"Bruno was saying, 'Just leave me. I can’t do this.' I said, 'Bruno, we’re not going to leave you. And I’m not going to burn, so you better hurry.'" - Michael Scott, who survived the Camp Fire with his 90-year-old father, Bruno, by jumping into a nearby lake.
Dear neighbors:
Have you seen the Official Firewise Neighborhood signs posted on either end of Thoroughbred Loop? Through all the smoke and frightening fire alerts recently, those signs are a testament that we have done a ton of work toward making our neighborhood more fire prepared.
Seventy-eight homes are included in the 6B and Friends Firewise Community. That is approximately 200 people who depend on each other to be proactive and informed about fire safety and emergency evacuation. This is the time of year when we are especially aware that all that work really counts.
This is Red Flag weather. Be ready!
Keep your gas tank full and your car facing out for quick getaway.
Leave early! Do not wait to be told to evacuate. If you’re concerned, go! The hi-lo siren is new to Nevada County. It sounds like this. If you hear it, it means to evacuate immediately. Identify one person who lives outside of our area who everyone in your household knows to contact if you are not all together in an emergency.
Other news
Your Firewise Committee is looking for a couple of new members to maintain geographic representation and help us spread the word about fire safety in our neighborhood. Please raise your hand! Any Hidden Valley, Scotts Drive, Marin Place or Brass Circle neighbors available?
Please send the hours and money spent on the fire protection work you’ve done on your property in 2020 to Karen Pridemore, karenvpridemore@gmail.com, as soon as possible. We are required to report this information in order to maintain our Firewise Community status. Our deadline is in just a few weeks. Exact hours and receipts are not required. For a simple worksheet and examples of eligible activities, click here. Consider buying a membership ($49) or donating to the Fire Safe Council, which has many great fire safety programs for Nevada County. The Green Waste Disposal and Chipping programs, defensible space clearance assistance for seniors and people with medical disabilities, and providing those reflective address signs we urge everyone to get ($35 for single sided, $40 for double sided) are examples of the council’s good work. In addition to being terrible for the environment, mylar balloons can also cause fire when they get tangled in power lines. Read all about it here. If you hire a landscaper, be sure she or he is up to date on gardening in a fire-adapted ecosystem and get a second opinion about the types of plants, spacing and maintenance required to keep your yard looking good as well as fire resilient. The Sierra Nevada Alliance and the Redbud Chapter of the California Native Plant Society have good information about native, fire-resistant landscaping in Nevada County. The UC Master Gardeners of Nevada County has just released its updated “2020 Western Sierra Foothills Garden Guide”, also an excellent resource. It can be purchased here.
Be well, be safe!
Your Firewise Committee,
Lauren Drutz, Lynn Forbes, Karen Pridemore, Trent Pridemore, Emily Sweeney, Jim Walters