Community Wildfire Protection Plan

Welcome to the Monterey CWPP story map. Please scroll through to learn about this project including the purpose of this wildfire planning tool, the cities and communities involved in the Plan Area, public engagement opportunities, and more. The story map will feature online visuals to help interested stakeholders and the public engage and learn more about different components of the CWPP and efforts in the Plan Area to increase wildfire resilience in our communities. This website will serve as the project hub and will be updated as the project progresses.

With the increased severity and frequency of wildfires in California, community wildfire planning is increasingly important to help prepare for and adapt to wildfire. Community Wildfire Protection Plans (CWPPs) are a tool to help reduce the severity and impact of wildfires and increase community resilience. This plan is the first to cover the Plan Area, which include the Cities of Monterey, Pacific Grove, and Carmel-by-the-Sea.

As a key component of the Healthy Forest Restoration Act of 2003, a Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) serves as a mechanism for community input and identification of areas presenting high wildfire risk, as well as identification of potential projects intended to mitigate such risk. Further, the CWPP process is intended to provide the community a forum for identifying values at risk from wildfire, which may include people, property, natural resources, agricultural lands, cultural resources, economic interests, and infrastructure. The identification of these values at risk strongly influences the potential wildfire hazard mitigation projects identified in this CWPP.

This CWPP is being developed by the Monterey Fire Department, in coordination with the Cities of Monterey, Carmel-by-the-Sea, and Pacific Grove, with input and direction from stakeholders, agency representatives, and community members. This CWPP is intended to serve as a fire protection planning document that presents the community’s physical characteristics, wildfire hazard, assets at risk from wildfire, wildfire risk reduction approaches, vegetation/fuel management projects, and goals and action items intended to reduce wildfire risk in the Plan Area.

The plan area encompasses the cities of Monterey, Pacific Grove, and Carmel-by-the-Sea. The Plan Area has an estimated population of 49,000 (U.S. Census 2020). The majority of people reside in the City of Monterey with an estimated population of 30,218 people, compared to 3,220 people in Carmel-by-the-Sea and 15,090 people in Pacific Grove.

The goals of the CWPP have been developed with input from the project Working Group, which consists of a group of key stakeholders assembled by the Monterey Fire Department. The project Working Group meet monthly and have been tasked with providing input on the project. Overall, the guiding principles and goals of the CWPP aim to increase community resilience and protect lives, property, assets, and Plan Area resources threatened by wildland fire. The guiding principles and goals will be used to guide the CWPP action plan to identify effective, prioritized wildfire mitigation and fuel reduction projects and to assist in qualifying for state and federal grant funding. To view the Goals of this CWPP,  refer to Table 3 (Community Wildfire Protection Plan Goals) located within Section 1.3 (Community Wildfire Protection Plan Goals) of the CWPP. 

Get involved!

Public input and discussion is a critical component of developing a successful and implementable CWPP. To ensure that this CWPP reflects the priorities and concerns of the local community, this project has included a three-tier public outreach approach involving a public survey, a stakeholder working group, and community workshops. The public survey was open from late January through May 2023, and public workshops took place in May 2023.

Community Survey Results

Survey participants were asked to identify their top wildfire concerns, as well as desired actions to mitigate wildfire risk. Each graph displays the percentage of the survey respondents from each city that selected each concern or desired action. These subsets were chosen to help identify action items based on the worries and desires from each city. Use the arrows below to see the results for each city.

In-person community workshops were held in May 2023 to foster a community-driven discussion and further learn about the wildfire concerns throughout the unique communities in the Plan Area. One workshop was held in each Plan Area city at the following dates and times. Workshops were open to the public. The workshops included an array of activities and discussion topics to get input from residents, landowners, and community stakeholders regarding your concerns related to wildfire and how the CWPP can reflect the community’s priorities for mitigating wildfire risk. For a full write-up of the community workshops and the results from the community engagement activities,  refer to Appendix B (Community Outreach) of the CWPP. 

