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D.7 Wildland Urban Interface Fire The western area of Redwood City lies within a zone called the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI), where low-density development occurs within and adjacent to hilly, forested areas. This area is recognized as a Very High Fire Severity Zone by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. Situation and Assumptions Wildfires may develop in or spread into the WUI. Under the right circumstances, these fires may spread into more urbanized areas. Wildfires in the WUI are most common in autumn and late summer but depending on local conditions may occur at any time of the year. Climate change is expected to increase the risk of fires throughout much of California, including in the vicinity of Redwood City. A fire in the WUI may cause one or more of the following direct impacts in Redwood City: • Damage or destruction to homes and nonresidential buildings • Destruction of power lines and power outages • Communication system outages • Road and street closures or congestion from active flames or emergency responder access needs • Road and street congestion from traffic light outages • Disruptions to water and wastewater services • Releases of hazardous materials • Respiratory illnesses • In severe instances, significant injuries or death to community members Concept of Operations Any fire in the WUI is inherently dangerous. Even small fires may escalate quickly under the right conditions into a major conflagration. Preparation and response activities will fall under the scope of the City departments normally responsible for such activities, predominately the Fire Department. These departments will act independently within their normal operating procedures to address any issues that may arise during the course of the WUI fire event. If a major WUI fire occurs, or if there is the potential for a small blaze to grow into a major fire, the EOC will be activated as appropriate. In these instances, the EOP will guide activities, and the EOC will provide primary direction and control. Redwood City's WUI borders San Carlos, Woodside, and unincorporated areas of San Mateo County. It is likely that a WUI fire in Redwood City will require coordination with these communities. To the extent that regional cooperation is required, Redwood City will coordinate its efforts with those of neighboring communities and the San Mateo County Operational Area. Evacuation routes will be developed in coordination with the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office and the California Highway Patrol. 1111111101