vvEPA
Incident Action Checklist - Wildfire
The actions in this checklist are divided up into three "rip & run" sections and are examples of activities that water and
wastewater utilities can take to: prepare for, respond to and recover from wildfires. For on-the-go convenience, you can
also populate the "My Contacts" section with critical information that your utility may need during an incident.
Wildfire Impacts on Water and Wastewater Utilities
A wildfire is any instance of uncontrolled burning in grasslands, brush or woodlands. Wildfires can be caused by lightning,
human carelessness or arson. Wildfires often begin unnoticed spread quickly and present a direct risk to property and
infrastructure, in addition to potential degradation of the water supply. In some cases, source water quality issues can persist
for 5-10 years following a wildfire. Areas that have experienced a wildfire are also at an increased risk of flash flooding and
mudslides because the ground where vegetation has burned away cannot effectively absorb rainwater. Often, post-fire
impacts (including those impacts resulting from flash floods) are more detrimental to drinking water and wastewater systems
than the fire itself. Specific impacts to drinking water and wastewater utilities may include, but are not limited to:
Infrastructure damage to the facility or distribution system due to proximity to the fire or firefighting activities
Loss of water quantity due to increased withdrawals for firefighting activities
Source water quality changes due to increased nutrients and other pollutants, which can result in higher turbidity,
algal blooms, potential odor and taste issues, and subsequent higher treatment costs
Increased sediment in reservoirs as a result of runoff and flash floods from burned areas, which can affect water
quality, and reduced reservoir capacity and effective service lifespan
Increased sediment and debris in stormwater runoff following flash floods, impacting water quality and treatment
processes
Decreased water supply downstream, as loss of forest canopy can lead to increased evaporation and reduction in the
amount of water stored in snowpack
The following sections outline actions water and wastewater utilities can take to prepare for, respond to and recover from
wildfires.
Examples of Water Sector Impacts and Response to a Wildfire
Denver Water responds to impacts from wildfire and flooding
On May 18, 1996, the 11,900-acre Buffalo Creek fire occurred on a tributary to the upper South Platte River, the main
source of Denver, Colorado's water supply. While Buffalo Creek itself contributes a very small share of Denver's water
supply, it is located directly upstream of the Strontia Springs Reservoir, the intake point for the Foothills Treatment Plant
- a facility that handles approximately 80% of Denver's water.
Two months after the Buffalo Creek fire, heavy thunderstorms occurred directly over the burned area, causing a flash
flood that washed more sediment into the reservoir than had accumulated over the previous 13 years, resulting in an
estimated loss of 30 years of the reservoir's planned 50-year life.
The emergency cleanup costs totaled nearly $1 million. Chronic cleanup costs due to increased turbidity totaled
$250,000 in water treatment costs per year, and dredging was estimated to cost $15 to $20 million over 10 years.
To mitigate future damage, the utility installed sensors upstream of the reservoir to monitor the amount of debris and
sediment coming down the river, allowing the utility to shut down its treatment plant before flash floods could cause
damage. Denver Water and the US Forest Service Rocky Mountain Region are also investing $33 million over a
5-year period for mechanical thinning, fuel reduction, creating fire breaks, erosion control, decommissioning roads and
reforestation.
Source: EPA "Adaptation Strategies Guide for Water Utilities. 2012"
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My Contacts and Resources
CONTACT NAME
UTILITY/ORGANIZATION NAME
PHONE NUMBER
Planning
Local EMA
State EMA
State Primacy Agency
WARN Chair
Power Utility
Tabletop Exercise Tool for Water Systems:
Emeraencv Preparedness. Response, and Climate
. Active Fire Mapping Program (U.S. Forest Service
[USFS])
. National Significant Wildland Fire Potential
Outlooks (National Interagency Coordination
Center [NICC])
. NOAA National Weather Service - Fire Weather
(National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[NOAA])
. Fire Weather Outlooks and Forecasting Tools
(National Weather Service [NWS])
. Incident Information System (InciWeb)
. Geospatial Multi-Agency Coordination (GeoMAC)
Group Wildland Fire Support application (U.S.