Community Workshop Activity Results

The community workshops included map activity where community members could identify areas of concern, including limited evacuation routes, hazardous vegetation, and structures where structural hardening is needed.  Areas pinned by community members are shown in the map below. Many of the pins were in areas that participants lived in or were familiar with which gave great insight into those areas; however, it left a gap for areas where we did not have representation at the workshops. This is especially true for the eastern half of Monterey, including Deer and Fisherman Flats.

Wildfire conditions can be described through the local fire environment and fire regimes. The fire environment describes the surrounding conditions that interact to influence wildfire behavior, and the fire regime is a general pattern of fire occurrence in a particular location or vegetation type. The Plan Area’s fire environment, fire regimes, wildland urban interface (WUI), and fire history are described in the following sections.

The main components of a location’s fire environment include weather (temperature, wind, relative humidity), fuel conditions, and topography.

The Plan Area is generally characterized by a Mediterranean climate with dry summers followed by cool, wet winters. Average annual rainfall is roughly 20 inches, the majority falling between November and April (US Climate Data, 2023). Fog is often present during the summer months as a result of warm air from inland areas meeting cold marine air.  Peak fire season is considered to be in the fall when air temperatures are highest and relative humidity drops (CAL FIRE, 2020). This leads to the drying of vegetation and higher potential for wildfire ignition and spread. However, wildfires can occur during all times of the year due to local weather variations including drought conditions, high winds, or unusually high temperatures, all of which occur throughout California.

On average, the prevailing day time wind direction is from the northwest blowing in from the Pacific Ocean. This brings cool moist air into the region developing a pattern referred to as the “marine layer” which produces fog and low clouds over Monterey Peninsula. However, the presence of the Pacific Ocean causes a diurnal wind pattern known as the land/sea breeze system. During the day, onshore winds are from the northwest and at night, gentler offshore winds, derived from cooler air masses moving downslope, are from the east, and travel from higher elevations to the coast.

During the summer season, the diurnal winds can be slightly stronger than the winds during the winter season due to greater pressure gradient forces. These stronger onshore winds can contribute to fire hazard when appropriate conditions exist for wildfire ignition and spread as observed during the 1987 Morse Fire when strong onshore winds in combination with prolonged drought contributed to extreme wildfire behavior. Surface winds can also be influenced locally by topography and slope variations. The varied topography of the Monterey Peninsula affects wind velocity and patterns.

Santa Lucia Winds

The region also experiences occasional offshore wind events from the east generally referred to as Santa Lucia winds. Santa Lucia winds are caused by high-pressure systems that form over the Great Basin area of Nevada and Utah. These high-pressure systems create a gradient between the inland and coastal areas of California, leading to a rush of air from the high-pressure areas to the east to the lower-pressure area along the California coast. As the wind moves across the Santa Lucia mountains and descends to lower elevations, it becomes compressed and heated, leading to an increase in temperature and a decrease in relative humidity. This dry, warm wind can pick up speed as it moves through narrow canyons and passes, further contributing to its destructive potential. While stronger offshore wind events are more likely to occur to the south in the Big Sur region, the Monterey Peninsula is subject to infrequent periods of extreme fire weather. Santa Lucia winds are most likely to occur in the late fall and early winter, clearing out marine fog and creating dangerous fire weather conditions.

Terrain affects wildfire movement and spread. Flat areas typically result in slower fire spread, absent windy conditions. Topographic features such as saddles, canyons, and chimneys may form unique circulation conditions that concentrate winds and funnel or accelerate fire spread (i.e., land formations that collect and funnel heated air upward along a slope). Steep terrain typically results in faster upslope fire spread due to the pre-heating of uphill vegetation. Terrain may also buffer, shelter, or redirect winds away from some areas based on canyons or formations on the landscape. Saddles occurring at the top of drainages or ridgelines may facilitate the migration of wildfire from one canyon to the next. Various terrain features can also influence fire behavior, as summarized below.

Narrow Canyon Surface winds follow canyon direction, which may differ from the prevailing wind; wind eddies/strong upslope air movement is expected, which may cause erratic fire behavior; radiant heat transfer between slopes facilitates spotting/ignition on the opposite canyon side.

