By DAVID PIERSON
May 1–A class from Cal Poly, under the direction of Dr. Chris Dicus, will produce four new versions of Cambria’s Community Wildfire Protection Plan. The students are mostly Forest and Fire Science majors who are completing this assignment as their final graduation requirement. There are 25 students divided into four study groups and each group will make a presentation of their plan to the County Board of Directors on
June 3.
In Dr. Dicus’s WUI class, students are divided into groups tasked with creating unique CWPPs for a different community each year. This hands-on approach allows students to apply theoretical knowledge to practical scenarios, fostering a deeper understanding of wildfire dynamics, risk assessment, and mitigation strategies. The primary objective is to equip students with the skills necessary to develop comprehensive plans that enhance community preparedness and resilience against wildfires.
The current Cambria CWPP has not been updated for over 10 years. The class will take a fresh look at current conditions and offer recommendations based on current and perhaps future technologies. The students have already spent a few days in Cambria, and you may see them more in the future. The four plans they prepare will be used as a template to rewrite the existing plan.
The CWPP report provides an analysis and evaluation of the current and prospective fire hazard, and suggested mitigation strategies for the community of Cambria. It covers the risk assessment for the community, the mitigation efforts recommended, and the current resources available and how they should be deployed. The existing plan can be found here: https://firesafeslo.org/cambria-cwpp.
