Our attention turns to the return of wet, unsettled weather after
the holiday weekend. Pattern shift to more zonal flow will allow
for a steady plume of moisture to funnel into northern and central
CA, which will bring widespread rainfall on December 27th. While
exact amounts can still change as we remain 5 days out and there
is still a spread among ensemble members, amounts are looking to
be around 2-3 inches in the North Bay with higher elevations
seeing up to 4 inches. The rest of the Bay Area and Central Coast
seeing potentially 1-2 inches with Santa Cruz Mtns and Santa
Lucias seeing up to 4 inches. Stay tuned as we continue to fine
tune the forecast in the coming days.

And it is most welcome…

From John W Chesnut: “The San Luis Obispo coast comes into the focus for a series of precipitation waves starting Wednesday 12/28 in the medium term prediction models.” Time to stock up again, friends.

I thought about posting a photo of my infected eyeball, but it made me look like demon seed or something. I was 17 hours and 3 shots to the eyeball in the ER, then back to the eye clinic at Palo Alto every day for most of a week, getting two more shots. (I got the original infection due to a shot in my eye.) I have to go back again frequently to be checked. I am fine, but write this so that you can know why I have been so absent in my presence, so-to-speak. I didn’t always get requested posts up before an event (sorry, Magnus, probably the Health Center, too.) Thank goodness Rock Knocker has been there for me and made it a little easier.

I wasn’t home for the great snow event, but I still saw snow on the distant mountains from the freeways of the South Bay area. Here is one:

And a rainbow in Gilroy

And a shot of Big Creek that Mark Readdie sent me. It was a nice reminder of home.

I wanted to share with you all of our Caltrans D5 social media tags.

Social media is increasingly becoming that reliable and rapid way for people to connect with Caltrans updates.

And as you know, with this type of information, time is so often of the essence.

In hopes that you might share this good info with others!

Travel safe,

Kevin

Kevin Drabinski

Public Information Officer

Caltrans District 5

I also suggested he set up a Mastodon account for Caltrans as so many people are fleeing that bird site. I have

For Immediate Release

December 16, 2022

Media Contact: Andrew Madsen
(805) 895-0841
andrew.madsen@usda.gov

http://www.facebook.com/lpnf

Twitter: @LosPadresNF

Fire restrictions lifted on Los Padres

SOLVANG, Calif.— Snow and rain across Los Padres National Forest have provided sufficient moisture to reduce fire restrictions on the forest effective immediately.

Under the reduced fire restrictions, campfires and charcoal barbeques will be allowed in all areas of the Forest. A California Campfire Permit is required to build a campfire outside of a designated Campfire Use Site. California Campfire Permits are available for free download from www.readyforwildfire.org. A list of Campfire Use Sites is available at all Forest offices and on the Los Padres National Forest website: www.fs.usda.gov/lpnf.

Visitors who construct wood or charcoal fires outside of designated Campfire Use Sites also must clear all flammable material for a minimum of five feet in all directions; have a shovel available for preparing and extinguishing the fire; have a responsible person in attendance at all times; and extinguish the fire with water, using the “drown, stir and feel” method.

The following restrictions will remain in effect:

• Spark arresters are required on all off-highway vehicles, chainsaws, and other internal combustion engines and equipment.
• A permit is required for all welding, grinding, cutting, or use of explosives.
• Tracer ammunition is prohibited at all times.
• Fireworks are always prohibited in Los Padres National Forest.
• Recreational target shooting is prohibited in all areas of Los Padres National Forest except for the Winchester Canyon Gun Club and the Ojai Valley Gun Club that operate under special use permits.
• Campfires are always prohibited on National Forest System lands in the Santa Barbara Front Country from Gaviota to the Santa Barbara/Ventura County line.

Visitors are encouraged to call the Forest Supervisor’s Office or the local Ranger Station for more information on conditions and restrictions.

For additional information, please visit the Forest website at https://www.fs.usda.gov/main/lpnf/.

###

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This electronic message contains information generated by the USDA solely for the intended recipients. Any unauthorized interception of this message or the use or disclosure of the information it contains may violate the law and subject the violator to civil or criminal penalties. If you believe you have received this message in error, please notify the sender and delete the email immediately.

Date: 12/14/22

To: Big Sur Residents and Businesses 

From: Mr. Location Scout / Esther Production

Re: Film Production Activity on Highway 1 in the Big Sur Area on 12/16/22. 

