6B and Friends Newsletter

July 2022

Dear neighbors:

The Rices Fire is a wakeup call that fire season has arrived. Time to refresh your go bags, ready generators and continue to do all you can to make your property as fire safe as possible and prepare for an emergency.

Remember that living in Nevada County means you consciously choose to live in a high-risk wildfire area. Firefighters and emergency personnel will do everything they can to protect our community, but personal accountability is our No.1 defense against wildfire.

Every minute you spend preparing now saves you time in an emergency when every second counts. Here are tips and resources as you dive into fire season 2022:

• Know your evacuation zone and keep it in your phone and wallet.
  ZONE NCO-E061 - 99% of 6B and Friends FireWise Community is in ZONE NCO-E061
  ZONE NCO-E060 -  15086 South Ponderosa Way
  ZONE NCO-E099 - 12780 Auburn Road
  To doublecheck on your evacuation zone, use the Know Your Zone tool here
• Communication and information during a fire is key. Print out and keep this handy reference:
  How to Stay Informed During Wildfire Season
• Take generator safety seriously. The fall 2019 6B and Friends newsletter has great information about generator safety, as well as other fire safety tips. Click here to see the newsletter.
• Creating defensible space on your property is a year-round effort! It’s never too late to take simple but important steps. Click here for some ideas by fire scientist Dr. Jo Ann Fites.
• Here is an informative 4-minute video about defensible space created by the National Fire Prevention Association: Your Home and Wildfire, Choices that can Make a Difference
• Communicate with at least two neighbors and agree to notify each other in case of an emergency.
• Sign up for Code Red here.
• Have your go bag ready. Here is a great go bag checklist.
• Drive possible evacuation routes in advance at night! You never know from which direction a fire may be quickly moving, and it’s extremely difficult to make instant decisions in the middle of a smoky night.
• Have a plan and a meeting place (or places) where family members can reconnect after an evacuation. Be sure everyone in your household knows the plan.
• Designate an offsite person who family members can check in with and get your status during an emergency.
• Have an evacuation plan and supplies for your pets.
• View the comprehensive local information available in the Nevada County “Wildfire Season Guide.” You can print one here.
  A commonly asked question:
  If we have 100 feet of defensible space plus we have hardened our home, why not stay put when there is an order to evacuate?
  Answer:
  Fire resource people warn that even if you are lucky to avoid the flames and the incredible heat of a wildfire, deadly hot toxic fumes from a fire are debilitating or lethal.
  In addition, when residents stay and become trapped, firefighters then must focus on rescuing humans rather than controlling the fire.
  If you are worried about looting, know that law enforcement personnel are out in full force during evacuations. Burglaries during fire emergencies are rare.

For information about how you can support a bill to increase pay for federal wildland firefighters - whose starting pay is often less than that of a fast food employee - read fire scientist Jo Ann Fites’ interesting story in Yubanet. Federal wildland firefighters are fighting the Rices fire alongside US Forest Service, CALFIRE and local firefighters as we speak.

Finally, the 6Bandfriends.org website has a ton of information about fire safety. Also on the website are the neighborhood rosters.

Be safe!
Your Firewise committee
Lauren, Jim, Karen, Lynn and Trent