So far, we've been lucky. There have been near-enough fires that have put us on high alert, and the heat and smoke have been unbearable. But the windy autumn season is yet to arrive, and with it comes the conditions to drive a devastating wildfire like the McCourtney Fire on the night of Oct. 9, 2017. If you lived here then, you remember well being awakened at 2 a.m. by the Sheriff’s Department or friends telling us to evacuate immediately.
The goal of the 6B and Friends Firewise Community is to ensure that all of us are as prepared as possible if another night like that one happens again and to make sure that our properties, roads, and water systems are in tip-top shape. This takes education, diligence and work. It is an ongoing process. Each and everyone of us must do our part.
- Your Firewise Committee Lauren Drutz, Lynn Forbes, Roger Miller, Allison Rapp and Jim Walters
Neighbor News
Our condolences to Nancy and the whole family on the passing of our neighbor and friend Bob Proano. Bob was a treasured member of our community and an original member of the 6B and Friends Firewise Committee.
He was a United States Air Force veteran, an accomplished commercial pilot and a United States Naval Academy Admissions Office “Blue and Gold Officer” who served as Area Coordinator for all Northern California for 12 years. In this role, Bob touched the lives of thousands of young people and helped hundreds to achieve their dreams of attending Annapolis. He will be sorely missed.
We say see you soon, but not goodbye, to our friends Trent and Karen Pridemore. Trent and Karen have been the rocks of our community for 17 years, contributing more time, care and energy than we could possibly list here, not just to the 6B area, but to the entire county. They are among the founding members of the 6B and Friends Firewise Committee.
Karen and Trent, we thank you from the bottom of our fire-safety hearts for everything. We could never have done it without you. We wish you best of luck in your next adventure. Don't forget to come for a visit now and again.
Drop Trent and Karen a fond farewell at trentrpridemore@gmail.com and karenvpridemore@gmail.com.
Welcome to new neighbors Dean and Jeanne Eriksen, Tim, Marissa and Bob Free and Roger Miller.
Welcome aboard to new committee members Allison Rapp and Roger Miller from the Starbright Acres neck of our woods. Roger is new to the area, and has already jumped right into helping us with our fire-safety goals.
Measure V
Learn why Nevada County Measure V is an important disaster readiness initiative on the upcoming November ballot.
Here is best summary we've read about why you should vote yes on Measure V
Take our survey
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6B and Friends website
Did you know we have a website full of all kinds of information, the 6B Firewise certificate, in case your insurance company asks for it, and our 6B and Friends roster (password: neighbors)? Check it out at www.6Bandfriends.org.
Defensible space grants available
The Fire Safe Council of Nevada County is accepting applications for the Access and Functional Needs Program. Low-income senior residents, or individuals with disabilities, can receive defensible space clearing services within 100’ of their homes. Many will qualify, and space is still available. Defensible space clearing will be performed by Fire Safe Council crews.
The importance of road clearance cannot be understated. The goal is to make our roads welcoming to fire fighters and safe for us during an evacuation.
Carefully inspect the roadside that runs along your property.
Clear AT LEAST 10 feet horizontally from the edge of the road and 15 feet vertically.
Weed whack, trim overhead limbs, and make any other fire-smart improvements.
Remove all dead trees and brush along the roadside, which is where the spark from a cigarette butt or metal chain dragging behind a vehicle can ignite and quickly spread a fire.
Contact a contractor if you cannot do the work yourself.
Weed whack with a string trimmer, NOT a metal blade! Eliminate weeds or decrease their height to 3 inches or less.
Create horizontal space between trees so that branches of neighboring trees are at least 10 feet apart. Create vertical space by pruning the lowest limbs (10 feet from the ground) of tall trees.
CONTINUE to create defensible space on your property using non-flammable methods. This means utilizing power tools that do not contain rotating metal blades and hand tools such as loppers and plastic rakes.
Remove ladder fuels that provide a vegetative path from the forest floor into the trees. Strive to create a landscape where you can see blue sky between trees when you look up. Remove the small diameter trees that will never get enough sunlight to grow strong and tall like the trees that overshadow them. During a wildfire, these little trees will become the kindling to ignite the larger trees.
Drive possible evacuation routes in advance! You never know from which direction a fire may be quickly moving and it is extremely difficult to make instant decisions in the middle of a smoky night.
Know how to open your garage door to get your car out in the event of a power outage during an emergency. If you do not know how to do this or are not strong enough to pull down the release cord, park your car outside, fully loaded, facing the road for a quick escape
Keep your gas tank full. Keep tools such as bolt cutters for getting through a fence in your car.
Have a plan and supplies ready to evacuate with your pets. For good information about how to evacuate with animals, visit the Nevada County Vetinary Disaster Response Team website.
Know your evacuation zone - NCO-E061: Record your Evacuation Zone in your phone and wallet and staple it to your forehead. Allison Rapp puts the evacuation zone number in her calendar so that it shows up front and center daily. Most of the 6B and Friends Firewise Community is in Zone NCO-E061. but be sure to confirm your zone by using this lookup tool: https://www.areyoufiresafe.com/ready/know-your-zone
Always remember generator safety. Just recently, a generator ignited a fire in a campground off You Bet Road. Unless used properly, generators are notorious for starting fires!
In this video,Generator Safety Tips & Burn Piles/Permit (with photos) October 2019, Cal Fire Chief Jim Mathias talks about preventing generator-related fires and being safe with burn piles.
In order to renew our Firewise Community certification, we must submit the hours worked and money spent by our community on fire prevention every year. Estimates are fine and no receipts are required.
Simply fill out this form with your estimates for hours and money spent and email it to Roger Miller at grm0042@yahoo.com by Oct 31, 2022. Call Lauren with any questions at (530) 559-5460.
Did you rake pine needles, limb-up trees, clear gutters, create defensible space, dispose green waste, take care of burn piles, hire a contractor, spend money on gas to go to the dump? All these and more count! Here are more examples of activities that count toward re-certification. Last year, less than half of our community responded. This year we are going for 100 percent. Please help us renew our certification.