In an effort to better communicate with Big Sur residents regarding upcoming filming activities, this is to notify you of an upcoming State permitted Photo/Video shoot scheduled for 12/16/22. from 9:00am to 5:00pm. Our work will require intermittent traffic control (ITC) at and near Bixby Bridge and Hwy 1 (Mile Markers 49.40 to 59.60). As per our permit, a portion of the Bixby Bridge turnout among other turnouts along our route, will be used for parking of production vehicles. (No more than 50% of turnout will be used).

We will be hiring California Highway Patrol officers to facilitate the ITC – ensuring public safety and access with only brief traffic holds of 3 to 5 minutes. This is a fairly small photography shoot so most of our trucks and equipment will be stationed nearby, with any overflow parking only a few miles away, if even necessary. 

We have taken all steps to ensure that the required permits have been obtained from Caltrans and the State of California and our production team will be complying with restrictions necessary for a safe and efficient shoot. Esther Productions, the production company organizing this shoot, would like to show its appreciation to the community with a donation to the Mid-Coast Fire Brigade. 

Thank you for your cooperation and understanding. I hope this advance notice is helpful for you to plan your day. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out to the Location Manager or Producer, or to our local Film Commissioner listed below. 

Sincerely, 

Jeff Clark, Location Manager

CAL FIRE NEWS RELEASE
California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection
CONTACT: CAL FIRE PIO RELEASE
DATE: 12/14/2022
CAL FIRE Releases Updated Fire Hazard Severity Zone Map for Public Comment, Will Host 57 Public Hearings throughout California

After years of planning and collaboration with fire scientists, firefighters, stakeholders, and local community partners, the new map reflects changes in fire hazard in unincorporated, rural areas, as experienced in California over past years.
Sacramento – CAL FIRE – Office of the State Fire Marshal this week will begin a public comment period for the regulatory adoption process to update the existing map that captures Fire Hazard Severity Zones (FHSZ), which is a comprehensive map that ranks California’s State Responsibility Area (SRA)—or rural, unincorporated areas—based on the likelihood different areas will experience wildfire.

After years of work to develop a sound scientific basis and methodology with a range of experts and stakeholders, updates to this map bring this valuable tool and statutory requirement current in a way that accurately reflects today’s reality for wildfire hazard throughout the state. More specifically, this process includes a few details to know below:

• This current revision only updates areas in California’s unincorporated, rural areas where wildfires tend to be frequent—called the “SRA” or “State Responsibility Area.” This does not include cities or large urban areas.
• This process does not change rules or requirements for homes or properties in these areas related to wildfire prevention, preparedness, and mitigation. The same requirements will remain regardless of whether a particular area is reclassified or not.
• The last Wildfire Hazard Severity Zone map was updated in 2007 and required an update. A lot has happened since 2007. Using the best available science with academic researchers and others, this updated map reflects the impacts of a changing climate and includes a variety of other key factors.
• This is the beginning of a nearly two-month public process. These maps are being shared for your comments and questions during the regulatory process. A total of 57 public hearings will be held throughout the state with the goal of hearing from you.
• An online public toolkit and interactive map is available to help answer your questions. Take some time to explore your address, read the FAQs, learn about the process and where to turn. A hotline is also available to help answer your questions directly and to help increase access.
  (916) 651-3473
  @CAL_FIRE calfire.dutypio@fire.ca.gov

“Ensuring Californians know the wildfire hazard in their area is critical to ensuring we all take the appropriate steps to prepare for wildfires,” said Chief Daniel Berlant, CAL FIRE Deputy Director of Community Wildfire Preparedness and Mitigation. “The updated map is the product of years of discussions and incorporates the latest science to provide a long-term outlook of an area’s wildfire hazard.”

CAL FIRE’s fire scientists and wildfire mitigation experts developed the map using a science-based and field-tested model that assigns a hazard score based on the factors that influence fire likelihood and fire behavior. Many factors are considered, such as fire history, existing and potential fuel (natural vegetation), predicted flame length, blowing embers, terrain, and typical fire weather for an area. These zones fall into the following classifications – moderate, high, and very high.

