Fire hazard severity zones on tap for Auburn Council

The Auburn City Council will meet at City Hall on Monday night to discuss eight items on the agenda. One notable item is conducting a second reading and adoption designating Fire Hazard Severity Zones as recommended by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection with modifications pursuant to Government Code Section 51179. The council may choose not to proceed with the recommended actions or direct staff to pursue an alternative approach. However, city staff advises against this, as failure to adopt these ordinances would conflict with California Government Code requirements and require additional city resources to develop and adopt an alternative map. The cost of the map modifications was $1,155. A follow-up was required after the March 24 meeting at a cost of $165, bringing the total project cost to $1,320. This is the first time since 2007 the map for the city of Auburn's Fire Hazard Severity Zone is going through changes. According to Auburn Fire Chief John Rogers, the updates follow California Government Code Section 51178, which requires the Office of the State Fire Marshal to identify moderate, high and very high fire hazard zones based on standardized, science-driven model. In a handout Rogers gave to the Auburn Journal earlier this month, CAL FIRE's scientist and wildfire mitigation experts devised the map using science-based, field-test model that assigns a hazard score based on the factors that influence fire likelihood and behavior. The department released three maps at auburn.ca.gov/159/Fire. The maps display fire areas around Interstate 80 through Russell Road, and an enclosed area of Earhart Avenue, Shale Ridge Road and New Airport Road. * The first map shows the Fire Hazard Severity Zone adjusted to parcel boundaries that are very high, high, moderate and unzoned areas. This includes the area east of the Union Pacific Railroad tracks. Auburn City Fire is proposing this map. * The second map displays the fire hazard severity zones and is not connected to any parcel lines. CAL FIRE is proposing this map. * The third map shows what the city of Auburn adopted in 2007. The Auburn Fire Department applied the following methodology while modifying the map: * Parcels spanning multiple hazard zones were adjusted to the highest classification present. * Isolated pockets or doughnut holes, where a lower-rated parcel was surrounded by higher-rated zones, were upgraded to match the surrounding hazard classification. Rogers said the first map was sent to the city geographic information system's contractor and asked to have it snapped to the closest parcel lines.