Geological Survey [USGS])
. Fire Forecast (National Public Radio)
Wildfire Assessment System (USFS)
National Interagencv Fire Center (NIFC)
NIFC Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER)
Firewise Communities (National Fire Protection
Association [NFPA])
Readv.gov Wildfire Preparedness (Federal
Emergency Management Agency [FEMA])
Fire Management Planning for Public Water Systems
(CoWARN)
Best Management Practices for Fire Preparedness
and Response (Florida Rural Water Association
[FRWA])
U.S. Drought Portal (National Integrated Drought
Information System [NIDIS])
Wildfire Impacts on Water Quality (Southwest
Hydrology)
All-Hazard Consequence Management Planning
for the Water Sector (Water Sector Emergency
Response Critical Infrastructure Partnership Advisory
Council (CIPAC) Workgroup)
Preparing for Extreme Weather Events: Workshop
Planner for the Water Sector (EPA)
Resiliency (EPA)
Coordination
Water/Wastewater Agency Response Network
(WARN) (EPA)
Community Based Water Resiliency (EPA)
Facility and Service Area
Defensible Space Guidance (CAL FIRE)
Private Wells after the Fire: A private well owner's
guide to protecting your drinking water source
(Arizona Department of Environmental Quality
[ADEQ])
Firewise Landscaping and Plant Lists (NFPA)
Firewise Guide to Landscape and Construction
(NFPA)
Post-Fire Rehabilitation Techniques (Colorado State
University)
Recovery Assistance for Water Utilities Dealing with
the Effects of Wildfire (CoWARN)
Water Quality Concerns Fact Sheet (ADEQ)
Municipal Water Supply Systems and Evaluation
Methods for Fire Protection (FEMA)
Power, Energy and Fuel
EPA Region 1 Water/Wastewater System Generator
Preparedness Brochure (EPA)
Documentation and Reporting
Federal Funding for Utilities in National Disasters
(Fed FUNDS') (EPA)
Mitigation
Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER)
Treatment Catalog (USFS)
Plants for Wildfire Protection and Restoration (USDA)
Land Rehabilitation FAQ: Lower North Fork Fire
(Jefferson Conservation District)
Climate Resilience Evaluation and Awareness Tool
(GREAT)
Adaptation Strategies Guide (EPA)
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Actions to Prepare for a Wildfire
Planning
Coordination
Actively monitor fire and weather conditions and
be aware of regional wildfires.
Review and update your utility's emergency
response plan (ERP), and ensure all emergency
contacts are current.
Conduct briefings, training and exercises to
ensure utility staff is aware of all preparedness,
response and recovery procedures.
Identify priority water customers (e.g., hospitals),
obtain their contact information, map their
locations and develop a plan to restore those
customers first, in case of water service
disruptions.
Develop an emergency drinking water supply
plan and establish response partner contacts
(potentially through your local emergency
management agency [EMA] or mutual aid
network) to discuss procedures, which may
include bulk water hauling, mobile treatment
units or temporary supply lines, as well as
storage and distribution.
Review and update fire management plans,
including contingency plans for system operation
if critical facilities are impacted by wildfire and
access is limited or not possible.
Conduct a hazard vulnerability analysis in which
you review historical records to understand the
past frequency and intensity of wildfires and how
your utility may have been impacted. Consider
taking actions to mitigate wildfire impacts to the
utility, including those provided in the "Actions to
Recover from a Wildfire: Mitigation" section.
Complete pre-disaster activities to help apply
for federal disaster funding (e.g., contact state/
local officials with connections to funding, set
up a system to document damage and costs,
take photographs of the facility for comparison to
post-damage photographs).
Ensure proper safety gear is available for field
employees.
Join your state's Water/Wastewater Agency
Response Network (WARN) or other local
mutual aid network.
Coordinate with WARN members and other
neighboring utilities to discuss:
Outlining response activities, roles and
responsibilities and mutual aid procedures
(e.g., how to request and offer assistance)
Conducting joint tabletop or full-scale
exercises
Obtaining resources and assistance, such as
equipment, personnel, technical support or
water
Establishing interconnections between
systems and agreements with necessary
approvals to activate this alternate source.
Equipment, pumping rates and demand on
the water sources need to be considered and
addressed in the design and operations
Establishing communication protocols and
equipment to reduce misunderstandings
during the incident
Coordinate with other key response partners,
such as your local EMA, to discuss:
How restoring system operations may
have higher priority than establishing an
alternative water source
Potential points of distribution for the delivery
of emergency water supply (e.g., bottled
water) to the public, as well as who is
responsible for distributing the water
Understand how the local and utility emergency
operations center (EOC) will be activated and
what your utility may be called on to do, as
well as how local emergency responders and
the local EOC can support your utility during a
response. If your utility has assets outside of the
county EMA's jurisdiction, consider coordination
or preparedness efforts that should be done in
those areas.
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Actions to Prepare for a Wildfire (continued)
\ | Meet with the fire agency with authority in your
utility's area. This could include a local fire
department, state conservation and forestry
offices, and/or the US Forest Service. Review
plans, discuss response activities (e.g., fire
suppression chemical use) and identify hazards
and vulnerabilities at your utility.
I | Ensure credentials to allow access will be valid
during an incident by checking with local law
enforcement.
