LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The Board of Supervisors this week hired the new administrator for Lake County Special Districts.

Scott Harter, who has served as Special Districts deputy administrator, has been appointed as administrator.

“We are excited to see Scott step up to this new challenge,” said Board Chair Moke Simon. “His varied background with county and city agencies has been a great asset in recent years, and this will be an opportunity for him to expand his contributions even more while providing a sense of continuity for Special Districts’ staff.”

Harter will succeed Jan Coppinger, who is retiring after as Special Districts administrator. She has served in the position since 2016.

Deputy County Administrative Officer Matthew Rothstein told Lake County News that Harter’s hire was confirmed following a closed session discussion on Tuesday. A special meeting last week also had included a closed session on the Special Districts administrator appointment.

Harter was one of two candidates considered for the job, Rothstein said.

Harter holds a civil engineering degree from California State University, Chico, and has served in public agencies in Lake County since 1996.

Over the past 24 years, Harter has served as a civil engineer for both the county and city of Lakeport, taken on interim responsibilities in Community Development and Information Technology and, most recently, overseen projects of great county import as deputy Special Districts administrator, the county reported.

“The retirement of Jan Coppinger affects the county in a number of ways,” said Simon. “Scott has worked right alongside her, and understands the void that she leaves. Scott is well qualified to take up the reins, quickly identify gaps, and move the Special Districts Administration forward in a positive direction.”

Special Districts is the water and wastewater agency of the county of Lake.

It oversees the operation of five water systems and four wastewater systems serving more than 40,000 people in 21 communities within Lake County.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The Wreaths Across America program, which honors veterans, will be hosted in Lake County again this year.

National Wreaths Across America Day will take place this year on Saturday, Dec. 19.

This year’s theme is, “Be An American Worth Fighting For.”

This will be the 14th year that Lake County has participated in the program to place wreaths on the graves of veterans in six local cemeteries. The mission is to “Remember, Honor, Teach.”

In the first year, seven ceremonial wreaths were placed in Lake County for the seven divisions of the military during a WAA Ceremony at the Hartley Cemetery.

Ceremonies are now held at Hartley, Kelseyville, Upper Lake, Lower Lake, St. Mary’s and Middletown cemeteries.

In 2019, 2.2 million veterans’ wreaths were placed across the country in all 50 states – 254,000 of them at Arlington National Cemetery.

More than two million volunteers participated last year at 2,158 locations nationwide, with 38,500 volunteers laying wreaths at Arlington National Cemetery. More than a third of the volunteers across the country were children.

Approximately 600 truckloads of wreaths were delivered across the country by hundreds of volunteer professional truck drivers using donated equipment and fuel from approximately 250 carriers.

Boy Scout Troop 42 in Lakeport, Girl Scouts and Big Valley 4-H in Kelseyville, the Lake County 4-H Group in Lower Lake and FFA in Upper Lake and Middletown will be accepting donations for wreaths until Dec. 2.

Individual sponsorships cost $15 for one wreath and the family option costs $60 for four wreaths, small businesses can fund 10 wreaths for $150 and corporations can sponsor 100 or more wreaths for $1,500 or any amount can be sponsored for $15 per wreath.

Toni Funderburg, coordinator of Wreaths Across America in Lake County, said sponsorship forms can be picked up at Lakeport Tire & Auto Service, 1901 S. Main St. in Lakeport, or you can call 707-263-5422 and they will fax or email you a sponsorship form.

To sponsor a wreath online, go to https://wreathsacrossamerica.org/CA0090P or to choose another cemetery or sponsor group in Lake County visit the Wreaths Across America website.

Distracted driving can be a life-changing choice resulting in crashes and the deaths of thousands of people every year in the United States.

Driven to make a difference, the California Highway Patrol has implemented a yearlong Adult Distracted Drivers grant designed to keep California roads safe through education and enforcement.

CHP officers throughout the state will host in-person presentations and use Web-based or virtual platforms to conduct distracted driving traffic safety presentations.

In addition, the CHP will conduct several distracted driving enforcement operations through Sept. 30, 2021.

“Distracted driving continues to be a serious issue on our roadway, and it is entirely avoidable,” CHP Commissioner Warren Stanley said. “With the support of this grant, we can implement lifesaving efforts throughout California that will raise awareness and hopefully change dangerous behavior behind the wheel.”

