At this last week’s meeting, the NVV Board of Directors voted unanimously to take several initial steps to try to prevent catastrophic wildfire this summer and beyond:
- Encourage the Napa County Board of Supervisors to implement a county-wide early warning network prior to the next fire season.
Illumination Technologies, a Calistoga-based company, has proposed a wildfire early warning notification system using pole-mounted sensors that detect fires in seconds, and would cover 90% of the county. - Support the local Firewise Foundation efforts to reduce fuel load. The Napa Firewise Foundation will present a comprehensive Community Wildfire Protection Plan to Napa County this spring. Fuel load reduction is a key component of the forthcoming plan, and those efforts should begin right away. It is estimated to cost $7 million to do so. To avert another disaster, the NVV encourages the Board of Supervisors to take these steps, including providing the initial funding, as soon as possible.
- Our Board also believes that the County should appoint a single point person to act as the lead on wildfire prevention and mitigation.
These recommendations stem from work by the NVV Fire Prevention and Mitigation subcommittee of our Community and Industry Issues Committee (CIIC). The subcommittee, chaired by Rick Jones of Jones Family Vineyards, currently consists of more than two dozen vintners.