Wide Canyon Prevailing wind direction is not significantly altered; aspect is a significant contributor to fire behavior. Wide canyons are not as susceptible to cross-canyon spotting except in high winds.

Box Canyon/ Chute Air is drawn in from the canyon bottom, resulting in strong upslope drafts. No gaps or prominent saddles to let heated air escape. Fires starting at the canyon bottom can rapidly move upslope due to chimney-like preheating of the higher-level fuels and upslope winds. 

Ridge Fires may change direction when reaching the ridge/canyon edge; strong airflows are likely at ridge point; possibility for different wind directions on different sides of the ridge. Ridges experience more wind. Fires gain speed and intensity moving toward a ridge. Fires burning at a ridge can exhibit erratic behavior. Strong air flows can cause fire to whirl. Wind crossing a ridge usually has a leeward eddy where the wind rolls around and comes up the leeward side. 

Saddle Potential for rapid rates of fire spread; fires pushed through saddles faster during upslope runs. Winds can increase when blowing through saddles due to the funneling effect of the constricted pass. On the other side, winds will slow, but erratic winds potentially occur at the saddle due to eddies.

This map illustrates slopes within the plan area. Areas colored red are steeper slopes and areas colored green represent flatter areas.

Typical fuel models observed in the Plan Area

Wildfire intensity, frequency, timing, and spatial patterns constitute the fire regime of a particular ecosystem. A fire regime outlines the historical role of wildfire in the landscape absent of modern human intervention but inclusive of indigenous burning.

The fire regime in the Plan Area and adjacent areas is largely comprised of Monterey pine forests and Oak woodlands in addition to limited areas of Chaparral, Coastal scrub, and grassland vegetation. Invasive and high-risk vegetation also occurs throughout the Plan Area. 

 Learn more about the plant communities that influence fire regimes within the Plan Area by reading this embedded pop-out document. 

A Quantitative Wildfire Risk Assessment (QWRA) was conducted for the Plan Area using the Interagency Fuel Treatment Decision Support System (IFTDSS). The QWRA was conducted in two basic stages: the first stage modeled wildfire hazard and the second stage modeled wildfire risk. For a detailed write up of the QWRA methodology,  review Section 1.1 (Wildfire Hazard Assessment) and Section 1.2 (Wildfire Risk Assessment) of Appendix A of the CWPP. 

Wildfire hazard represents the existing wildfire environment and potential wildfire behavior. Wildfire risk is the intersection of wildfire hazard, identified assets and high-valued resources, and the resulting potential impact on those assets and resources. The model results can be used to identify and prioritize projects intended to reduce wildfire risk.

Wildfire hazard in the Plan Area was modelled under two different weather scenarios: average (50th percentile) and peak (97th percentile) weather conditions. Average weather conditions represent typical summer onshore conditions, whereas peak weather conditions represent reflecting extremely low fuel moisture and very high wind speeds associated with Santa Lucia conditions. Peak weather conditions are intended to represent the predicted worst case wildfire behavior in the Plan Area.

Flame Length Flame lengths correspond to wildfire intensity and identify the capacity for fire suppression efforts. As flame lengths increase, the capacity to suppress wildfire is limited and threats to firefighters increase. Swipe the map below to show differences in flame length during average (left) and peak weather conditions (right).

A Community Relative Risk Ranking was conducted for the Plan Area to identify high risk communities where wildfire risk mitigation should be prioritized. This assessment also aims to enhance resident awareness of the relative risks associated with their community. The evaluation of community wildfire risk involved quantifying key variables within the designated community areas, including:

Community Proximity to High Hazard Vegetation To evaluate the proximity of a community to hazardous vegetation, we determined the percentage of the community and its immediate surroundings that were categorized as having a Higher or Highest threat level. Higher and Highest threat areas were based on the outputs from the Conditional Weighted Net Value Change analysis discussed previously.

Dominant Vegetation Type The dominant vegetation type within the community’s immediate vicinity was quantified to account for the potential for severe wildfire behavior. Vegetation types listed from most to least hazardous include Timber, Shrub, Herbaceous, and Urban.

