As I write this article today, we are all still waiting for the first snow on the mountain. The rain we received in October has helped to reduce the number and severity of fires in the county but the forest is still capable of having a large fire burn in a wind event.It’s sometimes hard…
As the Town Crier previously reported, Edwina Scott retired from the executive director position with Mountain Communities Fire Safe Council. After several interviews, the board of directors is pleased to announce the hiring of Kathy Wilson (from Idyllwild) as the new ED. Also, to help the new ED and Field Supervisor Pete Coy, the board…
This year, as we emerge from a very wet winter (for a welcome change), it’s again time to make sure our property is fire abated. There is low fire danger as of now but that will change very quickly moving forward. Do not let the wet winter lull you into a sense of security when…
For the past year (and every year since 2002), the Mountain Communities Fire Safe Council has been working hard to help members of our community with their fire abatement, and provide education for new residents and weekenders. We also sponsor an all-volunteer group, the Woodies, who provide firewood for those who can’t afford it and…
Spring is presenting itself on our mountain after a very dry winter. Within a couple of weeks, the entire annual grass crop will be cured. Cal Fire is already fighting fires in the low elevations of Riverside County, and both it and the U.S. Forest Service will be up to full wildland fire staffing within…
By John R. Hawkins Fire Chief & Operational Area Fire & Rescue Coordinator & William Weiser, Division Chief Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire Department The following excerpted information will be very valuable as you plan and act to create or maintain defensible space: Defensible Space Zones Two zones make up the required 100 feet of defensible…
For the wildland fire agencies, the month of October is statistically the deadliest month for firefighters, and now for the public as well. Live fuel moisture in vegetation declines slowly all summer and usually bottoms in late August. After falling below 60 percent, chaparral burns as if it were dead. Trees pick up and give…
By the time this article is published, the Hill will have more than 90 percent of its inspection compliance with PRC 4291 completed. This is great news for all of us! A number of properties are still being abated through Mountain Communities Fire Safe Council, which is excellent because that’s the reason we’re here. In…
In our mountain communities, there is a partnership between all of the “players” involved in the protection of our lives, homes and the environment. The documentation of this partnership is called the Community Wildfire Protection Plan. This document links the public with volunteer groups (Mountain Communities Fire Safe Council and Mountain Area Safety Taskforce) and…
So, as we all pursue the ever-compelling joys and rewards of removing all flammable materials from the 30-foot zone around our homes and structures, giving us all satisfaction in knowing we are keeping the carpets of pine needles and burgeoning waving seas of grass from providing ground fuels for any and all potential falling embers,…
