasive Species
Q ww2.kged.org/science/2013/06/12/eucalyptus-califomia-icon-fire-hazard-and-invasive-species/
Liza Gross
Specialized reproductive structures called'epicormic shoots' sprout from buds on the bushfire damaged
trunk of a Eucatyptus tree, about two years after the 2003 Eastern \Actorian alpine bushfires. Near
Anglers Rest, victoria, Australia. (Photo: j ron)
Biologists now count invasive species as a major threat to biological diversity second only to direct habitat loss
and fragmentation. Why do they worry when new species enter an ecosystem? More than 90 percent of
introduced plants in California have overcome barriers to survival and reproduction in their new home without
harming native species. But a fraction display invasive traits, displacing native species and reshaping the
ecological landscape.
Tasmanian blue gum eucalyptus (Eucalyptus globulus), a symbol of California for some, never knew California
soil until the 1850s, when seeds from Australia were planted, first as ornamentals, then mostly for timber and
fuel. The California Invasive Plant Council (CAL -IPC) classifies blue gum eucalyptus as a "moderate" invasive
because the trees need certain conditions to thrive. For the most part, they're not a problem in the drier regions
of Southern California or the Central Valley. But along the coast, where summer fog brings buckets of moisture,
it's a different story.
Blue gum invades neighboring plant communities if adequate moisture is available for propagation, state
resource ecologist David Boyd noted in a report for CAL -IPC. Once established, the trees can alter local soil
moisture, light availability, fire patterns, nitrogen mineralization rates and soil chemistry.
Introduced species can disrupt ecological relationships among species that co -evolved over millennia, which is
why many groups work to remove eucalyptus and restore coast live oaks. California's native oak woodlands still
sustain more biodiversity than any other terrestrial landscape even though more than a century of intensive
agricultural, rangeland and urban development has claimed some 5 million acres of woodlands. (While settlers
cleared the land of oaks, entrepreneurs planted eucalyptus trees by the millions.)
Historic fire risk
1 of 5 8/20/2016 2:43 PM
,ucalyptus� California Icon, Fire Hazard and Invasive Species I KQED... http:%%ww2.kged.org/science/2013/06/12/eucalyptus-califomia-icon-fir...
That's why many ecologists welcome a plan to remove tens of thousands of eucalyptus and other non-native
trees from the East Bay Hills to reduce fire risk. UC Berkeley, together with the City of Oakland and the East
Bay Regional Park District, applied for up to $5.6 million in grants to remove the non-natives—primarily
eucalyptus, Monterey pine and acacia—under the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Pre -Disaster
Mitigation and Hazard Mitigation Grant programs. The total project would cover just under 1,000 acres and
includes plans to encourage regrowth of native oak and bay trees.
Fifteen major fires roared through 9,000 acres of the East Bay Hills between 1923 and 1992, incinerating some
4,000 homes and killing 26 people. The Oakland "Tunnel" fire, considered the worst in California history, caused
an estimated $1.5 billion in damage, destroyed more than 3,000 homes and killed 25 people. Following the
Oakland fire, disaster experts urged large landowners in the East Bay Hills to work together to manage
vegetation to prevent another catastrophic wildfire, says Tom Klatt, who manages environmental projects for UC
Berkeley and serves on the UC Fire Mitigation Committee.
"Blue gum eucalyptus is one of the most fire -intensive plants," says Klatt. Trees not only put a lot of fuel on the
ground as they shed bark, leaves and twigs, but in intense fires, volatile compounds in foliage cause explosive
burning. "Once bark catches fire, it gets blown ahead of the flame front and drops burning embers by the tens of
thousands per acre in the urban community."
A 1923 fire started at Inspiration Point ran through the eucalyptus trees until it hit the ridgeline at Grizzly Peak,
then came down to University and Shattuck before the wind finally changed direction, Klatt says. "It took out
568 homes on the north side of the Berkeley campus in two hours."
Despite the fire risk, the plan remains contentious. Some residents worry about the use of pesticides, some feel
eucalyptus' flammability is overstated and others who consider the trees cultural icons view the plans as an
attack on a species that's been here so long we should consider it native. (For the record, the California Native
Plant Society defines "native" as any species that predated European contact.) Predicting how an introduced
species will behave is complicated by the fact that ecological effects are difficult to observe—and may only
appear when it's too late to control.