I | Sign up for mobile and/or email alerts from your
local EMA, if available.
Communication with Customers
I Develop outreach materials to provide your
customers with information they will need
during a wildfire (e.g., clarification about water
advisories, instructions for private well and septic
system maintenance, and information about fire
prevention and mitigation).
I Review public information protocols with local
EMA and public health/primacy agencies.
These protocols should include developing
water advisory messages (e.g., boil water) and
distributing them to customers using appropriate
mechanisms, such as reverse 911.
Facility and Service Area
Inventory and order extra equipment and
supplies, as needed:
Motors
Fuses
Chemicals (ensure at least a two week supply)
Cellular phones or other wireless
communications device
Emergency Supplies
Tarps/tape/rope
Cots/blankets
First aid kits
Foul weather gear
Plywood
Flashlights/flares
Sandbags (often, sand must be ordered as
well)
Bottled water
Batteries
Non-perishable food
Ensure communication equipment (e.g., radios,
satellite phones) works and is fully charged.
Develop a GIS map of all system components
and prepare a list of coordinates for each facility.
Practice mechanical thinning, weed control,
selective harvesting, controlled burns and
creation of fire breaks on utility managed
property, and encourage these practices on
property that may directly impact the utility, its
water supply and/or water quality.
r Notes:
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Actions to Prepare for a Wildfire (continued)
\ Address and, if possible, remove vegetation from
around facilities located in medium to high fire
danger zones. Consider replacing flammable
vegetation with fire-resistant landscaping.
I Create a zone of defensible space of
approximately 50-100 feet for utility equipment
and facilities (e.g., wellheads, structures,
supports to wires and transformers). Consult
with your local fire department for specific
recommendations or requirements.
I Install manual or automatic irrigation systems to
provide wetting of components and groundcover
for vulnerable areas (e.g., chlorine storage,
control equipment buildings).
I Assess the possibility of and procedures for using
reclaimed water for fire suppression (prepare
public notice and talking points).
I Document pumping requirements and storage
capabilities, as well as critical treatment
components and parameters.
I Back-up essential records and data, and store in
a fireproof safe or offsite facility.
Personnel
Identify essential personnel and ensure they are
trained to perform critical duties in an emergency
(and possibly without communication), including
the shut down and start up of the system.
Establish communication procedures with
essential and non-essential personnel. Ensure all
personnel are familiar with emergency evacuation
and shelter in place procedures.
Pre-identify emergency operations and clean-
up crews. Establish alternative transportation
strategies if roads are impassable.
Consider how evacuations or limited staffing
due to transportation issues (potentially all utility
personnel) will impact your response procedures.
Identify possible staging areas for mutual
aid crews if needed in the response, and the
availability of local facilities to house the crews.
Encourage personnel, especially those that
may be on duty for extended periods of time, to
develop family emergency plans.
Power, Energy and Fuel
Evaluate condition of electrical panels to accept
generators; inspect connections and switches.
Document power requirements of the facility;
options for doing this may include:
Placing a request with the US Army Corps
of Engineers 249th Engineer Battalion
(Prime Power): http://www.usace.army.
mil/249thEngineerBattalion.aspx
Using the US Army Corps of Engineers on-line
Emergency Power Facility Assessment Tool
(EPFAT): http://epfat.swf.usace.army.mil/
Confirm and document generator connection
type, capacity load and fuel consumption. Test
regularly, exercise under load and service
backup generators.
Fill fuel tanks to full capacity and ensure that you
have the ability to manually pump gas in the event
of a power outage. Ensure this equipment and
other hazardous materials are located in a safe
zone.
Contact fuel vendors and inform them of
estimated fuel volumes needed if utility is
impacted. Determine your ability to establish
emergency contract provisions with vendors
and your ability to transport fuel if re-fueling
contractors are not available. Develop a backup
fueling plan and a prioritization list of which
generators to fuel in case of a fuel shortage.
Collaborate with your local power provider and
EOC to ensure that your water utility is on the
critical facilities list for priority electrical power
restoration, generators and emergency fuel.
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Actions to Respond to a Wildfire
Planning
Identify possible alternate water supplies and
operational changes to assist in mitigating
demand and water quality concerns.
Coordination
I I Once the wildfire is about 40% contained, reach
out to your local EMA, the incident's Public
Information Officer (PIO) and the Burned Area
Emergency Response (BAER) team to maintain
awareness of the situation and, if possible,
to lend assistance as resource advisors or
observers.
I I Notify your local EMA and state regulatory/
primacy agency of system status.
I I If needed, request or offer assistance (e.g.,
equipment, personnel) through mutual aid
networks, such as WARN.
I I Assign a representative of the utility to the
incident command post or the community's EOC.
