May 13, 2021 - Keith Mangold - Quarry Park Firestorm Danger

• It is rare to see a photo of a canopy fire because of the intense heat, just can’t be that close. In the intense heat, eucalyptus oils vaporize which causes firestorms in Australia. It was also a major contributor in the Oakland fire. This type of fire is not stoppable by ground crews due to the height of the trees. Our current drought conditions make the situation even more dire. 
• The last major fire in El Granada was in 1929. It covered Montara to Pescadero,  Montara was wiped out. While our humid coastal fog belt has earned us the “asbestos coast” moniker, with temperatures rising and humidity decreasing, we are seeing red flag days more often. This has led to insurance cancellations. The conditions that lead to red flag days are high winds at ridge tops, hot and dry El Diablo winds (east to west) and low humidity. The recipe would be temperature at 80, wind at 39 mph and humidity at 12%. Our two year average for Diablo wind events is four per year. 
• Add fuel to that recipe; there is oil in the ground cover, oil in the bark—the path to the canopy, and oil in the canopy. All one needs now is ignition—sparks from a generator, BBQ, fire pit for instance...or fireworks, cigarettes, off road cycles, arson, power lines, spread from GGNRA or SFPUC or lightening. 
• If that wasn’t enough to make us want to get our chain saws out, the photos Keith shared were frightening. We are also already seeing fire insurance hikes and cancellations (BTW Kevin recommended this speaker, thank you Kevin). 
• Additionally, evacuation from El Granada is difficult at best. San Pedro road is blocked by a gate and trying to get everyone out by highway one would be laughable if this weren’t so serious. 

What to do?  Remove the canopy, remove trees—brush fires can be controlled. The priority should be removing mature trees. The County owns Quarry Park; they have no tree removals scheduled. They funds they have are being spent on non life saving projects. Immediate removal would be the ideal—and, no eucalyptus wood has no commercial value. 

Here is Keith’s reference list and contact information:

Here are the references - much more information available if someone wants to contact me.

LA Times -  Paradise

•Must Reads: Here’s how Paradise ignored warnings and became a deathtrap - Los Angeles Times (latimes.com)

Oakland Hills Fire (FEMA)

•TR-060 The East Bay Hills Fire (fema.gov)

California Fire Hazard Maps

•Defensible Fire Risk Rankings (defensibleapp.com)

–https://www.defensibleapp.com/

•Fire Hazard of Every Building in California: An Interactive Map | Geospatial @ UCLA

–https://gis.ucla.edu/blog/fire-hazard-every-building-in-california-interactive-map?fbclid=IwAR0nB4efQipBstyTpPc6hOzqRthgL-mLUex6mODNTBB09fU7AXD6XncRpB

SMC BOS Wildfire Presentation – Item 4 (et.al.)

•County of San Mateo - File #: 21-135 (legistar.com)

•https://sanmateocounty.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=4804510&GUID=47A1599F-8AAA-4EC7-B1B5-41C33DA0E4D3&Options=&Search=&FullText=1

•Coastsidebuzz.com          Multiple articles Keyword "Wildfires"

•NPR 

•Deepening Drought Holds 'Ominous' Signs For Wildfire Threat In The West : NPR

•Contact – keithmangold@hotmail.com  650 773 4028

Q and A

Steve commented that he worked for the Division of Forestry at one time and saw a canopy fire  in Oakland. He also lived in Oakland for awhile.  San Mateo County Planning is not allowing many eucalyptus trees to be taken down. They should require them to be removed as a condition to get a building permit. “Right on Keith and County wake up!”  Keith commented that he knows three people in El Granada who have been dropped by their insurance companies. 

Do downed eucalyptus have any value?  No, they are used for pulp in Portugal. 

Dave asked how many acres are we talking about, the defined area?  Estimated at 1/2 a square mile or 330 + miles. 

Are eucalyptus more flammable than pines or other trees?  Yes and eucalyptus can explode. 

Zoe mentioned that she lived in Oakland during the fire and was lucky to be evacuated early, she asked what are the plans for evacuation in El Granada. There are no good answers—getting rid of the locked gates at the top of San Pedro Road would help. 

There is money in the State budget, is the County seeking money to resolve this problem?  Keith has been told that efforts are being made. 

EJ wanted to know why nothing’s been done. We are the Asbestos Coast—the feeling is that the potential isn’t that high. 

Keith was thanked and awarded a certificate of appreciation and a donation was made to Polio Plus in his name. Keith had a friend incapacitated by Polio, so our gift was much appreciated by him.