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Receive an update on the status of recovery efforts for the LNU Lightning Complex Fire
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Published Notice Required? Yes ____ No _X _
Public Hearing Required? Yes ____ No _X _
DEPARTMENTAL RECOMMENDATION:
The Department of Resource Management recommends that the Board of Supervisors receive an update on the status of recovery efforts for the LNU Lightning Complex Fire
SUMMARY:
The LNU Lightning Complex Fire consisted of a series of wildfires that burned during the 2020 California wildfire season across Lake, Napa, Sonoma, Mendocino, Yolo, and Solano counties from August 17 to October 2, 2020, for a total burn area of 363,220 acres. At the time of containment, the LNU Lighting Complex was the fourth-largest wildfire in the recorded history of California. For Solano County, the LNU Lightning Complex Fire destroyed a total of 711 structures on 501 parcels. Of the 302 homes destroyed, 261 were primary residences and 41 were accessory dwelling units (ADUs). The remaining 409 accessory structures destroyed included barns, detached garages, storage buildings, and sheds.
Most property owners that suffered structure losses are actively engaged in recovery efforts to clean the structural fire debris and make their properties safe for rebuilding. Owners have two primary paths for cleanup through either the California State sponsored cleanup program, or an Environmental Health approved private work plan program. Although some property owners started the cleanup without the benefit of an approved work plan, the majority of these owners are working with the Department of Resource Management (DRM) to perform the cleanup in a manner which meets local and State requirements. There are significant hazardous waste issues at the burnt structure locations, so all parcels being cleaned must submit required documentation and soil testing results that verify that the property is cleared from all residual structural fire ash and debris contamination and is safe to rebuild. Properties that have received the final Certificate of Successful Cleanup Completion from the Environmental Health Division of Resource Management or Final Sign Off (FSO) from the State are ready for rebuilding.
Solano County staff have been working on numerous other activities to recover from the LNU Lightning Complex Fire, including mitigation and monitoring of the debris cleanups, burnt tree removal, guardrail and road repairs, erosion controls and other watershed recovery efforts, fire-to-flood education and outreach, Lake Solano Park rebuilding, and reimbursement recovery through insurance, FEMA and the Federal Highway Administration. This work in various tasks and phases will be ongoing this year.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
The cost accounting for total damages incurred by Solano County, and accompanying reimbursement efforts, are ongoing by various Department staff. FEMA, FHWA, and the County’s insurer have begun reviewing the County’s preliminary submitted claims for reimbursement and will be providing approvals and payments over the next 6 months to 2 years. The cost associated with staff preparation of this presentation is absorbed by the various Department budgets involved in gathering this summary information.
DISCUSSION:
Cleanup and Rebuilding:
Landowners that have received their Certificate of Successful Cleanup Completion or FSO have begun rebuilding on affected parcels and have started applying for and receiving building permits. As of April 1, 2021, the Building Division has received applications for 24 primary dwellings, 2 secondary dwellings, 27 temporary emergency dwellings (typically recreational vehicles), 6 barns/garages, and 58 temporary power poles.
Cleanup of fire destroyed structures is ongoing, with 190 properties having received their Certificate of Successful Cleanup Completion from Environmental Health. 48 properties that chose the private debris removal and cleanup option are also in various stages of cleanup, and an additional 17 properties that began the cleanup without the benefit of an approved work plan are working in varying degrees to come into compliance with the cleanup requirements. The Department has established May 14, 2021, as a deadline for these property owners to submit the final cleanup completion report. In addition, 13 properties have received an FSO through the State sponsored cleanup process, with 109 properties in various stages of debris removal and cleanup through the State sponsored cleanup process. The State has indicated that they intend to complete cleanup at these remaining sites by May 1, 2021. Staff from the Building, Planning and Environmental Health Divisions of DRM are expediting the rebuilding process by issuing building permits within 10 days of application submittal. The Department has applied reduced permit fees for the permits by 30% as approved by the Board on March 2, 2021 and is also issuing rebates to the property owners that obtained these permits prior to the Board approved fee reduction.
There was early recognition that a one-stop-shop facility would be needed for the next few years to provide focused permit assistance, workforce/small business assistance, and general LNU wildfire assistance for Solano County residents in recovery. A Solano County Resource Center is being established adjacent to the William J Carroll Government Center Building in Vacaville, on property owned by Solano County on Brown Street. County staff is coordinating the various needed upgrades to this site and will return to the Board at a later date for approval of a lease for the temporary office structure that will serve for this purpose.
Other Recovery Efforts:
Many of the County’s Departments were impacted by the Fire which varied from initial emergency response, cleanup work, and accounting. Initial response and cleanup efforts of the County’s roads have been completed, which included extensive burnt tree removal, guardrail and culvert repairs, and roadside erosion controls along 31 miles of roads. Work will remain ongoing in coming years as more dead “at-risk” trees require removal, along with the potential of future erosion, landslides, and mudslides along roads in the burn zone. Multiple roadside hazard signs were placed in areas identified as high risk for flash floods, mud flows, and debris flows.
Broader watershed recovery efforts have been coordinated by County OES and the Park Manager, along with a variety of local, regional, and state agencies including Solano County Water Agency, Solano Resource Conservation District, Natural Resource Conservation District, CalRecycle, CalOES, California Conservation Corps, Department of Water Resources, and FEMA. These agencies, along with the City of Vacaville, have also worked on fire-to-flood education and outreach regarding the multi-year risks related to flooding from the burn area. A “Storm Ready” website with information on how to prepare and protect against flooding was
developed by Solano County OES: https://www.solanocounty.com/depts/oes/storm_ready/default.asp <https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.solanocounty.com%2Fdepts%2Foes%2Fstorm_ready%2Fdefault.asp&data=04%7C01%7C%7Cf49d6dba596e4d92874f08d8fa23524d%7C5e7f20ace5f14f838c3bce44b8486421%7C0%7C0%7C637534376907313795%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&sdata=UYqv3qBcU3m4t%2BJgMfh8KR1jep0n%2F6%2BekgcEB8XKh%2FA%3D&reserved=0>
The County’s Lake Solano Park suffered extensive damage in the Fire and staff continue working on a long list of recovery tasks. Work at the park to repair and replace burnt structures, electrical facilities, fences, camp areas, and appurtenant facilities will be ongoing over the next year. County Parks staff recently worked with the Department of Water Resources and California Conservation Corps Crew to install over two miles of rice waddle erosion controls across 15 properties around the Park area to protect creeks and drainages within the Putah Creek watershed.
Lastly, the effort to seek and receive reimbursement by FEMA, Federal Highway Administration, and the County’s insurer is ongoing and will likely take a couple years to complete. This effort is currently being led by the Auditor’s Office with significant input by the Departments that were most affected. Thus far the reimbursement potential remains higher than past emergency events due to extended reimbursement time periods by FEMA as well as greater reimbursement participation by the State.
ALTERNATIVES:
The Board of Supervisors may choose not to receive this update. This is not recommended since it provides information relevant to cleanup and recovery activities in the LNU Lightning Complex fire burn area.
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
Department staff consulted with OES, County Counsel, General Services, and the CAO office staff for preparation of this report.
CAO RECOMMENDATION:
APPROVE DEPARTMENTAL RECOMMENDATION