Ventura County | 2023
Community
Wildfire Protection Plan
, TABLE OF CONTENTS
Preface: What is a Community Wildfire Protection Plan? ........................................... 1
Section I: VENTURA COUNTY COMMUNITY OVERVIEW .............................................. 2
A. Collaboration ................................................................................................................. 2
CWPP Development Partners ......................................................................................... 2
Collaboration Case Study: Bren School Survey............................................................... 4
B. Fire Protection Programs.............................................................................................. 4
Firewise........................................................................................................................... 5
Certified Wildfire Mitigation Specialist .............................................................................. 5
Ready, Set, Go!............................................................................................................... 5
FIRESCOPE ................................................................................................................... 5
C. Environment and Fire History ...................................................................................... 6
Topography ..................................................................................................................... 6
Climate and Weather....................................................................................................... 6
Vegetation and Wildlife.................................................................................................... 8
Surface Fuel Types ........................................................................................................12
Fuel Beds .......................................................................................................................14
Fire Hazard Severity Zones ............................................................................................16
Vegetation Treatments ...................................................................................................23
Cultural Practices ...........................................................................................................24
Fire History.....................................................................................................................24
Community Impacts Due To Recent Fires ......................................................................31
Ventura County Social Vulnerability ...............................................................................32
D. Economy and Built Infrastructure ...............................................................................34
Tourism ..........................................................................................................................34
Agriculture ......................................................................................................................34
Infrastructure ..................................................................................................................34
Economic Impacts of Wildfire .........................................................................................34
Firefighting Resources ...................................................................................................35
E. Probability of Future Risk ............................................................................................40
Ventura County Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Risk Assessment ................40
VRFSC Wildfire Analysis and Roadway Mitigation Prioritization .....................................41
Section II: LOCAL COMMUNITY SNAPSHOT .................................................................42
A. City of Camarillo ...........................................................................................................42
B. City of Fillmore .............................................................................................................43
C. City of Moorpark ...........................................................................................................43
Page i
, D. City of Ojai ....................................................................................................................44
E. City of Oxnard...............................................................................................................44
F. City of Port Hueneme ...................................................................................................45
G. City of Santa Paula .......................................................................................................45
H. City of Simi Valley ........................................................................................................45
I. City of Thousand Oaks ................................................................................................46
J. City of Ventura ..............................................................................................................46
K. Unincorporated Ventura County .................................................................................47
Community of Bell Canyon .............................................................................................48
Community of Piru..........................................................................................................49
Community of Oak Park .................................................................................................49
Rancho Ventura Conservation Trust ..............................................................................49
Ventura Land Trust ........................................................................................................50
Section III: PRIORITY ACTIONS .......................................................................................51
A. Community Engagement and Education ....................................................................51
Ongoing projects ............................................................................................................51
Future Projects ...............................................................................................................53
B. Structural Hardening ....................................................................................................54
Ongoing Projects............................................................................................................54
Future Projects ...............................................................................................................55
C. Defensible Space ..........................................................................................................55
Ongoing Projects............................................................................................................56
Future Projects ...............................................................................................................56
D. Fuels Reduction ...........................................................................................................57
Ongoing Projects............................................................................................................57
Future Projects ...............................................................................................................57
E. Evacuation and Emergency Response .......................................................................58
Ongoing Projects............................................................................................................58
Future Projects ...............................................................................................................59
Section IV: SIGNATURES ..................................................................................................60
Section V: APPENDICES ..................................................................................................62
Page ii
, TABLES
Table 1 Partners............................................................................................................. 2
Table 2 Estimated Land Cover in Ventura County (2020)..............................................10
Table 3 Surface Fuel Types in Ventura County1 ............................................................12
Table 4 Largest Fires in Ventura County 1990-2022 (over 2,000 acres) ........................26
Table 5 Hazard Risk Ranking ........................................................................................41
Table 6 Ventura County Unincorporated Communities ..................................................48
FIGURES
Figure 1 Santa Ana Winds .................................................................................................... 8
Figure 2 Estimated Vegetation and Other Land Cover Types in Ventura County..................11
Figure 3 Ventura County Fuel Beds .....................................................................................15
Figure 4 General Plan Land Use in Unincorporated Ventura County ....................................17
Figure 5 Ventura County Fire Hazard Severity Zones ..........................................................18
Figure 6 Defensible Space Guidelines .................................................................................21
Figure 7 Ventura County Wildland Urban Interface ..............................................................22
Figure 8 Thousands of Acres Burned in Ventura County from 1900 to 2019 ........................27
Figure 9 Ventura County Fire History 1900-1940 .................................................................28
Figure 10 Ventura County Fire History 1950-2000 .................................................................29
Figure 11 Ventura Fire History 2000-2021 (≥ 30,000 acres) ...................................................30
Figure 12 Social Vulnerability and Priority Populations in the County .....................................33
Figure 13 Ventura County Fire Facility Locations ...................................................................38
