If anything good comes out of the two major fires on the Hill this summer, I hope it’s a renewed interest and commitment in making our communities fire safe. The Mountain and the Silver fires should serve as reminders of our vulnerability. So I hope we again ask the question, “What can we do to…
We are all glad that our town was unharmed by the Mountain Fire, but I don’t want to celebrate too much. I don’t want us to draw the wrong lesson, which is that fire agencies will always have the personnel and equipment to save us. After all, can’t they just keep pulling in more and…
Southern California jumped into the fire season with a large fire in the Angeles National Forest in early June. The Powerhouse Fire burned more than 30,000 acres in dense, mature chaparral just north of Santa Clarita. Fire Safe Council Board Member Norm Walker, an incident commander on the fire, told the council that the wind,…
The Mountain Communities Fire Safe Council received the 2013 Greenwood Award for outstanding contributions to our regional environment. Karen and Richard Greenwood presented the award to us at the Idyllwild Earth Fair on May 23. We are very grateful for this recognition. In line with the spirit of the award, we continue to cope with…
Fire abating one’s property, or reducing the flammable vegetation around your house, is a very green activity. Of course, it is very good if you would like to lessen the risk of your house going up in flames and sending large amounts of toxins into the air and soil, but it is, happily, one of…
Quick, who knows what PRC 4291 is? Here’s a hint — homeowners are supposed to be in compliance with it everywhere in California where there is a threat of wildfire. Okay, I know the old-timers up here got it, but in case you are new to these altitudes, this is the statewide code for fire…
Australia is one of the areas on the globe that deals with wildfires every summer, much like the American West, so we should pay attention to what they experience in their fire season. And this past season in Australia is one to worry about. Australia had many fires throughout the season (September through March), which…
It looks as if federal funding for fuel reduction in the national forests will be cut in this year’s budget. The final budget may include more money, but given the various pressures on the Forest Service for other missions, I expect this reduction to stay. With some recent exceptions, the pattern for fuel treatment dollars…
There is a current and real threat to most of the oaks in our community — the GSOB or the Goldspotted oak borer. This beetle has killed tens of thousands of oaks in San Diego County, and has now been positively identified in Idyllwild. So far it has been found in three trees around the…
Another year to enjoy our mountains! On this topic, the vision of the Mountain Communities Fire Safe Council is “Fire Safe Communities in a Healthy Forest.” It is not that our members are people who have always wanted to cut brush, prepare firewood, or write and administer federal grants (though they are good at it)….