Napa County Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP)

The Napa Community Firewise Foundation has prepared a county-wide Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) to help Agencies, Fire Safe Councils, Communities, and local homeowners define, plan and prioritize actions to limit damage from the inevitability of wildland fire. It is funded in large part by a CAL FIRE Climate Change Investment Fund Fire Prevention Grant.

A Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) is a mechanism for communities to address their wildfire risk, by promoting collaboration and local action through comprehensive planning and prioritization.

The CWPP entails the collaboration of local, state, and federal agency representatives, and other interested parties, such as individual property owners, and special interest groups.

Through this process, the plan:

  • Identifies areas of high hazard in which topography, fuel and weather create the potential for extreme fire behavior regardless of socio-political boundaries.
  • Identifies where there is interest, willingness to participate and resources for preparedness and mitigation activities.
  • Addresses structure ignitibility.
  • Protects at-risk communities and essential infrastructure.
  • Prioritizes fuel reduction and recommends types and methods of treatment.
  • Contributes to effective strategies for community outreach and education.

Why Do We Need a CWPP?

While the region has many land-use, and resource management plans, there was no county-wide plan to provide a comprehensive vision that coordinates and prioritizes efforts to reduce fire hazards.

A history of wildfire and continued fire hazards exists in Napa County.

In addition, there are many “values at risk,” from wildfire, including life safety, homes and property, critical infrastructure, and natural resources.

How We Can Make Napa County Fire Safe?

A CWPP can lead the way. Planning, preparedness, and mitigation may make all the difference when the next fire happens.

Napa County has a rich history of collaboration of emergency response agencies, land managers, other agencies, or special interest groups such as local firesafe councils, homeowner associations, and individual property owners.  Developing the Napa County CWPP can reinforce these bonds and forge new collaborative alliances and facilitate more efficiencies and economies of scale.

The more diverse the stakeholders involved in the various stages the more resilient the community. Individual roles may be large or small, ongoing, or focused on one area.

What does our Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) Include?

A CWPP embodies a road map for the future. It includes:

  • Analyses of conditions, hazards and recommendations related to the natural and built environment
  • Descriptions of processes and people involved, as well as a synopsis of policies, codes, programs, maps, and associated plans, including environmental economic, and sociopolitical constraints
  • A reference architecture for areas of agency collaboration
  • Depictions of emergency response capabilities
  • An articulation of specific regional project priorities for fuel reduction
  • Community base map, and Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) delineation
  • An overarching strategy for sustained community outreach and education including data collection, and communication strategies
  • Recommendations, actions and monitoring to guide the future

What are the Likely Results-Outcomes of the CWPP?

  • Shared vision of current situation
  • Open statement of priorities
  • Common, shared, or parallel paths for improvement of wildfire safety
  • Greater engagement and collaboration with partners/stakeholders
  • Increased potential for project funding/efficiency
  • A sustainable framework and governing process for ongoing work to amend and enhance the strategy
  • Improved services and coordination for Fire Safe Councils by better centralizing specific shared services and functions.