Ecological impacts of eucalyptus
Evidence of the trees' impacts on East Bay ecosystems is relatively scarce. A 2002 study of the Berkeley hills
found similar numbers and diversity of species in eucalyptus and native woodlands, but the species themselves
were different. Monarchs use groves in Point Pinole as resting spots and several bird species, including herons
and egrets, nest in eucalyptus in and near the tree -removal project areas, though how their use affects their
reproductive success isn't clear. (Klatt says that though he hasn't seen nests in the UCB project areas, the law
requires that they take steps to protect nesting birds and any species under state and federal protection.)
More evidence comes from the Central Coast. At a 2004 workshop on the blue gum's impact on the ecology of
coastal ecosystems, researchers reported conflicting effects. Eucalyptus stands can provide habitat for birds
near cities and water bodies, and for overwintering monarch butterflies. But the trees change the composition of
insect and bird communities as they invade: the loss of native trees that grow along rivers could spell trouble for
neotropical migratory songbirds and for species that nest in tree cavities. And when eucalyptus leaves enter
streams, aquatic macroinvertebrate communities change, altering the food chain, likely because the chemical
content of eucalyptus leaves differs from native foliage.
2 of 5 8/20/2016 2:43 PM
?ur.alyptus: California Icon, Fire Hazard and Invasive Species ( KQED... http://ww2.kged.org/science/2013/06/12/eucalyptus-califomia-icon-fir...
By the time the eucalyptus trees were planted in the East Bay, typically in 12 foot by 12 foot plots, most native
woodlands and perennial native grasslands had already been converted to annual European grasslands, says
forest ecologist Joe McBride, professor of environmental science, policy and management at the University of
California at Berkeley. "And certainly by now a number of species are using those trees but they were here
before the eucalyptus was planted, using oak woodlands, riparian woodlands and redwood forests in the East
Bay. They just spread to eucalyptus and Monterey pines when the trees grew big enough. These populations
aren't going to disappear if eucalyptus is removed."
But removal has proven difficult. "After two previous removal efforts in the 1970s and again in the 1980s, the
trees have grown back," Klatt says. Successful eradication requires at least 10 years of maintenance and
drizzling about 2 ounces of diluted herbicide directly to the cut stump immediately after felling a tree, he
explains. "If you do it within the first three minutes, we see 95 percent to 98 percent success with a single
treatment." But if the trees resprout, more applications will be needed.
The plan aims to selectively cut eucalyptus while leaving bay, oaks and other native trees in the understory.
"The more understory we preserve, the faster it recovers," says Klatt. The plan also calls for retaining all the cut
wood as chips for erosion control and moisture retention, and to encourage native regrowth, aided by birds and
squirrels that plant acorns in chip beds.
McBride hasn't seen evidence of eucalyptus' invasive tendencies in the East Bay Hills but worries about its
combustible nature. "We imported this plant from Australia but we didn't import the normal fungus that decays
the litter in Australia," he says. Accumulations of bark and leaf litter under eucalyptus stands have measured up
to 100 tons per acre, compared to about 3 tons per acre for coast live oaks. "It's an enormous increase."
Selected for flammability?
So how does the blue gum act in its native environment? For David Bowman, a forest ecologist at the University
of Tasmania in Australia, the question isn't whether the trees are native or non-native—it's whether they're
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:uacalyptus: California Icon, Fire Hazard and Invasive Species I KQED... http://ww2.kged.org/science/2013/06/12/eucalyptus-califomia-icon-fir...
dangerous. "Looking at the eucalyptus forest outside my window in Tasmania, I see a gigantic fire hazard."
At very high temperatures, eucalypt species release a flammable gas that mixes with air to send fireballs
exploding out in front of the fire. With eucalyptus, you see these ember attacks, with huge bursts of sparks
shooting out of the forests, Bowman says. "It's just an extraordinary idea for a plant."
Though it's difficult to prove, Bowman suspects the trees evolved to be "uber flammable." Sixty million years
ago eucalyptus species hit on a way to recover from intense fire, he explains, using specialized structures
hidden deep within their bark that allow rapid recovery through new branches, instead of re -sprouting from the
roots like other trees. "They have this adaptive advantage of not having to rebuild their trunk. Whether their
oil -rich foliage is also an adaptation, we don't know."
If you aren't familiar with the idea of a plant designed to burn in its life cycle, you can get fooled by its beauty
and nice smell, Bowman says. "But on a really hot day, those things are going to burn like torches and shower
our suburbs with sparks. And on an extremely hot day, they're going to shoot out gas balls."
With tiny pinhead seeds that germinate only in disturbed soils, the trees really aren't good invaders, Bowman
says—with one exception. "Fire opens up the woody capsules that hold the seeds, which love growing on freshly
burned soil. Give a hillside a really good torching and the eucalyptus will absolutely dominate. They'll grow
intensively in the first few years of life and outcompete everything."