Working closely with the Department of Insurance and other agencies, CAL FIRE is creating a shared approach to further reduce wildfire risk that assists residents and businesses with accessing affordable insurance. The Department’s first-ever report on climate insurance recommended updated wildfire hazard mapping to improve public safety. Insurance companies and researchers, along with insurance agents and brokers, have been involved throughout this process to ensure cooperation between all sectors to better support Californians. And while insurance companies use similar methodologies to calculate risk as they price their insurance offerings to consumers, insurance risk models also incorporate many factors beyond this process, and many of these factors can change more frequently than those that CAL FIRE includes in its hazard mapping.

CAL FIRE remains committed to answering all questions from the public and working with the Department of Insurance, the insurance industry, and consumer groups throughout this process.

“Making California safer from wildfires is our top priority, and my Department of Insurance will continue to work closely with the first responders at CAL FIRE to better prepare our communities,” said Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara, who issued the Safer from Wildfires insurance framework with CAL FIRE and other agencies earlier this year as well as finalizing his new regulation to increase access to wildfire safety discounts and to ensure consumers can learn more about wildfire risks being considered by their insurance company. “Public education about where current wildfire hazards exist is essential to reducing the threat to local communities and maintaining access to affordable insurance. I encourage Californians to ask questions in this public process and to learn more about the tools that exist to help communities and governments reduce their local risks.”

Overall, the map shows increased fire hazard, reflecting California’s increase in wildfire occurrence and severity because of many factors, including a changing climate. The map has been updated to more accurately reflect the zones in California that are susceptible to wildfire, to help provide transparency for planning and preparedness efforts, and to provide communities a forecasting tool so that the public can take steps to prevent and prepare for wildfire. The hazard mapping process incorporates local climate data and changes in burn probability based on recent trends in fire occurrence. The model was reviewed and validated by members of the science community, as well as with outreach with various stakeholders including insurance, building, fire, and local agencies.

“Counties acknowledge the importance of accurately mapping fire hazard severity zones,” said Doug Teeter, Butte County Supervisor and Incoming Chair, Rural County Representatives of California. “RCRC member counties appreciate CAL FIRE’s continued engagement of local governments in this important effort.”

The State Fire Marshal is mandated by California Public Resource Code 4202-4204 to classify lands within the SRA into FHSZs and the most recent SRA FHSZ map was last updated in 2007. The FHSZzones are used for several purposes, including to designate areas where California’s defensible space standards, wildland-urban interface building codes, and the State Minimum Fire Safe Regulations are required. They can be a factor in real estate disclosure, and local governments may consider them in their general plan. However, officials stress it is important to note that within the SRA mitigation requirements already apply to all zones. A designation change for an area does not affect the legal requirements for mitigations since they are already required consistently across the SRA.

“As we continue to focus on addressing California’s housing crisis, we support the importance of building so that structures are safely designed and built to mitigate an area’s wildfire hazard,” said Dan Dunmoyer, President and CEO of the California Building Industry Association. “To build more fire safe communities in the future, it is critically important for CAL FIRE to update these maps to ensure we all can take steps to build a more resilient California.”
Ways to stay informed and join the conversation

As part of the adoption process of the map, CAL FIRE invites public comment on the proposed map between December 16, 2022, and February 3, 2023. The public may submit written comment at the address below or through email at FHSZcomments@fire.ca.gov. In addition, CAL FIRE will host a public comment hearing in all 56 counties that have SRA to receive public comment. Information on the hearings can be found on CAL FIRE’s website at osfm.fire.ca.gov/FHSZ.
Written comments may be submitted by U.S. mail to the following address:
Office of the State Fire Marshal
C/O: FHSZ Comments
California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection P.O. Box 944246
Sacramento, CA 94244-2460

To determine the FHSZ of a property, the public can easily search an address using a new FHSZ Viewer at osfm.fire.ca.gov/FHSZ.
In order to help California residents better understand the FHSZ map and answer questions, CAL FIRE has created a public toolkit on its website to include new and easy to follow sections, including maps, frequently asked questions, and an automated “hotline” to contact for specific information. The new website also includes dates, times, and locations of FHSZ public hearings that will be held in the 56 Counties that have FHSZs within the SRA. For information about FHSZs, visit the program’s website at osfm.fire.ca.gov/FHSZ. The public can also call an automated hotline at (916) 633-7655.
Following the adoption of the SRA FHSZ Map, CAL FIRE – Office of the State Fire Marshal will begin providing local governments updated FHSZ maps for Local Responsibility Areas. Under California Government Code 51178, the State Fire Marshal is required to provide local agencies with the areas within their jurisdiction that meet FHSZ criteria for their local adoption and implementation.

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