Hanging Fire: Eucalyptus Crown Fires and El Granada

The Paradise fire brought home to Californians the devastation caused by high winds, hot temperatures and low humidity in an era of Climate Crisis. Quarry Park is one square mile of eucalyptus that could make El Granada a literal synonym for Paradise, CA. The following slideshow was inspired by a 2017 trip to Portugal where we saw how similar the area looked, with its eucalyptus and broom. That fall, fires killed 54 people in the area we had traveled. The last time El Granada burned was late November in 1929 when a wildfire raged from Pescadero to Montara.  So far, we have been fortunate, but we cannot rely on luck in the future!

Building on hard-earned lessons from Australia and Portugal, the following slide show reviews the conditions that could lead to a devastating wildfire in El Granada, and possibly the several other areas on the Peninsula with stands of Blue Gum Eucalyptus.  It also raises several questions we are asking the County and its agencies to address.  We invite your additional questions, suggestions, and voices to help spur the County and the MCC to action on all our behalves, because a wildfire that starts in El Granada likely won’t stop in El Granada.

EG FireV2

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