The evolutionary dimensions of fire ecology are controversial, Bowman allows. "But if eucalyptus are these
evolutionary freak plants that massively increase fire risk," he says, it raises a troubling question: Are these
intense fires a consequence of climate change or the interaction of climate and biology? "If it's the latter, then
what the hell have humans done? We've spread a dangerous plant all over the world."
For more information:
You can still submit written comments to FEMA until midnight, June 17, 2013: via email at EBH-EIS-
FEMA-RIX@fema.dhs.gov, via fax at FAX: (510) 627-7147, or via mail to P.O. Box 72379, Oakland, CA
94612-8579.
Executive summary of the project.
Firestorm: the story of a catastrophic fire that struck the Tasmanian township of Dunalley January 4, 2013.
Explore: Biology, Climate, Environment, ecology, eucalyptus, FEMA, fire management, native plants, oak, oak
woodlands
44 Comments
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D "
October 30, 2015
Michele & Richard Wold
334 Surrey Drive
Bonita, CA 91902
Dear Mr. & Mrs. Wold:
As per your request for Homeowners Insurance application on 10/30/2015 for Farmers Insurance
Group Company, I have the following information to report: Based on the Fireline protection seore and
proximity to brush and vegetation near said property the application.has been declined by Farmers
Insurance Underwriting.. If you have any questions or need additional information please feel free to
contact our office at (858) 452-8526. Thank you again for your Fire insurance inquiry.
Sincerely,
Gregg Hansen
Farmers Insurance
717.Union Street, Ste. J
San Diego, CA 92101.
JANUARY -23,2013
MICHELLE WOLD
334 SURREY DRIVE
BONITA CA 91902
RE: QUOTE NUMBER: HP 0476655
DEAR APPLICANT:
WAWANESA GENERAL INSURANCE COMPANY
9050 Friars Road. Suite 101, San Diego. CA 92108-5865
858-874-5300 Toll Free 1-800-640-2920
Claims Services Toll Free 1-800-427-9669
WE APPRECIATE YOUR INTEREST IN OUR PROPERTY INSURANCE PROGRAM.
REGRETFULLY, WE MUST INFORM YOU OF OUR INABILITY TO PROVIDE YOU
WITH A RATE QUOTATION AT THIS TIME.
WE ARE.UNABLE TO PROVIDE A QUOTATION BECAUSE:
1_._THE_ HOME- I'S= LOCATED= IN OR WITHIN 1, 000 FEET. OF -BRUSH OR
CONFLAGRATION AREA.
2.THE REPLACEMENT COST TO REBUILD THE HOME EXCEEDS OUR UNDERWRITING
GUIDELINES.
SHOULD YOU BE ABLE TO PROVIDE US WITH ADDITIONAL INFORMATION THAT
MAY ALLEVIATE OUR CONCERNS, PLEASE CONTACT OUR OFFICE IMMEDIATELY.
THANK YOU FOR CONSIDERING WAWANESA.FOR YOUR INSURANCE NEEDS.
- - _ -SINCERELY, - -
ARMANDO DELATORRE
NEW BUSINESS
WAWANESA GENERAL INSURANCE COMPANY
(858) 874-5435
Earning Your Trust Since 1896
January 7, 2013
MB 01 004166 96693 B 14 A
11'11'111,11111111'1111111PI-IIIIIII1111"111111111 1111111111111
Michele Wold
1506 Via Hacienda
Chula Vista, CA 91913-1011
Nome Insurance
y Program
1. LN
HARTFORD
Coverage: Homeowners
Reference Number: 6194212995
Dear Michele Wold,
Thank you for taking the time to consider the AARP Homeowners
Insurance Program from The Hartford for your insurance needs.
For the Program to maintain competitive prices and to offer
quality protection, we've established eligibility requirements. At
this time, we are unable to provide coverage for your property because
your.: -home: is-- located in a brush and forest fire- hazard zone.
If you experience problems -in obtaining coverage, you may want to
consider applying to the California FAIR Plan. The FAIR Plan is an
agency which provides insurance coverage in high hazard areas within
your state. You can obtain information on this program through an
insurance agent or broker, or you may write to:
California FAIR Plan
P. O. Box 76924
Los Angeles, CA 90076-0-924
It is important to us that you find the right coverage and rates.
Please consider contacting a local agent.
Sincerely,
Deborah J. Lemke
Vice President, The Hartford
AARP Homeowners Insurance Program
t
This insurance program is underwritten by Hartford Underwriters Insurance Company.
6194212995\551111\0107\CA\1.064\DW