OFFICE OF SENATOR BEN ALLEN SB 571 FACT SHEET
VERSION: AS AMENDED MARCH 21, 2023
SB 571 – Wildfire Evacuation Standards
SENATOR BEN ALLEN
Fact Sheet
SUMMARY
California is at a confluence of crises : a severe housing shortage and the most destructive wildfire seasons in state history. As climate change continues to increase the threat of further destruction , new developments must be
designed with clear -eyed objectivity re garding the risks.
Our need for increased housing will necessitate continued development across the state, including in areas of
heightened risk for wildfir es, unfortunately . SB 571
ensures that t hese imperiled communities be designed
with the reality of a potential wildfire emergency in mind by requiring a robust evacuation plan created in
coordination with the relevant emergency authorities
charged with evacuation.
BACKGROUND
As climate change continues its advance, California’s
seasonal hazards grow in intensity, frequency, and
destructiveness. According to CAL FIRE, six of the seven largest wildfires in California history have occurred since the 2020 season. Nearly every structure in the community of Greenville was destroyed by the Dixie fire in 2021, and the 2020 Bear Fire swept the community of Berry Creek
off the map along with the lives of 12 people.
Failed evacuation planning is at the heart of how wildfires lead to loss of life. This is displayed clearly upon review of the 2018 Camp Fire and the destruction of the town of Paradise. Despite the decision to aban don firefighting efforts in the first hour of the blaze to prioritize
evacuation, 84 residents were unable to evacuate quickly enough. Twenty-six of those residents – including Rose
Farrell, 99, Evva Holt, 85, and Andrew Burt, 36 – were
trapped despite their efforts to evacuate, e fforts that included pleas to family members for help.
These tragedies were preventable. A 2005 state fire
management plan and a 2008 Butte County Grand J ury
had specifically raised concerns about the inadequacy of evacuation rout es in the case of a wildfire in the area .
Paradise’s main evacuation route, Skyway, had been
narrowed in an attempt to reduce accidents – a decision that led to deadly gridlock during the fire and lack of access for emergency vehicles.
Ninety-three percent of the State Responsibility Area of Los Angeles County is seated within a Very High Fire
Hazard Severity Zone, yet developments in the area and
others like it lack metrics to clearly identify how to get individuals to safety in the likely event of a wildfire. The consequences of exponential growth without thoughtful
emergency planning are far too important; our
communities must be designed to protect lives.
SOLUTION
SB 571 requires that , during the planning and approval process of new developments in at-risk areas, proponents must create a thorough evacuation plan with efficient
ingress and egress routes based on specified metrics along with necessary safeguards. Specifically, SB 571 requires that proponents of qualifying developments ident ify safe routes for evacuation, conduct a transportation
engineering study along proposed routes, display fire
modeling possibilities through a wildfire behavior study, and identify areas of safe refuge in the event evacuation becomes unsafe or impossible. Additionally, before any person occupies a new development , SB 571 charges
local governments with making plans electronically
available to the public.
Finally, t hose responsible for getting people out in a wildfire emergency – relevant fire and law enforcement
entities – have a right to be involved in the planning
process. For th at reason, SB 571 requires sign -off from these entities, allowing for expert input and better
assurance of first responder safety.
SUPPORT
Planning and Conservation League (Sponsor)
CONTACT
Dylan Elliott
Office of Senator Ben Allen
(916) 651-4024
[email protected]