Travis AFB Sustainability Study Report Final Background Report | Page 239
Safety (SA)
Fires from off‐Base impacting Travis AFB
ISSUE
SA‐1
Safety zones are areas in which development should be more restrictive, in
terms of use and concentrations of people, due to the higher risks to public
safety. Issues to consider include aircraft accident potential zones, weapons
firing range safety zones, and explosive safety zones.
Fires have started in the grasslands outside Travis AFB
and have burned areas on the Base.
Military installations often engage in activities or contain facilities that, due
to public safety concerns, require special consideration by local jurisdictions
when evaluating compatibility. It is important to regulate land use near
military airfields to minimize damage from potential aircraft mishaps and to
reduce air navigation hazards. To help mitigate potential issues, the
Department of Defense (DOD) has delineated Clear Zones (CZ) and Accident
Potential Zones (APZ) near airfield runways. APZs are usually divided into
APZ I and APZ II. Each zone was developed based on the statistical review of
aircraft mishaps. Studies show that most mishaps occur on or near the
runway, predominately along its extended centerline.
Compatibility Assessment
Travis AFB has unimproved lands that are at risk for wildfires. Wildfires are
more likely to occur during the summer and fall when grassland vegetation
is dry and hot, with windy conditions. A total of 50 wildfires have occurred
on the Base since 2008. In August 2015, a three‐alarm grass fire broke out
on the Base, near the south end of the runway, which spread outside the
Base perimeter. The fire burned 125 acres total and was so large that
smoke was visible from the Sacramento area. One of the most damaging
fires on the Base occurred in August 2008 when a grass fire along
Parker Road spread onto the Base. The eight‐