Multitasking behind the wheel places extra demands on the driver, which can have tragic consequences.

On average, there are more than 20,000 drivers in California involved in a crash every year where inattention is a factor. “These statistics are likely much higher and are often under-reported to law enforcement since motorists do not always admit to driving distracted,” Commissioner Stanley added.

While there are many forms of inattention, cell phones continue to be the main source of diversion. Using a handheld cell phone while driving is not only a violation of the vehicle code, it is also an unsafe activity behind the wheel. Drivers should only use a phone when necessary and in a hands-free mode.

Funding for this program was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The mission of the CHP is to provide the highest level of safety, service and security.

Gov. Gavin Newsom on Tuesday administered the oath of office to California Highway Patrol Commissioner Amanda Ray, a historic move making her the first woman in its 91-year history to lead the largest state law enforcement agency in the nation.

Newsom appointed Ray as the 16th commissioner on Oct. 20, following the retirement announcement of Commissioner Warren Stanley after 38 years of service with the CHP.

“I am thankful to Gov. Newsom for trusting me to lead this exceptional organization and honored to follow in the footsteps of many innovative leaders who have come before me, including my friend, Warren Stanley,” Ray said.

“I would not be where I am today without the foresight of those in 1974 who decided to give women the opportunity to become CHP officers, paving the way for many women to assume leadership roles in the Department,” Ray said. “I look forward to further guiding the department and its 11,000 women and men in engaging with the communities we serve to ensure California remains a safe place to live, work and visit.”

Ray began her career with the CHP in 1990, rising through the ranks to her appointment as Deputy Commissioner in February 2020.

She has served as incident commander during several high-profile events, including the Department’s response to COVID-19, civil unrest and wildfires.

Ray has appointed two members to her executive management team. They are Jim Epperson as deputy commissioner, her second-in-command responsible for the day-to-day operations of the department, and Ryan Okashima as assistant commissioner, staff, who will oversee the administrative functions of the department, including a $2.8 billion budget, departmental training, information technology, and personnel administration.

Rich Stewart was previously promoted in August to the position of assistant commissioner, field, responsible for all patrol and air operations throughout the state as well as protective services.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The Board of Supervisors on Tuesday voted unanimously to begin phasing out Friday office closures to the public, with five-day-a-week availability of county offices to resume by April 1.

In August 2018, at County Administrative Officer Carol Huchingson’s request, the board approved a pilot program to close county offices – particularly those in and around the Lake County Courthouse in Lakeport – to the public on Fridays.

At the time, Huchingson proposed pursuing the plan due to myriad issues – from the county’s inability to get new revenue streams and diminishing returns on others, to minimum wage issues, vacancy rate and loss of property tax due to wildland fires.

Since then, the program has been renewed on a six-month basis.

At its Nov. 3 meeting, the board heard a request from the County Administrative Office to continue the Friday closures through the end of March due to the concerns of COVID-19 combined with the flu season. Department heads at the time also spoke in favor of continuing the plan.

On Tuesday, Deputy County Administrative Officer Matthew Rothstein reviewed that request.

Referring to comments made earlier in the meeting by Public Health Officer Dr. Gary Pace – who said that the situation in the Southern Hemisphere is indicating that the flu season may not be as severe as anticipated this year – Rothstein said there are still many unknowns.

He said the ultimate goal is to provide business continuity to the greatest possible extent, and allow departments protected time to make progress on workload backloads and provide training time.

Rothstein noted that the board’s consensus on Nov. 3 was to return to normal business officers as of April 1. Staff returned with an updated resolution that includes that direction, as well as a proposal by Supervisor Bruno Sabatier that each department begin the phase-out by having one staffer on Fridays dedicated to working with the public.

During public comment, the board heard from members of the county’s real estate industry who spoke about the negative impact of the Friday closures on their business.

Real estate agent Mary Benson asked if the phase-out plan would mean title companies can send staff to the Assessor-Recorder’s Office on Fridays to record transactions.

Huchingson said no one from Assessor-Recorder Richard Ford’s office was attending the meeting and she tried to reach out to him while the discussion continued.

Benson said that if weekly closures continued, she suggested that they should be switched to Tuesdays, as she’s read multiple productivity studies about Tuesday being the most productive workday.

