Supporters of Phase Alpha and Phase Bravo of Hazardous Fuel Mitigation in Pescadero Canyon

Phase Alpha Supporters

Hazardous Fuel Reduction in Pescadero Canyon, Carmel-by-the-Sea

The individuals listed below believe Carmel-by-the-Sea should immediately move forward with Phase Alpha hazardous fuel reduction within the six City-owned parcels in Pescadero Canyon using funds already budgeted for wildfire mitigation.

These parcels contain an estimated 80% of the canyon’s hazardous fuel load and can be acted upon now without waiting for lengthy multi-jurisdictional coordination processes to conclude.

While regional cooperation with neighboring agencies and landowners remains important for long-term wildfire protection, supporters believe Carmel-by-the-Sea must first act decisively on the land it already controls before another fire season arrives.

Hans Buder
Councilmember, Carmel-by-the-Sea

Hans Buder heads the Wildlife Preparedness Committee. He has raised the alarm with his letter to the Carmel Pine Cone Editor in May 2025 and has been working on a comprehensive plan for Phase Brovo.

In Hans' own words, the Wildfire Preparedness Committee has been working hard on this for the past 10 months or so. Here are some of the accomplishments to date:

City-wide evacuation drill. We're doing a City-wide evacuation drill on May 30, 2026, which will be a first for our region. It is designed to simulate a fire in Pescadero Canyon heading south into the City.
Prioritized list of fuel mitigation projects. We worked with the Fire Department to create a prioritized list of fuel mitigation projects. The question I posed to them was: What are the most important fuel mitigation projects that we can undertake to keep ourselves safe? The macro level priorities identified by the fire professionals, based on risk to the City are: Mission Trail Nature Preserve, Pescadero Canyon, and the evacuation routes.
Early detection wildfire camersa. We're working on installing two wildfire cameras to cover Carmel-by-the-Sea and provide early detection in the event of a wildfire -- including at night.
Creating a City-wide Firewise group. We're creating a Firewise group to promote home hardening and defensible space.
Home hardening and defensible space policy changes. We identified a list of key policies relating to home hardening and defensible space that need updating. We've asked the Council to take up some as an urgency ordinance and have asked the Design Traditions team to incorporate the balance into their work.
Fire hydrant testing. We are collaborating with Cal-Am to flow-test the fire hydrants in town for the first time in years.