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4 Environmental Analysis <br /> 4.18 Wildfire <br /> 4.18 WILDFIRE <br /> This section identifies and evaluates issues related to wildfire in the context of the Griffith Energy <br /> Storage Project (Project). It includes the physical and regulatory setting, the criteria used to <br /> evaluate the significance of potential impacts, the methods used in evaluating these impacts, and <br /> the results of the impact assessment. San Joaquin County (County) received scoping comments <br /> relating to wildfire from the Tracy Rural County Fire Protection District, and those comments have <br /> been incorporated into the Draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR). <br /> 4.18.1 Existing Conditions <br /> Wildland fire hazards in San Joaquin County and Alameda County have the potential to affect <br /> grasslands, forest, and brushlands and, when uncontrolled, they have the potential to cause <br /> property damage, human injury, and mortality. Wildfires ignite from both natural causes (e.g., <br /> lightning strikes)and human-caused ignition sources. The degree of wildfire hazard is determined <br /> primarily by fuel availability and type, topography, and weather. This analysis includes a <br /> discussion of wildfire risk on the Project site. <br /> 4.18.1.1 Climate and Topography <br /> The Project site is in southwestern San Joaquin County and northeastern Alameda County, <br /> approximately 5 miles southwest of the City of Tracy and along the San Joaquin County and <br /> Alameda County boundary. The proposed gen-tie line also crosses into Alameda County and <br /> would connect with the existing Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) Tesla Substation, just west of <br /> the Project site. San Joaquin County is one of eight counties located entirely or partially within the <br /> San Joaquin Valley region of central California. The climate of the San Joaquin Valley is <br /> characterized by hot, dry summers and foggy, rainy winters (State of California 2022). This region <br /> averages 16 inches of rainfall annually, most of which falls during the winter months (Best Places <br /> 2022). Elevation at the Project site ranges from approximately 340 to 510 feet above mean sea <br /> level. <br /> 4.18.1.2 Vegetation/Fuels and Ignition Sources <br /> Fuels can include natural materials, such as dead tree leaves, twigs, branches, dead or live trees, <br /> brush, and dry grasses, as well as humanmade structures. The Project site consists of rolling hills <br /> and flat grazing land with few trees and lacks heavy brush. A few residences and several <br /> agricultural structures are present immediately west of the battery energy storage system (BESS) <br /> portion of the Project site, and additional rural residences exist west of the gen-tie corridor and <br /> north of the BESS portion of the Project site across West Patterson Pass Road. Potential ignition <br /> sources include both natural and human-caused in connection with vehicles, agricultural <br /> equipment, and the residences. <br /> 4.18.1.3 Fire History <br /> Historically, the California fire season extends from June through October of each year during the <br /> hot, dry months. However, since 2010, the fire season throughout California has been getting <br /> longer, typically starting in May and extending into November, but wildfires can occur any time of <br /> the year. CAL FIRE has recorded 13 fires within San Joaquin County since 2011 and 46 fires in <br /> Alameda County since 2006. However, as fires are not jurisdictionally specific, all fires within 25 <br /> Griffith Energy Storage Project 4.18-1 Tetra Tech/SCH 2022120675 <br /> Draft Environmental Impact Report August 2023 <br />