Supervisor Rob Brown said Benson’s suggestion had merit to it, and it was the same day he would pick during the remaining months of the weekly closures.

If the county offices were to be closed, Brown suggested that with Tuesday’s being the busiest for the courts, that would be the best day to be closed in order to minimize risk of COVID-19 transmission to employees.

Heidi Johnson, 2020 president of the Lake County Association of Realtors, asked if the Assessor-Recorder’s Office could make accommodations for the holiday season, as she said the office’s availability in December “is quite stifling for our business.”

Johnson added, “Real estate has a big impact on this county,” and she said she’s tried to bring the matter to the board’s attention every time an extension of the closures was brought forward.

Referring to the work backlog that county staff had used as one of the initial reasons for the Friday closures, Johnson asked, after two years, how long it takes them to catch up. She said the county needed to find something that will work for constituents.

During the meeting, Huchingson said she was unable to reach anyone in Ford’s office to join the discussion.

Benson said when the matter had arisen last year, Ford had told real estate agents that he couldn’t open during Christmas week because the county offices would be closed and there would be no security, but she said the security for the courts was working that week.

Real estate broker Marsha Holder told the board that they shouldn’t lose sight of what the real estate business does for the county, noting the escalating sales prices and the taxes being generated.

Holder said November and December are two of real estate’s biggest months and to be closed for recording over the holidays “is just not right.”

Sabatier said the proposed resolution before them will take the county to where it should be, adding it’s a “step forward.”

Supervisor Tina Scott said she wanted to move forward with the resolution but also wanted to have further discussion at a future meeting about how departments can assign a staffer each on Fridays to start working again with the public.

Sabatier moved to offer the resolution, which the board approved 5-0.

Huchingson told the board that county offices are scheduled to be closed Dec. 21 to 25.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – Congressman Mike Thompson (CA-05) will hold a virtual town hall to discuss the latest in the COVID-19 pandemic on Thursday, Nov. 19.

The town hall will take place from 7 to 8 p.m.

This event will be held over Zoom and interested participants must email Thompson’s office at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. in order to join, as the platform has a capacity of 500 people. They will be notified via email with instructions on how to join.

The event will also be streamed on Facebook Live via Thompson’s page, https://www.facebook.com/RepMikeThompson/.

Thompson will be joined by George Rutherford, MD, professor of epidemiology and biostatistics at UC San Francisco and Dr. Karen Relucio, Dr. Karen Relucio, deputy director of Napa County Health & Human Services-Public Health officer, for a discussion about the surging coronavirus case rate.

This is the 17th in a series of virtual town halls Thompson has held since the pandemic began earlier this year.

All constituents of California’s Fifth Congressional District and members of the press are invited to join.

Thompson represents California’s Fifth Congressional District, which includes all or part of Contra Costa, Lake, Napa, Solano and Sonoma counties.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – The city of Lakeport is offering opportunities for the public to become involved in local government by serving on commissions and committees.

Applications are being accepted on the city website, www.cityoflakeport.com, under the “Government” tab, “Committees & Commissions,” until 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 24.

All positions are voluntary.

For more information, contact Deputy City Clerk Hilary Britton, 707-263-5615, Extension 102, or by email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The following positions are available.

Lakeport Planning Commission

There are two upcoming vacancies; appointments are effective Jan. 1, 2021.

One of the two open seats may be filled by an applicant who lives outside the city limits but within the Lakeport zip code area. The second open seat may only be filled by an applicant who resides within the city limits of Lakeport.

The planning commission consists of five members who serve four-year terms and may be re-appointed. The commission currently meets monthly on the second Wednesday at 5:30 p.m.

Members of the planning commission review matters related to planning and development and serve as advisors to the city council on land use issues.

Topics can include elements of the city’s general plan, rezoning, use permits, subdivisions, architectural and design review, as well as planning policy and interpretation.

Lakeport Economic Development Advisory Committee

This committee, known as LEDAC, has four upcoming vacancies; appointments are effective Jan. 1, 2021.

Membership is open to anyone who lives, works, shops or does business in the city of Lakeport, including those who live in the unincorporated Lakeport trade area.

