Monterey County Uses JOC for Emergency Construction

Challenge: Fire Above and Fire Below

On August 18, 2020, flames erupted on a ranch outside Carmel Valley, which lies off the northern coastline of Monterey County, California. Within hours, the fire grew beyond the confines of the ranch, spilling into the surrounding area, where it would spread over the next three weeks. That same night, a second, larger fire broke out near Dolan Canyon, about 45 miles south of the ranch. There, an abundance of dry brush allowed the Dolan Fire to spread at an alarming rate.

After 17 days and the heroic efforts of a multi-agency team of firefighters, the Carmel Fire was finally extinguished, though not before it consumed 6,905 acres of private and county land. And though the Dolan Fire, which would eventually ravage nearly 125,000 acres, was not yet contained, portions of its path had been extinguished enough for work teams to access county roadways.

In addition to the numerous structures destroyed by the two fires, roads and drainage systems had been badly damaged by firefighting equipment and the hillsides surrounding the roads were riddled with downed trees and debris.

Solution: Two Emergency Construction Projects with One Contract

As the flames subsided, recovery and restoration work began. Monterey County officials turned to their Job Order Contracting (JOC) program to clear and repair residential roads as quickly as possible. JOC is an alternative construction procurement process ideal responding quickly to emergencies.

County officials called for an emergency Joint Scope Meeting with Gordian and the JOC-awarded contractor, Granite Construction. The scope of repairs necessary in the wake of the Carmel Fire was extensive. Roads and ditches needed to be cleared of burn debris. Guardrails and road signs had to be removed and replaced. Drainage systems running under roads would be dug up and repaired. Road shoulders would then have to be restored to prevent erosion. And any charred hillsides surrounding the roadways were to be fitted with gabion baskets and K-rails to prevent mudslides.

The emergency scope of work for the Dolan Fire was more straightforward: The contractor’s team would remove downed trees blocking roadways that led to the still-burning fire, so firefighting crews could continue their struggle to contain it.

Result: A Quick Recovery to Ensure Public Safety

Granite Construction had crews working on the Carmel Fire repairs within two weeks of the emergency Joint Scope Meeting. With the local roadways being repaired, residents of Carmel Valley and its surrounding communities can safely traverse Monterey County once again. Additionally, the mudslide prevention tactics helped ease concerns for public safety as seasonal rains return to the area. Meanwhile, the work done to unblock roads to the Dolan Fire paid off. By mid-November, the blaze was 98% contained, with winter rainfall expected to douse the remaining 2%.