About the Project
On November 8, 2018, sparks from PG&E transmission lines triggered California’s deadliest and most destructive fire. More than 153,000 acres were burned, over 18,000 buildings were destroyed, nearly 12,000 homes burned down, 85 people lost their lives, and the cost was more than $16 Billion.
In April, 2019 SSEC partnered with Ceres Environmental to assist with stabilizing the lots from the devastating fire. Ceres had confidence that our team could handle the large project requirement and quick turnaround because of our large fleet, accountability, and quick response time on previous wildfires impacting Santa Rosa, Napa and Lake County.
Throughout the 8-month project, SSEC was brought in at various phases of the recovery process. Once all of the remnants from burned vehicles and structures were removed and recycled, and parcels were approved clean via soil samples, the SSEC team completed the process by stabilizing the lots for erosion control. With 3400 lots, 800 acres of Hydromulching and 850,000 ft of fiber roll, the SSEC team worked quickly and diligently to prevent erosion, sediment and site contaminants from running into storm drains and nearby waterways. Parcels were then signed off and released back to the landowner to begin rebuilding.
Client
Cal-Recycle, Cal OES, FEMA
General Contractor: Ceres Environmental
Industries Served
Civil Contractor, Government AgencySolution / Service Type
Erosion Control
Hydro Mulching
Sediment Control
Compost Socks, Fiber Rolls/Wattles
Project Size
- Total project: $1.73 billion; 10,865 lots of Erosion Control (as of December, 2019 — SSEC was a portion of this)
- Ceres Environmental portion: $264 million (SSEC was a portion of this)
- SSEC portion: 3400 lots, 800 acres of Hydromulching and 850,000 Ft of fiber roll
Challenges
This project presented various challenges throughout its duration, including the sensitive nature of the area, the amount of traffic from more than 3,000 contractors and cleanup crews, equipment and materials staging at a centralized yard in a nearby location, locked gates, limited access, armed guards, police escorts, steep terrain, narrow driveways, weight restrictions on bridges, and the need for quick turnaround so residents could return to their land. In addition, with evacuated residents living in hotels, contractors and workers were required to stay in established base camps throughout the duration of the project.
How We Solved It
Once we received the list of clean parcels, we had to strategize the flow of solutions in order to remain efficient and effective with our work. Through the use of specially designed software, we were able flag properties that had limited access, locked gates, or required police escorts, and then plan the best route. In addition, not all properties were conducive to large erosion control equipment, or the use of water-based products. Drawing on our years of experience, creative problem solving and strong vendor relationships, we were able to overcome these challenges while still remaining precise and efficient. One key solution was the use of LSC Environmental Edge products, which required no water and allowed non-hydraulic application in pellet form. These pellets later expanded during the first rainfall, spreading the fiber and EarthGuard soil stabilizer. In addition, the use of 5″ compost sock for fiber rolls, required no trenching and less staking, which sped up our operations. We completed the project on time and within budget in December, 2019.
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