There are seven members with alternating two-year terms appointed by the Lakeport City Council. Additionally, there are four members who represent specific organizations or interests in the community: Lakeport Main Street Association, Lake County Chamber of Commerce, Mendocino College Lake Center, and CareerPoint Lake (workforce development).

The committee meets bimonthly on the second Wednesday at 7:30 a.m. and for special meetings as needed.

LEDAC’s responsibilities include ideas and strategies for business recruitment and retention, recommendations for the implementation of the City’s economic development strategic plan, coordinating and reporting on the annual Business Walk activity, and advocacy for a strong and positive Lakeport business community.

Measure Z Advisory Committee

There are three upcoming vacancies on this committee, known as MZAC; appointments are effective Jan. 1, 2021.

Membership is open to residents of Lakeport living within the city limits. Five members are appointed by the city council to serve four-year terms. The committee meets quarterly.

The role of the MZAC is to review all revenues and expenditures of the Measure Z transactions and use tax, and to make recommendations to the city council regarding those expenditures.

Lakeport residents voted in November 2016 to approve Measure Z, adopting an ordinance to enact a one percent increase to the local sales and use tax for public safety and essential City services.

The measure requires independent audits and citizens’ oversight.

NORTH COAST, Calif. – On Tuesday a Mendocino County man was sentenced to state prison for the July 2018 fatal shootings of his father and brother.

Ubaldo Ramirez Davila, 25, was sentenced Tuesday in Mendocino County Superior Court to 24 years and four months in state prison, the Mendocino District Attorney’s Office reported.

Mendocino County Sheriff’s deputies, local firefighters and CHP officers on July 2, 2018, rushed to the shooting site at the turnoff to the “Gold Rule” community on the Ridgewood Grade near Willits, as Lake County News has reported.

First responders found a maroon Chevrolet pickup truck stopped in a traffic lane with two men inside, one dead and one critically injured. The critically injured victim succumbed two days later in a Santa Rosa hospital.

Ramirez, a sometimes Covelo resident, became a suspect early in the investigation. Deputies arrested him in the early morning hours of July 3, 2018, north of Covelo after receiving tips as to his whereabouts, officials said.

The District Attorney’s Office said Ramirez admitted that while sitting as a passenger in the backseat of the pickup he shot and killed his father, Calixto Ramirez Guererro, 51, of Covelo, as well as his brother, Miguel Angel Ramirez Davila, 32, of Eureka.

Ubaldo Ramirez eventually entered guilty pleas to two counts of voluntary manslaughter. He also admitted two special allegations alleging that he personally used a firearm to inflict death on both family members.

Voluntary manslaughter is generally defined as an intentional killing in which the offender had not formed a prior intent to kill, such as a killing that occurs because of a sudden quarrel.

Any credits Ramirez may attempt to earn towards early release are limited to no more than 15 percent of his overall sentence, meaning Ramirez must serve 20.5 years before being eligible for parole. Plans are for the defendant to be deported to Mexico upon the completion of his prison sentence, officials said.

The Mendocino County District Attorney’s Office said the law enforcement agency primarily responsible for investigating and gathering the evidence to sustain the defendant’s convictions was the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office. District Attorney David Eyster prosecuted the case.

Eyster cited the work for the prosecution of Rick Blumberg, Ph.D., Ubaldo F. Ramires, Ph.D., and the staff of the Redwood Coast Regional Center.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Lake was among a handful of counties on Monday that avoided being placed by the state under tighter restrictions related to COVID-19.

The state on Monday reported its new rankings of the 58 counties in the Blueprint for a Safer Economy in response to spiking caseloads across the state.

The blueprint has four tiers:

– Yellow, or minimal; most indoor business operations are open with modifications.
– Orange, or moderate; some indoor business operations are open with modifications.
– Red, or substantial; some nonessential indoor business operations are closed.
– Purple, or widespread; many nonessential indoor business operations are closed.

Monday’s update of the rankings shows that 41 counties are now in the purple tier, the most restrictive.

Of those 41 counties, 29 were just moved into the purple tier from a lower tier. Twelves others – Imperial, Los Angeles, Madera, Monterey, Riverside, Sacramento, San Bernardino, San Diego, Shasta, Sonoma, Tehama and Tulare – had been in the purple tier last week and remain so this week.

