PHOTOS: Butte County’s Emergency Evacuation Plan has been honored with the Vernon Deines Award by the American Planning Association’s Small Town & Rural Planning Division. This award recognizes outstanding comprehensive plans that contribute to planning excellence in small town and rural communities.
The plan, a collaborative effort involving the Office of Emergency Management, the Sheriff’s Office, Public Works, Fire and Development Services, underscores the county’s commitment to safety and preparedness. It addresses the challenges posed by natural disasters, particularly in wildland-urban interface areas.
The plan includes updated evacuation maps for ten rural, unincorporated foothill and mountain communities, as well as the City of Biggs. It utilizes advanced wildfire risk modeling to assess fire behavior scenarios, identify vulnerabilities, and highlight high-risk areas. Additionally, it creates evacuation scenarios to identify potential congestion points, optimize travel routes, and propose solutions for efficient evacuations.