Page iii
Community
Wildfire Protection Plan
, TABLE OF CONTENTS
Preface: What is a Community Wildfire Protection Plan? ........................................... 1
Section I: VENTURA COUNTY COMMUNITY OVERVIEW .............................................. 2
A. Collaboration ................................................................................................................. 2
CWPP Development Partners ......................................................................................... 2
Collaboration Case Study: Bren School Survey............................................................... 4
B. Fire Protection Programs.............................................................................................. 4
Firewise........................................................................................................................... 5
Certified Wildfire Mitigation Specialist .............................................................................. 5
Ready, Set, Go!............................................................................................................... 5
FIRESCOPE ................................................................................................................... 5
C. Environment and Fire History ...................................................................................... 6
Topography ..................................................................................................................... 6
Climate and Weather....................................................................................................... 6
Vegetation and Wildlife.................................................................................................... 8
Surface Fuel Types ........................................................................................................12
Fuel Beds .......................................................................................................................14
Fire Hazard Severity Zones ............................................................................................16
Vegetation Treatments ...................................................................................................23
Cultural Practices ...........................................................................................................24
Fire History.....................................................................................................................24
Community Impacts Due To Recent Fires ......................................................................31
Ventura County Social Vulnerability ...............................................................................32
D. Economy and Built Infrastructure ...............................................................................34
Tourism ..........................................................................................................................34
Agriculture ......................................................................................................................34
Infrastructure ..................................................................................................................34
Economic Impacts of Wildfire .........................................................................................34
Firefighting Resources ...................................................................................................35
E. Probability of Future Risk ............................................................................................40
Ventura County Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Risk Assessment ................40
VRFSC Wildfire Analysis and Roadway Mitigation Prioritization .....................................41
Section II: LOCAL COMMUNITY SNAPSHOT .................................................................42
A. City of Camarillo ...........................................................................................................42
B. City of Fillmore .............................................................................................................43
C. City of Moorpark ...........................................................................................................43
Page i
, D. City of Ojai ....................................................................................................................44
E. City of Oxnard...............................................................................................................44
F. City of Port Hueneme ...................................................................................................45
G. City of Santa Paula .......................................................................................................45
H. City of Simi Valley ........................................................................................................45
I. City of Thousand Oaks ................................................................................................46
J. City of Ventura ..............................................................................................................46
K. Unincorporated Ventura County .................................................................................47
Community of Bell Canyon .............................................................................................48
Community of Piru..........................................................................................................49
Community of Oak Park .................................................................................................49
Rancho Ventura Conservation Trust ..............................................................................49
Ventura Land Trust ........................................................................................................50
Section III: PRIORITY ACTIONS .......................................................................................51
A. Community Engagement and Education ....................................................................51
Ongoing projects ............................................................................................................51
Future Projects ...............................................................................................................53
B. Structural Hardening ....................................................................................................54
Ongoing Projects............................................................................................................54
Future Projects ...............................................................................................................55
C. Defensible Space ..........................................................................................................55
Ongoing Projects............................................................................................................56
Future Projects ...............................................................................................................56
D. Fuels Reduction ...........................................................................................................57
Ongoing Projects............................................................................................................57
Future Projects ...............................................................................................................57
E. Evacuation and Emergency Response .......................................................................58
Ongoing Projects............................................................................................................58
Future Projects ...............................................................................................................59
Section IV: SIGNATURES ..................................................................................................60
Section V: APPENDICES ..................................................................................................62
Page ii
, TABLES
Table 1 Partners............................................................................................................. 2
Table 2 Estimated Land Cover in Ventura County (2020)..............................................10
Table 3 Surface Fuel Types in Ventura County1 ............................................................12
Table 4 Largest Fires in Ventura County 1990-2022 (over 2,000 acres) ........................26
Table 5 Hazard Risk Ranking ........................................................................................41
Table 6 Ventura County Unincorporated Communities ..................................................48
FIGURES
Figure 1 Santa Ana Winds .................................................................................................... 8
Figure 2 Estimated Vegetation and Other Land Cover Types in Ventura County..................11
Figure 3 Ventura County Fuel Beds .....................................................................................15
Figure 4 General Plan Land Use in Unincorporated Ventura County ....................................17
Figure 5 Ventura County Fire Hazard Severity Zones ..........................................................18
Figure 6 Defensible Space Guidelines .................................................................................21
Figure 7 Ventura County Wildland Urban Interface ..............................................................22
Figure 8 Thousands of Acres Burned in Ventura County from 1900 to 2019 ........................27
Figure 9 Ventura County Fire History 1900-1940 .................................................................28
Figure 10 Ventura County Fire History 1950-2000 .................................................................29
Figure 11 Ventura Fire History 2000-2021 (≥ 30,000 acres) ...................................................30
Figure 12 Social Vulnerability and Priority Populations in the County .....................................33
Figure 13 Ventura County Fire Facility Locations ...................................................................38
Page iii