Lake County has been in the red tier for some time and in the latest rankings on Monday remained there, allowing businesses and activities to continue without more restrictions.

Other counties whose rankings remained unchanged in the lower tiers as of Monday are Alpine, yellow; Inyo, orange; Lassen, orange; and Mariposa, yellow.

Lake’s neighboring counties of Glenn, Mendocino, Napa, Sonoma and Yolo are all in the purple tier now, while Colusa is in the red tier.

Lake County’s total cases reached 788 on Monday, with three currently hospitalized and 726 recovered. There are now 18 deaths reported, an increase of one since last week, Lake County Public Health reported.

The county’s adjusted case rate is 5.7, the fifth-lowest case rate statewide, based on California Department of Public Health numbers.

Statewide, 1,043,950 cases and 18,305 deaths had been reported by county Public Health departments as of Monday night.

The California Department of Public Health said Monday that the seven-day positivity rate is 5 percent and the 14-day positivity rate is 4.6 percent.

As of Monday, 21,068,894 tests had been conducted in California, which the California Department of Public Health said represented an increase of 202,109 over the prior 24-hour reporting period.

To date, 17,213 tests have been conducted in Lake County, according to the Public Health Department.

For more information about the tiers and restrictions, visit www.covid19.ca.gov.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.

CLEARLAKE, Calif. – The city of Clearlake is taking a new approach in its ongoing efforts to develop the former airport property.

City Manager Alan Flora presented, and received approval for, his plan to facilitate development of the former Pearce Field Airport property on Highway 53 from the council at its Oct. 1 meeting.

The site has been slated for a shopping center in several different iterations, but so far no project has been completed.

Flora said it was “a little depressing” to research the property’s history, as he didn’t realize how far back efforts and discussions to develop it went.

Based on Flora’s report to the council, the Clearlake Redevelopment Agency purchased the 38.5-acre property for $840,000 from the county in 1994, after the county closed it. Four years later, the redevelopment agency sold 10 acres that were used to develop Outrageous Waters water park, now closed.

After the shutdown of redevelopment, the property was transferred in 2013 from the agency to the city for public use, he said.

Flora proposed to the council that the city offer a compensation agreement to the taxing entities that are entitled to proceeds – such as the Konocti Unified School District, Woodland Community College, the Lake County Office of Education and the county of Lake – should the city sell the property.

In order to actually make the project happen, Flora said the city needs to get creative. That includes installing infrastructure – water, sewer and roads – at the site.

If the city has full control of the property, Flora said it could move forward with a low- or no-cost ground lease to a development firm, that would then develop the property and rent it out.

Eliminating the cost of infrastructure and land would make the site more attractive to developers, Flora said.

Flora said there are a couple of successful local businesses that are potentially interested in this proposed development model.

He said the city would need to take the plan to the Lake County Redevelopment Oversight Board for final approval.

The proposal includes having the city maintain 1.72 acres for uses including animal control’s shelter, the city’s Public Works yard – until a new location is found – and the Lake County Fire Protection District.

Flora proposed paying $10,000 per acre to the taxing entities – or a total of $241,800. He said the taxing entities have been agreeable to a proposal to reduce the cost for private developers.

“This is a little different model than what we had proposed before,” he said.

The city could then take on the commitment of installing infrastructure. Flora said if the city can get those first two steps moving forward, it can start on design work and negotiations.

Councilman Phil Harris moved to approve the plan, which the council approved 5-0.

The council unanimously approved a second motion for the city to work with RAM Development Partners, a sister company to Retail Strategies, the company that has been working with the city to attract development interest and investment into Clearlake, on the project.

Flora took the proposal to the county’s redevelopment oversight board late last month.

At the meeting, which Flora took place on Oct. 28, the board unanimously approved the compensation agreement.

He said he has a good amount of interest in the project.

RAM Development’s current role is marketing and planning for the build-out, Flora said.

“We will be developing plans and designing the roadway and infrastructure. If all goes well we will actually use RAM as the developer for the property. We would do a ground lease to RAM, they would then build the space and then lease to tenants,” he said.

“Everything is looking great for this project to move forward,” Flora said.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – November is National Hospice and Palliative Care Month, and it also marks the 41st year of serving Lake County residents.

Hospice Services of Lake County formed in 1979 by a group of concerned volunteers.

