Wildfire Risk Assessment on the Stanislaus NF

The US Forest Service Pacific Southwest Regional Office is leading most Forest Service units in California in the Quantitative Wildfire Risk Assessment (QWRA) and Potential wildfire Operational Delineations (PODs) process which began a few years ago.

The Stanislaus NF hosted an informational webinar on Dec. 3, 2020 to review and discuss the results of the QWRA and POD process. During the webinar the presenters discussed how this information relates to wildfire management from ignition to large fire containment, as well as how they help plan projects that reduce wildfire risk. Completing this process will help the Forest develop future fuels and vegetation management projects that will directly support our fire managers and continue to reduce wildfire risk across the Forest and adjacent to its neighboring communities.

Listen to the Dec. 3 webinar. https://vimeo.com/507268273

To implement this process for our area, the Stanislaus NF worked with Dr. Chris Dunn of Oregon State University and Jessica Haas of the USFS Enterprise Program and their colleagues from the Wildfire Risk Management Science Team, a group under the USFS Rocky Mountain Research Station. The QWRA and PODs process is key to understanding more about wildfire risk which includes assessing fire hazard in relation to the location of highly valued resources and assets within an area, and ultimately assessing how wildfire affects those values.  The Forest then uses the information to identify mitigation options that should improve future outcomes. For more information regarding this webinar or QWRA/PODs process on the Stanislaus NF, please contact carol.ewell@usda.gov. For more information about processes across the United States, please contact the Science Team and view their illustrated videos via  https://cms.fs.usda.gov/rmrs/groups/wildfire-risk-management-science-team.