NFPA Journal - Summer 2022 - 40

All of that was going through my
mind as Aron and I drove through the
ruined settlements of Grizzly Flats on
that bright November day. So was an
additional question: How do we get
more people living in places like Grizzly
Flats to take steps to improve their
chances of surviving a wildfire?
Top, a property owner attempts to protect her home-including highly combustible wood
roofing shingles-during last summer's Caldor Fire. Below, a resident of Grizzly Flats sifts
through the remains of his home, one of hundreds destroyed by the fire. GETTY IMAGES
got the job. The position allowed me to
connect with DNR regional staff, their
local networks, and residents living in
wildfire areas. We created grants, hosted
workshops, and supported and visited
existing and new Firewise communities.
I also acted as the state liaison to
the national Firewise USA program. I
quickly learned that all of this is just as
hard as wildland firefighting, only in
a different way. Wildfire preparedness
is about dealing with people, trying to
create behavior change and persuading
them to consider things they may not
want to do. They may not want to spend
the money, and in some cases they may
not be able to afford it. It's a tough and
tricky process. The gratification isn't as
immediate as putting out a fire, but for
40 | NFPA JOURNAL * SUMMER 2022
me, at least, the return can be so much
more fulfilling.
Those experiences came with me
when I arrived at NFPA nearly five
years ago. In managing the Firewise
USA program, I've found that it's
extremely valuable to be able to look at
things through the eyes of a wildland
firefighter as well as through the lens
of community wildfire preparedness.
For me, it comes down to two interconnected
questions: What resources exist
to help people and communities protect
their homes and property against wildfire,
and how can those actions benefit
firefighters and wildfire management
teams so they can safely engage in
suppression efforts and protect those
communities?
The proactive imperative
The wildfire that became the Caldor
Fire began on August 14 in California's
El Dorado County, just south of Grizzly
Flats. It burned slowly for a couple of
days, moving north and east, consuming
about 2,000 acres. On August 16,
driven by strong winds and aided by
heavy fuel loads and historically dry
conditions, the blaze began to take off.
It exploded on the night of August 17,
when it hit Grizzly Flats, moving with a
speed and intensity that alarmed even
seasoned wildfire experts. Between
August 17 and August 18, the fire grew
by nearly 40,000 acres, the largest
single-day increase in its roughly twomonth
run.
The fire overran Grizzly Flats, which
had been evacuated, and by August 18 it
had burned more than 62,000 acres and
was 0 percent contained. The fire was
moving fast up the slopes of the Sierras,
headed for the resorts of the Lake
Tahoe basin. It reached 100,000 acres on
August 22, and a week later approached
200,000 acres-more than 312 square
miles-when it was less than 20 percent
contained. On August 30 it attained
another milestone: that was the day the
fire muscled its way up and over the
granite crest of the Sierras-once thought
to be an impermeable fire break-and
began burning down through the eastern
valleys. It was only the second fire in
recorded history to cross the Sierras; the
first had occurred 12 days earlier, when
the immense Dixie Fire, aided by similar
extreme conditions, managed the feat.
The Caldor Fire burned for 69 days, consumed
nearly 222,000 acres, destroyed
more than 1,000 structures, and resulted
in the evacuation of more than 50,000
residents across two counties. No deaths
were reported. A father and son were
arrested in December and charged with
reckless arson for their role in starting
the fire.

NFPA Journal - Summer 2022

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