This year the group also is welcoming Cindy Sobel, RN, MS, as the new executive director. She succeeds Ruth Lincoln, who retired Oct. 30.

The Board of Directors of Hospice Services of Lake County selected Sobel from a highly competitive field on Oct. 29.

“The board was most impressed by her knowledge of Lake County with 30 years of clinical leadership experience in home care management and six years serving Hospice Services of Lake County,” said Board President Don Hubbard.

Held in high regard by her peers and staff, Sobel has an outstanding record of accomplishment in performance improvement, strategic planning, business planning and operations management.

She is no stranger to hospice and palliative care in Lake County. During her leadership role as director of Patient Care Services, she grew the Palliative Care program, adding and training new staff to expand services for Lake County residents.

Sobel holds a Master of Science degree in healthcare management, a Bachelor of Science in management and a registered nursing degree.

Having a lifelong passion for education, she is also a “Train the Trainer” for the End-of-Life Nursing Education Consortium for more than four years.

“Hospice Services of Lake County encourages you to explore your options for comfort care and to share your wishes with family, loved ones and your professional healthcare providers. We have many services to assist you,” said Sobel.

There are many myths about eligibility and the best time to start hospice care. Often, starting sooner provides the most benefits.

Hospice Services of Lake County will mark the month with community outreach to help bring about awareness of options to enhance quality of life for individuals experiencing a life-threatening disease.

In addition, the organization will present the second annual Festival of Trees Nov. 20 to 30. The annual “Light Up a Life” ceremonies are scheduled for Dec. 3 in Lakeport and Dec. 12 in Middletown.

Hospice Services of Lake County started as a small organization assisting only a few patients in 1980.

In the last 12 months, the team of trained staff provided hospice care to 262 individuals including 58 military veterans.

In the same period of time, 86 individuals including adults and children have received grief counseling in response to the loss of family members or loved ones through support groups, the Wings of Hope family camps and school-based counseling programs.

All services are provided following protocols established by the CDC and Lake County Department of Health Services.

Trained volunteers providing patient/family support, bereavement services, assistance with the thrift store, fund development and administrative duties are an integral part of the organization. Eighty-six volunteers provided 2, 912 hours of service in the past 12 months.

The core of hospice service is to provide patient- and family-centered care, ensuring the highest quality of life at the end-of-life wherever the individual calls home. Specially trained staff ensure that families receive the necessary support to allow that to happen. Services include nursing care, symptom management, and emotional and spiritual support tailored to a patient’s needs and wishes.

Services are paid for 100 percent by Medicare, Medi-Cal and the Veteran’s Administration. Many private health insurances also cover hospice care.

Financial support from the community through individual and corporate donations allows Hospice Services to cover special needs of patients and provide community bereavement services. No patients are turned away if they do not have the means to pay for hospice care.

“We encourage you to see how our compassionate team can assist you and your loved ones. We are happy to talk with you about the services that we provide and how we can help,” said Sobel.

Call us at 707-263-6222 or visit Hospice Services at 1862 Parallel Drive, Lakeport.

Additional information is also available on Hospice Services of Lake County’s website, www.lakecountyhospice.org.

Janine Smith Citron is director of development for Hospice Services of Lake County.

 

As of late fall, wildfires are still smoldering under snowfall in Colorado. I am hoping that the cold and snowy weather over the last few days will finally put to bed the 2020 fire season in my state. Through much of October, great pillars of smoke rose in the sky and ash rained down from at least four major fall wildfires, affecting millions in the urban corridors east of the Rocky Mountains.

October wildfires are rare in Colorado, especially large ones that burn more than 1,000 acres. Only about a dozen that size have burned since 1984, out of 335 in the state over that period.

This fall’s major blazes are a signal of climate change in the here and now. And they’re not the only such evidence in a record hot and dry 2020 fire season, where states across the West are still putting out hot spots and mopping up the blazes.

Wildfires have shaped the Earth for hundreds of millions of years and play key roles in many of its ecosystems. And humans have used fire for landscape management for millennia. But we are just starting to understand our modern relationship with fire. As a fire scientist based in the West, I see reason for hope. By making changes now, I believe that we can help shape the types of fire we live with in the future.