Potential Ember Exposure The assessment of community ember exposure involved determining the proportionate area within the community that was estimated to be affected by airborne embers. This also took into consideration the severity of airborne embers as indicated by the total count of projected embers.

Terrain Steep slopes are likely to exacerbate wildfire behavior and facilitate accelerated rates of fire spread through communities.  Terrain was quantified by determining the average slope of development areas and the immediately adjacent terrain.

Urban Vegetation Urban vegetation can contribute to the transmission of wildfires from natural vegetation to developed regions. During intense wildfires, embers that land in urban vegetation can result in additional fire outbreaks within communities, even if they are located a significant distance away from the primary fire front.

Emergency Response Time The assessment of the time required for emergency responders to reach the community relied on a prior study conducted by Citygate Associates in 2022. This study identified specific regions where the expected emergency response time exceeded 4 minutes. Those areas located beyond the 4-minute response threshold were assigned a higher risk score.

Road Network Rank The road network ranking evaluates characteristics of community roads that impact the ability of emergency personnel to enter and exit the community, as well as the capacity for community evacuation. Essential road features considered in this assessment include road width, the presence or absence of dead-end roads, and whether the community has one or multiple access points.

Each variable was assigned a relative weighting to account for its influence on community wildfire risk. For a more detailed description of the Community Relative Risk Ranking approach, click  review Section 2 (Community Relative Risk Ranking Assessment) of Appendix A of the CWPP. 

The goal of this CWPP is to identify priority projects and action items that can be implemented to serve and protect lives, property, critical infrastructure, and Plan Area resources threatened by wildland fire. The Monterey Fire Department recognizes the potential for severe and damaging wildfires within the Monterey Peninsula. This CWPP is intended to reduce wildfire hazards and risk through implementation of the action items outlined in the Action Plan.  Section 3 of the CWPP (the Action Plan) details recommended actions and projects to be implemented in the Plan Area that would minimize wildfire impacts to the community.  

Existing Projects: The map below displays existing vegetation management programs within the Plan Area. Click on the map features to learn more about these programs.

Priority Projects: The map below displays priority projects that are included as action items of this CWPP. Click on the map features to learn more. To view the complete list of projects including those not featured on the map,  refer to Table D-1 (Priority Vegetation Management Projects) within Appendix D (Prioritized Vegetation Management Projects. )

•  Defensible Space - Ready for Wildfire 
•  Defensible Space (firesafemonterey.org) 
• Fire Resistant  Plant Lists (firesafemonterey.org) 
•  Fire Smart Landscaping - Ready for Wildfire 

Click the Zone buttons below to learn more about defensible space measures you can take to protect your property.

•  Home Hardening | CAL FIRE 
•  Wildfire Home Retrofit Guide (readyforwildfire.org) 
• Low-Cost Retrofit List ( low-cost-retrofit-list-update-2_17_22.pdf (ca.gov) )
• Home Hardening | National Fire Protection Association ( FirewiseHowToPrepareYourHomeForWildfires.ashx (nfpa.org) 

•  Go! Evacuation Guide - Ready for Wildfire 
•  Create Your Go Bag - Ready for Wildfire 
•  Evacuation Steps - Ready for Wildfire 
•  Evacuation Guide | Monterey County, CA 
•  Sign up for Alerts | Monterey County, CA 
•  Family Communication Plan (firesafemonterey.org) 
•  GO! Evacuation (firesafemonterey.org) 
• Peninsula Region Evacuation Guide,  637680098811670000 (monterey.ca.us) 
•  City of Monterey, CA  (Community Emergency Response Team (CERT)

We invite you to use this map to browse the various datasets used in developing the Community Wildfire Protection Plan. The buttons in the upper-right corner of the map allow you to control the visibility of layers, as well as change the base layer of the map. Use the controls in the upper-left corner to change the extent of the map, as well as search for addresses or communities with the Plan Area.

Click image below for a  downloadable PDF  of the Monterey, Carmel-by-the-Sea and Pacific Grove CWPP.