By TONI SCOTT - Staff Writer
Posted: 06/26/2009 10:15:14 PM PDT
OROVILLE -- For the second year in a row, the lack of fire evacuation routes in Paradise and the Upper Ridge have caused extreme concern for the Butte County Grand Jury, which investigated the matter in its 2008-09 report issued Friday.
With the summer 2008 wildfires occurring during its term of service, the 19-member Grand Jury looked into Butte County's fire safety measures as a whole, concluding that there are insufficient evacuation routes in the areas of Magalia and Paradise.
"All roads out of Paradise and the Upper Ridge, with the exception of the Skyway below Paradise, have significant constraints, limiting their use as evacuation routes during a major event," the report states.
The same conclusion was reached by the 2007-08 Grand Jury, with little action occurring since.
Though the 2007-08 report was speculation, for the 2008-09 report Grand Jury members could witness the problem first-hand, when the Humboldt Fire raged.
The report states only four southbound evacuation routes are available in Paradise, and no "adequate northbound evacuation routes" exist.
During the Humboldt Fire, the Skyway, Neal and Clark roads were all closed, with the only evacuation route -- Pentz Road -- clogged with 30,000 Paradise residents hoping to escape to safety.
"It took three hours to travel 11 miles from Paradise to Highway 70," the report reads.
Additionally, the report found problems with escape routes from Magalia, stating that the only northbound evacuation route requires a four-wheel-drive vehicle, and is "in a high-fire-danger area" with a speed limit of 25-30 mph.
To compound the issue of inadequate evacuation routes, the Grand Jury said the Butte County 2030 General Plan forecasts increased development in the area, increasing the number of residents who need to use the few evacuation routes by 15,000.
"Prior to increasing the number of residents at risk, measures should be taken to adequately plan for emergencies," the report states. "The current design will place most of these homes directly on the canyon rim. In case of fire, this will increase the danger for its residents."
Butte County Director of Development Services Tim Snellings said the General Plan does address these concerns, adding that increased evacuation routes have been suggested throughout the General Plan process.
"We are very cognizant of the need to address fire safety," Snellings said. "Its part of our guiding principles."
Snellings said most of the county's growth in the 2030 General Plan has been focused around existing populated areas, adding that the development the Grand Jury report highlights is just one of the few pockets of growth that occurs in the outlying areas of the county.
Recognizing that funding is a significant hindrance in the completion of additional evacuation routes and modernization of current ones, the Grand Jury suggested a "benefit assessment district" be established.
In essence, individuals living within Paradise, the Upper Ridge, Concow and Centerville, would be assessed with an additional property tax, that would be used to pay for the evacuation route improvements.
"There is currently a movement toward development of a Benefit Assessment District ... The Grand Jury endorses this proactive approach," the report states.
Aside from the evacuation routes, the Grand Jury also found fault with the County's Emergency Broadcast System during the 2008 wildfires, claiming the system was not regularly updated.
The taped messages did not match the current fire conditions, the report indicated, and could have created "panic among residents."
Butte County District 1 Supervisor Bill Connelly said the system has already been addressed in community and county meetings, adding that the Grand Jury's complaint "was a good corrective point."
"We're already trying to fix the bugs in the system," Connelly said.
Additionally, the report suggested that Cal Fire-Butte County and the fire safe councils take a different approach in circulating fire information.
The report suggests that instead of pamphlets, the fire agencies include information in phone books and property assessments.
Cal Fire spokeswoman Mary Ann Aldrich said Cal Fire-Butte County's administration had yet to address the report, but would consider the suggestion.
http://www.chicoer.com/news/oroville/ci_12702036
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