Pathways to living with more fire

More than 8.7 million acres – an area larger than the state of Maryland – have burned across the U.S. just in 2020. Tens of millions of people have suffered from the resulting toxic smoke. Hundreds of thousands have been forced to evacuate in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Thousands of homes have burned to the ground, and dozens of people have lost their lives.

The science is clear: Earth’s warming climate has doubled the area in western U.S. forests that has burned since the 1980s. And this increase comes at a high price. The most devastating wildfires have caused US$76 billion in damage since 1980, with most of those losses occurring in the past 20 years. And the 2020 fire season isn’t over yet.

Fire is responding quickly to climate change, so humans need to respond faster. Based on my own research and work by others, here are six pathways that I believe will help the U.S. get ahead of its wildfire crisis.

• Build better. Across the U.S., tens of millions of homes have been built in the wildland-urban interface, where development runs up against forests, shrublands and grasslands. These communities need to retrofit flammable homes and build new ones that are fire-resistant.

Mapping zones where fire is likely in a changing climate is critical. Just as the Federal Emergency Management Agency produces maps of flood-prone areas, the U.S. needs national firescape maps, coupled with national policies to guide development and insurance decisions.

Congress passed an omnibus bill in 2018 that mandated wildfire hazard potential mapping, but this effort will require concerted scientific support and funding. The maps should incorporate how warming temperatures affect the likelihood of wildfires, and should tie into a national program that directs development out of harm’s way.

• Emphasize backyard management. Local communities and federal and state land management agencies should focus on reducing flammable trees and brush near where people live. Mechanical removal, raking and logging in the middle of the woods to reduce fire risk is way too expensive and ineffective. It would cost billions of dollars to clean up 150 million dead trees in California.

There’s also a need for more research on how homes ignite and how fire progresses through neighborhoods. The U.S. has had mandatory fire codes for over a century to limit fires indoors and protect occupants. Today we need similar measures for outdoor areas around homes.

• Bring Smokey Bear to the suburbs. Many human activities bring fire. Virtually all of the wildfires that threaten homes anywhere in the lower 48 states are started by human actions, either deliberate or accidental.

For decades the U.S. Forest Service’s Smokey Bear public education campaign taught Americans that “Only you can prevent forest fires.” Today there’s a need to raise awareness of how daily activities, from camping to setting off fireworks or operating yard equipment, can generate sparks. Power lines, which can blow over during extreme weather conditions and start deadly wildfires, should be a major focus.

• Use fire to fight fire. Studies show that the U.S. is not setting enough prescribed fires to reduce flammable materials on the ground, especially in western states.

The only federal agency that has been able to increase prescribed burning in the past two decades is the Bureau of Indian Affairs. This may reflect growing recognition that Native American burning practices offer a model for fire-prone communities. Science-informed policies to delineate when and where to implement prescribed burning could help agencies manage smoke more effectively and support ecosystem restoration.

• Understand whom wildfires harm most. A 2018 study estimated that 12 million socially vulnerable Americans who are poorly equipped to respond to fire due to low incomes, language barriers or other factors live in areas where there is substantial wildfire potential.

Further, people of color, based on majority Black, Hispanic or Native American census tracts, may be more vulnerable than others. This disparity makes it urgent to better pinpoint whose lungs and homes are in harm’s way, who receives and acts on evacuation notices, and how well fuel treatments and firefighting protect the most vulnerable communities. Answering these questions would help to reduce disproportionate wildfire risks borne by vulnerable communities.

• Stop fixating on “megafires” and “gigafires.” Big fires matter for smoke, small fires matter for homes and fast-moving fires matter for lives. There are better ways to delineate why wildfires matter to society.

New sources ranging from satellites to government records to social media are providing a wealth of opportunities to learn more about wildfire behavior and how it threatens people and affects ecosystems. These data could be linked with information on why fires are becoming so costly, damaging and deadly, leading to astronomical fire suppression budgets.

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The U.S. spends over $2 billion on average fighting wildfires every year. I believe it’s time to abandon our emergency response mindset and start investing in proactive measures to reduce risks. In my view, we will never get ahead of the threat without a better understanding of how to manage flammable landscapes and adapt to increasing wildfire threats.

Jennifer Balch, Associate Professor of Geography and Director, Earth Lab, University of Colorado Boulder

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