Communication with Customers
Notify customers of any water advisories
and consider collaborating with local media
(television, radio, newspaper, etc.) to distribute
the message. If emergency water is being
supplied, provide information on the distribution
locations.
Facility and Service Area
Overall
Conduct damage assessments of the utility to
prioritize repairs and other actions.
Check that back-up equipment and facility
systems, such as controls and pumps, are
in working order, and ensure that chemical
containers and feeders are intact.
Drinking Water Utilities
If possible, refill storage tanks each day to ensure
maximum storage for demand, including fire
suppression.
Work with the local EMA to identify passable
access roads and to ensure that utility facilities in
forest areas are clearly identified.
Keep intakes and access hatches clear of debris.
Monitor raw water quality, develop a sampling
plan and adjust treatment as necessary.
Notify regulatory/primacy agency if operations
and/or water quality or quantity are affected.
Utilize pre-established emergency connections
or setup temporary connections to nearby
communities, as needed. Alternatively, implement
plans to draw emergency water from pre-
determined tanks or hydrants. Notify employees
of the activated sites.
r Notes:
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Actions to Respond to a Wildfire (continued)
Prepare and deploy equipment as needed to
support firefighting operations, such as tanker
trucks and related pumping equipment, as well as
bulldozers for the construction of firebreaks.
Conduct sediment removal activities, such as
installing permanent or temporary debris basins.
Wastewater Utilities
Inspect the utility and service area, including
lift stations, for damage and power availability.
Inspect the sewer system for debris and assess
the operational status of the mechanical bar
screen. If necessary, run system in manual
operation.
Notify regulatory/primacy agency of any changes
to the operations or required testing parameters.
Documentation and Reporting
Document all damage assessments, mutual aid
requests, emergency repair work, equipment
used, purchases made, staff hours worked and
contractors used during the response to assist
in requesting reimbursement and applying
for federal disaster funds. When possible,
take photographs (with time and date stamp).
Proper documentation is critical to requesting
reimbursement.
Work with your local EMA on the required
paperwork for public assistance requests.
Personnel
Account for all personnel and provide emergency
care, if needed. If personnel are in the field,
communicate with the National Weather Service
(NWS) on local wind conditions in the fire area so
staff are aware of how quickly winds are shifting
and if evacuation from facilities is required.
Deploy emergency operations and clean-up
crews. Identify key access points and roads
for employees to enter the utility and critical
infrastructure; coordinate the need for debris
clearing with local emergency management or
prioritize it for employee operations.
Power, Energy and Fuel
Use backup generators, as needed, to supply
power to system components.
Monitor and plan for additional fuel needs in
advance; coordinate fuel deliveries to generators.
Maintain contact with electric provider for power
outage duration estimates.
EPA
r Notes:
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Actions to Recover from a Wildfire
Coordination
I I Continue work with response partners to obtain
funding, equipment, etc.
I I Coordinate with land owners and other partners
to restore and treat burned areas.
Communication with Customers
Assign a utility representative to continue
to communicate with customers concerning
a timeline for recovery and other pertinent
information.
Facility and Service Area
I I Complete damage assessments.
Complete permanent repairs, replace depleted
supplies and return to service.
Documentation and Reporting
Compile damage assessment forms and cost
documentation into a single report to facilitate
the sharing of information and the completion
of state and federal funding applications.
Visit EPA's web-based tool, Federal Funding
for UtilitiesWater/Wastewaterin National
Disasters (Fed FUNDS), for tailored information
and application forms for various federal
disaster funding programs: http://water.epa.gov/
infrastructure/watersecurity/funding/fedfunds/
Develop a lessons learned document and/
or an after action report (AAR) to keep a
record of your response activities. Update your
vulnerability assessment, ERP, fire models and
fire management plans.
Revise budget and asset management plans to
address increased costs from response-related
activities.
Mitigation
Identify mitigation and long-term adaptation
measures that can prevent damage and
increase utility resilience. Consider impacts
related to future climate conditions and the
increased frequency of wildfires when planning
for system upgrades (e.g., installing buffer strips,
removing hazardous fuels).
Consider implementing the following mitigation
measures to prepare for possible flash flooding
events following a wildfire:
Monitor the watershed, as conditions may
be different post-fire. Identify potential failure
points within your service area: ensure culverts
can handle increased flow, and determine
runoff points and areas where water will now
collect
Install a rain gauge upstream of intake for early
warning of heavy precipitation that could lead
to high turbidity water and sensors to monitor
the amount of debris and sediment coming
downstream
Consider instituting erosion control measures
to protect against runoff and sediment
concerns that occur during suppression and
precipitation
- Notes:
Office of Water (4608-T) EPA 817-F-15-010 January 2015
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